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Colonoscopy Prep - scared!!!

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Posted 2/9/2009 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
Ok..I have searched the web and found NOTHING that answers my question.  On New Years Day I was extremely sick with severe abdominal pain.  I had a CT scan done and was told a tentative diagnosis of UC and referred to a GI.  Well....I have two questions:

One, does colon cancer show up on a CT scan of the abdomen? 

Second:  I am scheduled for a colonoscopy this Friday with the prep (moviprep) being at 7:00pm on Thursday night at 5:00am Friday morning.  I can not find any information at all about what to expect with the prep part.  If I do the prep at 7:00 am I going to be up all night?  If the effects of the prep last for hours how in the world am I going to drink this stuff from 5-6am the morning of the test and be at the hospital at 8:45am? 

any help from any experience people would me much appreciated.  I am not scared about the actual test but this prep before hand is terrifying me!!!!!!!

Thanks in advance

Susan

Posted 2/9/2009 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
don't worry about the prep, been through it a few times, not as bad as one might think. follow what your doctor advises, mine was nothing RED and nothing solid day before. I survived on icicles, chicken soup(noodles strained), gatorade and apple juice. The prep started for me at 7pm the night before, so i was able to work a full day, and wasn't really that bad at all. felt quite empty and nice afterwards. good luck
Posted 2/9/2009 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
Usually you'll start having an urgent need to go within one to two hours of starting the prep, so be sure you stay close to the bathroom. If possible, any others in the house should use another bathroom and leave yours to you - you won't be able to wait for someone to get out of the bathroom. Get some wet wipes (not baby wipes, a lot of them have alcohol) because your bottom may get very sore and tender; wet wipes will be more gentle. Also a good barrier cream such as Desinex or A&D ointment can help protect the skin.

By your morning dose you'll probably be about emptied out so it may not be a problem.

Just a sidenote: pain is not a common symptom of colon cancer until it is very advanced, so it's unlikely to be the problem. Try to relax, and good luck.
Posted 2/10/2009 12:00 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone!!  You all make me feel better and not quite as scared. 

Posted 2/10/2009 1:12 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Susan,

is your colonoscopy on Friday the 13th? Mine too. Can only mean good luck to have it done on a Friday the 13th.

All the best and let us know how it went.
Posted 2/10/2009 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
The prep is not fun but it is definitely not all that bad. You empty out pretty fast, after a couple of hours of feeling like a bloated balloon. For me, mixing the laxative with ginger ale was better than with water. And I always make myself green jello so in between drinking the laxative and going to bathroom, you can eat the jello. I refer to the day before as "Green Jello day". I have had colonoscopies yearly now since about 1978. You will do fine.

Also the best part is the quick buzz right after they put the stuff in your IV....it's nice. Then afterward, I always plan on going out for brunch.
Posted 2/10/2009 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
You can go to brunch afterwards? Wow, the only place I can go afterwards is to bed and sleep my buzz off! LOL
Posted 2/10/2009 3:26 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, I do. Maybe because what gets me through Green Jello day is thinking of what food I will pig out on the next day....and I never can eat even half of what I think I can the day before. It's my little ritual....and paying attention as they turn the happy juice on. Since I have had to do this so often.....almost 30 years now, I think the ritual helps.
Posted 2/10/2009 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
Friday the 13th has never bothered me.  It was always a fun day in my house.  My Mom was the 13th child out of 15 so 13 was always her favorite number.  She died 2 years ago so I like to think that both her and God will be watching over me during this colonoscopy on Friday.

Posted 2/10/2009 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
I bet you'll be able to get to bed by 11pm. It does take a while to clean out your bowels, but you won't be up all night. Just try to drink that stuff as fast as you can and chase it with sips of ginger ale and/or apple juice. Once its over with, you'll realize its not such a big deal. Good luck and let us know how it goes. I know cancer was a huge scare for me when I first starting having symptoms, but the odds are very small. Stay positive!! ;-)
Posted 2/10/2009 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Kiss520. It is usually 11 before I head to bed anyway. I can live with that. Cancer is still a scare for me but the more I read here the less I think it is. I just want this over and to get on with it. I get to go with my daughter on a field trip the day of my liquid diet and we have to pack a completely disposable lunch. So much for my chicken broth in a thermos idea. Guess I'll just grab a six pack of jello. LOL
Posted 2/10/2009 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
I enjoy a naughty meal the day before...knowing it won't be with me for long!
For me, that's pizza, crust and all...

It is actually a kind of good feeling to be all cleaned out!
(Does anyone think it would do any harm for UC'ers to "cleanz" now and then??)

Anyway, good luck and think of it as an adventure.
Posted 2/10/2009 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
Everything gets gone, believe me! I've seen the photos. And it's not like I eat a whole pizza by myself! But it's one of the foods I miss (although now and then I eat the top off a piece).

Good point about the dehydration. I figured there was a reason.
Posted 2/11/2009 6:24 AM (GMT 0)
Trust me, it is no where near as bad as you would think. In fact, Colonoscopies are kind of fun in some ways. When I woke up from the drugs my friend was at my side (designated driver), and I said "They are letting you be here with me for the procedure?" =D. It's interesting to try and remember as much as you can during the procedure, but as the day progresses the more you forget until it all becomes a blur.

The prep can be unnerving, but just mix in some yellow flavored powder (gatorade, etc.) into the cleansing drink and you'll be fine.
Posted 2/12/2009 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
I actually try to eat fairly lightly for two to three days prior, then the jell-o and liquids fasting. By eating light going into it there isn't as much to empty out and the whole process goes much easier. The prep drink always makes me very nauseous and I end up vomiting more often than not, but since I am already fairly empty I still clean out very well for the colonoscopy.

While I always SAY I am going to go out and eat a nice meal, in actuality every time I've had the 'scope all I've wanted to do is go home and sleep. I feel nauseous for much of the day anyway.

Anything cancerous will be seen during the procedure, biopsies will be taken on the spot and any polyps or growths removed. I actually think we UCers have LESS of a colon cancer risk since our colons get scrutinized so often anything that develops will be spotted early and dealt with.

I'm sure everything will go fine for you. It's not the most pleasant experience you'll ever have, but it's not all that horrible either. As you've heard, the prep is the worse part, so once you get through that, sleep well, no worries!!

Meesh
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