Doctor wants me to have a colonoscopy...

yes it is very scary but and i wont lie it not fun try to get them to knock you out for it

And if your GI refuses to completely sedate you, find another one who will. In fact, as this GI seems so uncaring, maybe you should find another one anyway.

I am so very sorry to hear what happened to you.

If you haven't already, you might also consider an appointment with a psychologist/ therapist/ mental health professional to discuss your fear.  Given that your abdominal pain has persisted for 17 years, you can probably hold off a month or two to discuss the procedure with someone with more empathy than your doctor.  You might also plan to have such an appointment the day or so after the colonoscopy.

 

I'm so sorry for what you've been through. I can slightly relate, though my story is different.

You really should consider another doctor if yours is unwilling to be more compassionate about your concerns. We go through so much with this disease that we have to feel comfortable with the doctor we are partnered with in managing it.

If you can just get yourself to the appointment for the scope, then you will be fine. I have had five of them and I do not remember any of the actual exam/scoping. No feeling of anyone or anything touching me. And you can't really feel afterward that anything was "in there" if that makes sense. Maybe you can get your doctor (or a new one) to prescribe something for anxiety that you could take that morning and then have a trusted friend or relative drive you to the procedure. For me it's always been say hi to the doctor, roll onto my side, and they put the stuff in the IV and within in a minute or so I am out and completely asleep. When I had my flex sig on Tuesday I didn't even wake up until I was in recovery and my IV was out and everything.

Please don't keep putting this off. Your health is too important.

I'm so sorry to hear what happened to you. I completely understand why you fear the colonoscopy.

I don't know if this helps, but I don't remember my colonoscopies at all -- I was completely sedated for them. I told my doctor I wanted to be completely "out" and not remember a thing, and I don't remember anything from either of the two scopes I've had. They bring you into the procedure room, hook you up to an IV with the sedation drugs, and then you wake up in the recovery room.

I agree with whoever suggested asking for anxiety drugs to take the morning of the procedure and maybe the night before if you're really stressing out (xanax worked really well for me for severe claustrophobia when I had to fly recently for work). I do not think your doctor would have any problem prescribing these, and if he or she does, then find someone who is more compassionate.

I think therapy may be a good idea also.

Let us know how it goes.

I hope you reconsider, but I understand your reasoning if you do not. However, you can have something serious going on in there that it might be wise to catch it early, if there is anything there of course. I'm just curious, besides the pain, do you have any other issues such as bleeding?

Being that he is 52 years old i am sure he is well aware of the consequences. Good luck in what you decide.

I'm sorry to hear about what you went through. Truly.

I can just give you a brief example of how mine went, my first one, several days ago. I was scared, but for different reasons.

I literally pretended that they were going to work on my feet or my teeth or something, and just pretended to be in a good mood about it. Literally it helped me feel like I was almost.

I can honestly say that the worst part about it was the IV -- but even that was nothing. They prepped me, the nurses hung out with me and we chatted about all sorts of stuff, and then they rolled me into the prep room. They even put heated blankets on me! It was rather nice.

After they rolled me in there, they asked me to turn over on my left side. I was naked underneath, but I didn't worry -- they were professionals and had seen a lot of that! :) I would think that you can explain to your doc how you feel about it, and just stay covered up.

Now the real fun part -- the knockout. The nurse whispered into my ear "Alright, time to go night night OK?" and BAM the next thing I was sitting next to my wife talking to the doctor. She kept laughing at me because I felt so good, all numb and warm.

The main point is to communicate these feelings to your doctor. Locate a nurse when you get there that you trust and get to know them. They will look out for you. Tell them why you are uncomfortable and they will work with you. Don't be scared about pain, the IV is nothing (at least for me, but I have huge veins for them to poke.)

Just communicate, like you are with us. The prep does suck but it really wasn't that bad. I took Osmoprep and just sat on the toilet spraying out water all night. I read books and played on my phone. Just try to think of the knowledge they will gain through the procedure. Knowledge will help you feel better.

I will bet you that once it is over you will feel better about it. But, good luck and try to stay as positive as possible! You are brave enough to tell us, so keep up the bravery! Take that fear and push through it.

Beau

Perhaps you could even go into the location ahead of time and talk to some of the nurses that will be helping out. Get to know them a bit, but clue them in on your discomfort. They will know what to do and not to do.

Mine never once made me uncomfortable or did anything without telling me first. I will guarantee they could try to avoid certain things until you are knocked out.

Beau

i'd definitely search for a more sensitive GI and seek out a therapist, but the real hurdle here is that you have got to mentally/emotionally separate a very common and necessary medical procedure from your memories of the assault you endured as a child. i know that's much easier said than done, but if you'd rather die than have a colonoscopy you wouldn't be on here asking us for advice about it. your doctor is not seking some devious sexual satisfaction by trying to scope you, he's not trying to punish or dominate you, he's trying to help you. get anestesia, have the scope, get past it. think of all the energy you're putting into being horrified about this, and you're only extending it by putting it off. Life is for living.
you might also look for a gropup for survivors af childhood abuse.