Colonoscopy tomorrow, starting bowel prep today!

[widowtwankywashroom]

Colonoscopy tomorrow ( on a 2ww pathway, Dr found a lump on a rectal examination )
Bowel prep starts today, I am dreading it

It's fine, my friend had one Christmas Eve and was out in the pub same night. Fear not

didn’t they advise you in appointment letter?

Best of luck, my MIL, friend and brother have been through it and said it was fine ❤️

DM had bowel cancer diagnosed a year ago and she’s in her 80s but found the prep much less awful than she expected to. Have you already don’t the four days of white food? I think that was more of a struggle.

Wishing you well and fingers crossed it’s nothing sinister.

I've done this twice and it's fine. I've heard people saying "oh god, it's disgusting, it awful" ; it's fine. I won't be swopping a glass of wine for it but it absolutely drinkable without any drama. Stay in the house, watch something on tv/tablet in your bed, drink it and pop to loo every so often. Tablet is handy cause if you want an extended period in bathroom you can keep watching show! 😂

Honestly it's fine, I was expecting it to be the worst thing to drink and it wasn't a problem at all. Mix with very cold water and stay near a loo! I found the preceding days of a white diet much more annoying and then was sedated for the procedure so didn't feel a thing. I hope everything goes OK for you and you get a good result.

I have had to do bowel prep on six different occasions in the last year.

I have tried various ways of drinking it including adding diluting juice and sprite. Everyone is different. However, I find it easier by ensuring it is cold and drinking water at the same time. Drink it as quickly as possible but not so quick as to make yourself sick. Additionally, keep warm - I use my heated throw as it can make you feel cold.

good luck with the prep and the colonoscopy.

advise me of what?

I am all set, I have moist tissues, sudacrem, I am first on the list
Glad the prep isn't as bad as what I thought

Awww wishing you luck - it's no fun, that's for sure, but doable with a bit of mental attitude and stamina! I'm a total wimp, I was convinced I'd be too horrified at the entire process to get through it, but it was not as bad as I expected. And the consultant congratulated me on my nice clean bowel.

The prep isn't pleasant, I drank it through a straw and chased every few gulps with ice cold strawberry flavoured water. Things get a bit sore from all the wiping, and I had a terrible headache from being empty and a bit anxious. I wore a big pair of tena lady pants from home to hospital but didn't need them, I made it to the hospital loo for a last hurrah - it's not THAT uncontrollable.

I hope your inner bump turns out to be nothing of significance, fingers crossed.

The white diet wasn't required for dp, just no food after 6pm the day before. He said it was ok, the subsequent procedure was worse as it was a bit painful afterwards but it worked for now (hereditary congenital abnormality so reoccurs every few years, they just have to check for sinister things first just in case).

I’m going to be honest and say I hated the prep prior to a colonoscopy 🙈

I had the one at the hospital though, where you have to sit on a hospital toilet with a flimsy gown on, people knocking at the door and a toilet seat falling off its hinges. And particularly as it has to be quick (ready for the colonoscopy within half an hour-ish) it is not the most fun experience!!!

So would definitely opt for a slower one in the comfort of my own home!

The OP doesn’t say she doesn’t know what to do. She just says she’s dreading it.

The prep isn’t pleasant but it is doable - agree with others, having it cold makes it much easier to drink. And try to do it fast get it over with.
The colonoscopy itself was fine, they found a large polyp when I had it and removed it there and then. Good luck OP, hope all goes smoothly and the lump is nothing to worry about.

The prep is the worst part. I am easily cockily though and it's put me off lemon juice for the rest of my life. I was feeling mentally defeated by the end but the science of it was interesting. I ended up with gas and air through the procedure as my bowel was not playing nice but I was fine after. You can do this!

I am a proper drama queen though for full disclosure!

The procedure was fine. I can't believe you get gas and air for it.

The prep is awful. Get a bottle of Lucozade to alternate. Take a deep breath, hold it and drink as much of the prep as you can. If you can't smell it it makes it loads easier to keep down.

I was ok with the first litre but the second lot was a bit of a struggle. Not awful though. The pooping doesn’t hurt. It’s just like peeing out of your bottom. The actual colonoscopy was nothing. Didn’t feel a thing. You could do it with no pain relief easy. Hope all is ok op

I recommend using ice cold squash with the prep (and using a flavour you don't usually drink, as it's been a few months now and tropical flavoured squash still makes me shudder), use a straw and have the straw as far back in your mouth to drink it (avoid it going over the taste buds on your tongue to avoid tasting it) and holding your nose whilst drinking it and following it with water afterwards before you let go of your nose to avoid tasting it as much as possible. It's really salty.

I just stayed on the loo whilst it kicked in, I had my iPad set up with a film. I found it easier mentally knowing I was just sitting there rather than worrying about when I needed to rush back in the loo go/worrying someone would be in the loo when I needed it.

The second litre was really hard, I sipped it really slowly but still ended up vomiting it all back up but luckily my prep had been sufficient for the procedure to go ahead still.

I started the procedure with gas and air, but I had never used gas and air before so didn't really understand how to inhale it properly and whilst it didn't hurt it felt weird so I asked for the sedation. I was awake and can remember the colonoscopy, but it didn't feel uncomfortable.

I had to sit on the loo for three hours with a good book once the prep started working. Had a sedative for the procedure and no after effects.

It's not the best way to spend 24hrs but it's worth it when once the procedure is out of the way. Just grit your teeth and deep breaths .

It wasn’t my favourite thing I’ve done, but it was very manageable (had 3 so far). I made my prep very chilly and used a straw.

I’m in the US and we get knocked out here with propofol. Don’t remember a thing!

Hope yours goes ok OP!

Good luck, DH has had to have a few colonoscopies and the prep is truly awful, but really necessary for them to get a good clear, clean look at your colon. The Consultant actually thanked my DH for doing the prep correctly as he told him it really helped. His appointment was for first thing and it’s weird how the timings for taking the prep stuff is accurate. Good luck for tomorrow.

ignore me
apologies

It's disgusting

Ice ice and more ice. Make it as cold as possible. Drink via a straw.