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- Apr 2, 2006
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- 11,398
I'm expecting this one to be a real winner! 
OK, maybe not.
Seriously, I recently ranted about having to prep for a colonoscopy in the rants/vent thread, which started a conversation about prepping for colonoscopies... and then decided it might be better to continue that conversation elsewhere. Like here. Because it turned out my prep was actually pretty easy and not really rant-worthy, and because I wanted this information to be easy to find.
So... I underwent a colonoscopy a few weeks ago. It was my second in five years. (Technically my first, since the previous test was a sigmoidoscopy, kind of a "colonoscopy lite.") As I understand it the usual protocol is that routine colonoscopies or sigmoidoscopies start at around age 50. If nothing adverse is found, you won't have to repeat the test for five (sigmoidoscopy) to ten years (colonoscopy).
If you've had a colonoscopy or heard about it, you already know that it's the day before the procedure - the "prep day," that many people dread. Basically you take a prescribed regimen of laxatives to help you empty your intestines, you're starved on a clear liquid only diet, and you spend a lot of time on the toilet. If the prep is not done well and there's material left in the colon, the test may be aborted and repeated later... after another prep day. If that isn't incentive to get it right the first time, I don't know what is!
My previous prep day was a day of total discomfort, so I wasn't looking forward it this time. But as I mentioned above, this time the prep was not bad at all. Inconvenient, yes, but not terribly uncomfortable.
So what changed from five years ago to this time?
The hospital prescribed a different laxative regimen. I don't know what role that played, however.
This time the instructions also suggested that I start changing my diet a few days before the official prep day - and I suspect that made a lot of difference. I followed the hospital's instructions, which suggested cutting out nuts and seeds, and leafy green veggies in the days leading up to the preparation. I suspect those instructions are designed to ensure a cleaner colon for the day of the colonoscopy, but - they seem to have a side effect of making the cleanse easier. Also I'm retired now, and generally eating smaller and fewer meals, and less meat in particular.
In the vent thread I mentioned a blog posting I had found about preparing for a colonoscopy that included a lot of good information. Unfortunately I didn't stumble on it until the day of the prep, as I was researching the question of whether it's OK to eat gummy bears on prep day (some sources say yes, but my doctor's office said no). But the first several several hours of my prep were "business as usual" and I was still able to run to the store and pick up a few things. Here's a link to the thread. Be forewarned that it presents a worst case scenario picture of prep day, and they're not necessarily all that bad. Mine wasn't.
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/documents/document/acspc-042280.pdf
So what do I think is most important?
Pick up your prep kit several days before you start your prep, and read the instructions carefully then. Don't assume they'll be the same as the instructions you might have followed for a prior exam - mine were not. Call the doctor's office if you have any questions. (My doctor's office called me a few days before and the day of the prep to see if I had any questions.)
Start modifying your diet two or three days before your prep day, both by eating less and eating more easily digested foods. (Google "Low Residual Diet" for lists of easily digested foods.)
I made myself a nice rich broth to slurp on prep day. If you do that, cook it carefully, at a low simmer rather than a boil, to keep it as clear as possible; use vegetables that won't fall apart easily, and cut the veggies into large chunks. No tomatoes or beets, of course! (Anything red remaining in your colon could be incorrectly interpreted as blood.) What I learned? I used lots of mushrooms, not knowing that the"gills" would cause the broth to be brown and opaque. I was able to filter it reasonably well (it wasn't easy) but next time I'll use younger mushrooms or just cut off the gills, and have cheesecloth on hand, just in case, to help clarify the finished product.
Ensure (a protein/food supplement drink) now comes in a clear formula called "Ensure Active" that's very palatable. I used this as part of my meal substitution on prep day.
I prepared a small box of Jello for my prep day, but next time it'll be a large box for sure! When I made the jello, I used ginger ale instead of cold water to make it more interesting.
I really appreciated my wonderfully fragrant luxury soap that day! You'll be washing your hands a lot, so if you who appreciate nice soap and hand lotion, this is the day to bring them out! (A nice scented candle, too.)
My prep instructions called for me to drink a liter of prep liquid over a one-hour period, three to four hours before the scheduled procedure time. When I saw this, I rescheduled my procedure from first thing in the morning to late morning/early afternoon. I'm not an early riser, and I decided I'd rather be hungry for a few hours more than to have to get up at 4 or 5 am just to drink a gallon of cold liquid. (As it turned out, hunger wasn't a problem.)
Speaking of the liters of prep drink... I really appreciated the flavored powders and drops now available to spruce up bottled water!
I was put under "conscious sedation" for the colonoscopy but really, the next thing I remember clearly is waking to a call from the doctor, a good eight hours or so later, telling me that the colonoscopy showed no problems and I was good to go for another ten years!
In other words, don't make plans for the afternoon or evening of the colonoscopy! (When I underwent the sigmoidoscopy a they used a lighter form of sedation in which I was basically aware of the procedure and able to talk to the techicial and respond to instructions throughout. Although the discomfort wasn't terrible, it was there and I was aware of it. I don't recall if I slept away the remainder of that day. I also know someone who underwent a colonoscopy without any sedation because he hadn't arranged for someone to give him a ride home. Like any of us friends wouldn't have been happy to help out! But he did live to tell the tale!)
So there it is, the colonoscopy thread. I hope someone out there will find it helpful.
