Colonoscopy- confused!

[GAW19]

I have a colonoscopy booked for Monday. Everything I've read says I should have laxatives a few days before for 'bowel prep'
However when the woman rang me all she said was I would have an Enema on the day. I can eat and drink as normal before hand and on the day.
Just to take a dressing gown and slippers with me.
It doesn't say anything about pain relief or sedation or anything either .

Has anyone else had an Enema before a colonoscopy before? How was it?

My husband had one like this. It’s like a mini colonoscopy. They just look at the lower bowel. They actually gave him an enema kit to do himself at home - like a tube with a bulb at the end with fluid in it and he squirted it up and immediately pooped and that was it! I was shocked as when I had a colonoscopy I had the full whack of laxative prep and was shitting liquid on the toilet for 24 hours prior to the test! (TMI).

Are you sure you're having a colonoscopy? Could it be a sigmoidoscopy?

To be fair the enema does the bowel prep's job, so I think it's a case of six of one, half a dozen of the other. Although - I've had 4 colonoscopies, I've never had an enema.

The procedure itself is fine though, so if you are concerned or nervous please don't be :-)

That sounds like you are booked for a sigmoidoscopy. A colonoscopy does require a moderated diet for a few days before hand and bowel prep the day before. I know some hospitals have very long waits for colonoscopy and are offering sigmoidoscopy’s in the interim. Perhaps this is the case.

Agree it’s a sigmoidoscopy and the enema and procedure will be fine