The joys of getting older

When I was diagnosed with stage four at the age of 42 to the doctors gave me a little hope of living more than a year. Who’d a thought that I’d live to have my first colonoscopy. Well I’m 54 years old and today’s the day. I’ve already done my bowel prep and it appears that I’m sufficiently cleaned out. Whatever may have been left in my stomach I just threw up so no need to worry there. I am absolutely famished but I now have two hours before I need to check in at the hospital so the final countdown is on.

Billybob
I have heard that the worst part is the clean out. Looking forward to a big fat juicy hamburger. I have had nothing but a Popsicle and some butterscotch candy since Saturday night. Hungry

Thanks Andrew
I work for a company that treats it’s employees Lake Street girls if I was wide-awake I doubt I would even feel the garden hose.😐

Todd
Hang in there, I just had my first one done last month, Yes the cleaning out is the hardest part. Just before I was put under, just remember asking the nurse "are they going to video tape this?' she said no. the next thing I knew I woke up in the recovery room, and my wife was staring at me saying I looked so peaceful sleeping there.
It was all good under the hood.

Keep the Faith ,
Dan-o

Pohaku53 said...
Some use moderate sedation and some use propofol (aka milk of amnesia) for this. I always liked the moderate sedation (typically Versed and Fentanyl) and the opportunity to watch the show on the monitor. Nothing like a guided tour of your lower digestive track!

The prep is the worst part (and it is better than it used to be). The procedure itself is indelicate, but otherwise typically neither painful nor problematic.

Hey Pohaku53, are you "anesthesia" also, like me? Most folks don't know the "milk of amnesia" joke. Although, I suppose folks like me, as we are about to push the white, milk looking drug, have been saying "here you go, enjoy some milk of amnesia" for enough years that maybe a lot of patients remember that joke. There was another one. During the last years before I retired, I was covering small rural hospitals part time, I would drive there then back home when the work was done. But at one of these hospitals, when I realized how sick(close to death) many of the patients were and how little help I had (no ICUs, etc) to keep folks alive, that is when I discovered a wonderful combo we called "white lightning": Propofol mixed with ketamine! What was great about that combo: one drug had opposite SEs to the other, I.E. one depressed respiration, the other stimulated it. Same with BP. Anyway, point is: milk of amnesia and white lightning! Good stuff for surgery/deep sedation!

Post Edited (BillyBob@388) : 11/20/2017 4:41:14 PM (GMT-7)

Hi all. The procedure was a breeze. I cracked jokes until they administered the fentinal and the other drug and remember nothing of the event. The garden hose was under a towel prior to the drugs. I did catch a glimpse. I think it said Goodyear on the side. Had a double burger and fries before coming home. Got home and slept for three hours. All in all, not bad. Way better than a transrectal ultrasound guided needle biopsy. One polyp less than 5mm. Dr. Lady said I had a beautiful colon. It is my best side.

Lol. Heard it but still funny

Todd1963 said...
......Way better than a transrectal ultrasound guided needle biopsy.

agreed. When you have had your prostate removed and radiation, a colonoscopy is pretty much a non event. The prep is unpleasant for sure. If you have a skilled doctor and are given the right drugs, its "almost" an enjoyable procedure if you watch the monitor ..... and your first meal after is just so good !!!!

I think I've had about five of those procedures (which shall remain nameless) due to polyps found on #1 and #3. My last one was done by a Doc that uses a fantastic prep called SUPREP Bowel Prep. No more drinking gallons of yuck, I hated that. I think I'm due for another one next year :-(

BillyBob@388 said...

Pohaku53 said...
Some use moderate sedation and some use propofol (aka milk of amnesia) for this. I always liked the moderate sedation (typically Versed and Fentanyl) and the opportunity to watch the show on the monitor. Nothing like a guided tour of your lower digestive track!

The prep is the worst part (and it is better than it used to be). The procedure itself is indelicate, but otherwise typically neither painful nor problematic.

Hey Pohaku53, are you "anesthesia" also, like me? Most folks don't know the "milk of amnesia" joke. Although, I suppose folks like me, as we are about to push the white, milk looking drug, have been saying "here you go, enjoy some milk of amnesia" for enough years that maybe a lot of patients remember that joke. There was another one. During the last years before I retired, I was covering small rural hospitals part time, I would drive there then back home when the work was done. But at one of these hospitals, when I realized how sick(close to death) many of the patients were and how little help I had (no ICUs, etc) to keep folks alive, that is when I discovered a wonderful combo we called "white lightning": Propofol mixed with ketamine! What was great about that combo: one drug had opposite SEs to the other, I.E. one depressed respiration, the other stimulated it. Same with BP. Anyway, point is: milk of amnesia and white lightning! Good stuff for surgery/deep sedation!

Nope. I'm a health care attorney, but I have represented anesthesiologists and their state professional society. My sister is an anesthesiologist as well. Wife is also a physician. Lots of health care and medicine in my family. Great stuff propofol. In the right hands.

Jeff. I miss you so much. There are so few familiar names to me. It is.very good to hear from you. I do miss you my friend