OK, maybe not. Seriously, I recently ranted about having to prep for a colonoscopy in the rants/vent thread, which started a conversation about prepping for colonoscopies... and then decided it might be better to continue that conversation elsewhere. Like here. Because it turned out my prep was actually pretty easy and not really rant-worthy, and because I wanted this information to be easy to find.
So... I underwent a colonoscopy a few weeks ago. It was my second in five years. (Technically my first, since the previous test was a sigmoidoscopy, kind of a "colonoscopy lite.") As I understand it the usual protocol is that routine colonoscopies or sigmoidoscopies start at around age 50. If nothing adverse is found, you won't have to repeat the test for five (sigmoidoscopy) to ten years (colonoscopy).
If you've had a colonoscopy or heard about it, you already know that it's the day before the procedure - the "prep day," that many people dread. Basically you take a prescribed regimen of laxatives to help you empty your intestines, you're starved on a clear liquid only diet, and you spend a lot of time on the toilet. If the prep is not done well and there's material left in the colon, the test may be aborted and repeated later... after another prep day. If that isn't incentive to get it right the first time, I don't know what is!
My previous prep day was a day of total discomfort, so I wasn't looking forward it this time. But as I mentioned above, this time the prep was not bad at all. Inconvenient, yes, but not terribly uncomfortable.
So what changed from five years ago to this time?
The hospital prescribed a different laxative regimen. I don't know what role that played, however.
This time the instructions also suggested that I start changing my diet a few days before the official prep day - and I suspect that made a lot of difference. I followed the hospital's instructions, which suggested cutting out nuts and seeds, and leafy green veggies in the days leading up to the preparation. I suspect those instructions are designed to ensure a cleaner colon for the day of the colonoscopy, but - they seem to have a side effect of making the cleanse easier. Also I'm retired now, and generally eating smaller and fewer meals, and less meat in particular.
In the vent thread I mentioned a blog posting I had found about preparing for a colonoscopy that included a lot of good information. Unfortunately I didn't stumble on it until the day of the prep, as I was researching the question of whether it's OK to eat gummy bears on prep day (some sources say yes, but my doctor's office said no). But the first several several hours of my prep were "business as usual" and I was still able to run to the store and pick up a few things. Here's a link to the thread. Be forewarned that it presents a worst case scenario picture of prep day, and they're not necessarily all that bad. Mine wasn't.
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/documents/document/acspc-042280.pdf
So what do I think is most important?
Pick up your prep kit several days before you start your prep, and read the instructions carefully then. Don't assume they'll be the same as the instructions you might have followed for a prior exam - mine were not. Call the doctor's office if you have any questions. (My doctor's office called me a few days before and the day of the prep to see if I had any questions.)
Start modifying your diet two or three days before your prep day, both by eating less and eating more easily digested foods. (Google "Low Residual Diet" for lists of easily digested foods.)
I made myself a nice rich broth to slurp on prep day. If you do that, cook it carefully, at a low simmer rather than a boil, to keep it as clear as possible; use vegetables that won't fall apart easily, and cut the veggies into large chunks. No tomatoes or beets, of course! (Anything red remaining in your colon could be incorrectly interpreted as blood.) What I learned? I used lots of mushrooms, not knowing that the"gills" would cause the broth to be brown and opaque. I was able to filter it reasonably well (it wasn't easy) but next time I'll use younger mushrooms or just cut off the gills, and have cheesecloth on hand, just in case, to help clarify the finished product.
Ensure (a protein/food supplement drink) now comes in a clear formula called "Ensure Active" that's very palatable. I used this as part of my meal substitution on prep day.
I prepared a small box of Jello for my prep day, but next time it'll be a large box for sure! When I made the jello, I used ginger ale instead of cold water to make it more interesting.
I really appreciated my wonderfully fragrant luxury soap that day! You'll be washing your hands a lot, so if you who appreciate nice soap and hand lotion, this is the day to bring them out! (A nice scented candle, too.)
My prep instructions called for me to drink a liter of prep liquid over a one-hour period, three to four hours before the scheduled procedure time. When I saw this, I rescheduled my procedure from first thing in the morning to late morning/early afternoon. I'm not an early riser, and I decided I'd rather be hungry for a few hours more than to have to get up at 4 or 5 am just to drink a gallon of cold liquid. (As it turned out, hunger wasn't a problem.)
Speaking of the liters of prep drink... I really appreciated the flavored powders and drops now available to spruce up bottled water!
I was put under "conscious sedation" for the colonoscopy but really, the next thing I remember clearly is waking to a call from the doctor, a good eight hours or so later, telling me that the colonoscopy showed no problems and I was good to go for another ten years!
In other words, don't make plans for the afternoon or evening of the colonoscopy! (When I underwent the sigmoidoscopy a they used a lighter form of sedation in which I was basically aware of the procedure and able to talk to the techicial and respond to instructions throughout. Although the discomfort wasn't terrible, it was there and I was aware of it. I don't recall if I slept away the remainder of that day. I also know someone who underwent a colonoscopy without any sedation because he hadn't arranged for someone to give him a ride home. Like any of us friends wouldn't have been happy to help out! But he did live to tell the tale!)So there it is, the colonoscopy thread. I hope someone out there will find it helpful.
.
it's a great thread you made, the info I got on colonoscopy was minimal, nothing as good as you had. I went to the head nurse/colonoscopy division and she told me what I posted.
I had to go in for my colonoscopy earlier than the 5- 10- year schedule would indicate because of blood found in a sample using one of these tests.
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