To ask if I can go to a colonoscopy alone?

[Lutherant]

Just that really, posting here for traffic. I have to have a colonoscopy (not urgently). I have a young baby and absolutely no support network nearby - none - except my husband. Husband would have to stay with the baby so there is no one to come with me. I wouldn't drive myself, I would get a taxi there and back.

Is this OK?

If you only have gas and air yes it's fine. You won't be allowed any sedation. Why can't husband n baby come with n go to get coffee whilst yr in there (obv not baby coffee lol

Surely they can't hold you in there against your will though?

I remember being sedated for a wisdom tooth removal some years ago and after half an hour in the waiting room after I was absolutely fine. Obviously wouldn't have driven, but would have been totally fine to go home on my own in a taxi.

I'd say this is definitely your best option, I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy with sedation, it wasn't heavy sedation and I was fully conscious throughout and straight afterwards, I didn't feel woozy at all but they still have to have someone to come and pick you up. Basically to cover their own arses in case you weren't quite with it afterwards.

Good luck op, the prep is absolutely the worst bit as others have said

They can and probably will, its just a faff as DH is partially sighted and can't drive, so it'd need to be a taxi situ and he'll have to lug the (quite heavy) baby and the car seat round the hospital.

You don't get sedation

If they can't tolerate they're rebooked in and an overnight bed is made to keep them in for monitoring (as would for a ga

I think you know yourself if you will be able to manage it without sedation, everyone has different pain thresholds and tolerances. I had a colonoscopy and polypectomy last week and managed without sedation or gas and air, but I was pretty sure that I would be able to handle it having had a number of other intimate and invasive procedures in the past without sedation or pain relief.

It sounds like you already know you won't be able to cope without sedation in which case you will definitely need to organise for someone to collect you. Best of luck, hope all goes well for you

Thats a shame, any mates that could just pick u up and drop you home to husband thatd be deemed perfectly acceptable?

I am having a colonoscopy on Saturday. I am choosing to have no sedation as I have had a bad reaction in the past.

Also, if you just have gas and air (or nothing) you won't be out of it and have to be minded for 12 hours afterwards. You will also be able to go there and back alone. This was also a big deciding factor for me.

I am quite nervous about the procedure as I have never had it done before. I must have read every post and piece of info on the internet. Overall, most people who don't have sedation seem to manage OK.

None near me who would be available sadly.

I never considered it might be at the weekend. If it was that'd be helpful as I'd have friends who could pick me up then.

You can as long as you only have gas and air, if you have sedation someone needs to pick you up (they don't have to be there for the whole thing though).

Worth chatting with the staff on the day, someone might walk you down to the pick up area to simplify that bit.

He and the baby don’t need to accompany you there to drop you.
The hospital can call you after the procedure with the pickup time. He arrives with the baby and takes you home. No waiting hopefully needed.

Going in is fine and no one has to wait for you. However they want someone to pick you up- we were in the same situation when DH had his. The hospital gave me a pick up estimate so that I had an idea when to start getting the baby ready. Once they called I can pick up, I loaded the baby in the car and went and got my DH.

How far away are you from South Bristol community hospital? I’ve had a colonoscopy there and there’s a leisure centre next door with a softplay. Might be an option if not too far away? The M1 bus goes there too so some public transport options

It's the other side of town - I live in Fishponds.

I had one done recently with no sedation or gas and air. Drove myself there and back. It was a bit uncomfortable but that's all.

I've had a colonoscopy with and without sedation if I have to have another, there is no chance of me having it without sedation

I know that I needed the sedation when I had mine.

I definitely won't be having it without sedation. I've had way too much experience of finding things painful that people have told me are not painful!

I’ve had one colonoscopy. I was glad of the sedation (although wasn’t remotely off my face at all, I was fully with it throughout) and although I felt totally normal afterwards, the very kind nurse wouldn’t let me walk out to the car unaccompanied. They are very risk averse, which is understandable, but I personally would have been fine in a taxi

I was not allowed to leave myself. I ended up having no sedation as my baby was breastfed and wouldn't take a bottle. I had gas and air. Not pleasant, but doable. They still preferred me to be collected but dh just brought the baby and got me.

Yeah they just won’t sedate you without knowing someone is coming, and they won’t let you go until someone does come for you. If they let you go and something happens they’d be in huge trouble.

I live alone and self-discharge when staff are happy for me to go home after any procedure where a short-acting sedation is used, then I take a taxi home. I don't discuss this with the team before the procedure.

I went alone too.

I knew I wouldn't want sedation and was glad I hadn't had it when I was able to walk out and go about my day normally.

Gas and air was fine - somewhat uncomfortable but no worse than that and for the most I had no discomfort.

If you have sedation you need someone with you although they allowed a friend of mine to leave alone after he had sedation. I was there to pick him up but they didn't see me and took his word for it that he was being collected and taken home.