FIIT test, low iron, constipation, scared

[painintheargh]

NC for this.

Since having covid and changing my diet to lose weight last November I've had constipation. It's responded well to lactulose. No pain, no diarrhoea, no bleeding.
The GP tested for coeliac and a full blood count, liver, thyroid, hormones, kidneys, the full works. All fine except for an iron level of 8. My diet is rubbish on the iron front and the GP wasn't concerned about the iron and just told me to up my veg. Because the constipation has continued I've been asked to do a FIIT stool sample to check for blood which I will take to the GP tomorrow.
Im 46, pretty fit and do a lot of cardio exercise daily, I don't smoke, don't drink, I haven't eaten meat since 1990, my BMI is 21 and was 26 at its highest so my risk factors are low but im scared.

Does anyone have any experience of this who can offer any advice or handholding please? Im sure it's just that I don't eat enough and there's not enough food passing through my gut to make me poop regularly. I live on porridge, yogurt, fruit and soups. Very little in terms of stodgy high volume foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta. Portions of those are infrequent and small.

I'm a single parent of 3 with little to no help and terrified of cancer.

DumbledoresWand - when i had one of those letters - they didnt ring - then i rung them as date on letter was reached - then tney offered a slot

Do ring them monday if you havent heard

@DumbledoresWand that's not a great service is it, I'm sorry you're still waiting and hope you hear something before Monday.
Today is the last day I can eat normally. I've ordered a load of shortbread fingers and am going to get some apple and white grape juice today, a loaf of white bread, and butter. That and Greek yogurt with honey will be my diet for Friday and Saturday. Sunday I'm not allowed to eat at all of course.
I'm getting nervous now and my stomach is in knots. I dread to think what I'll be like by Monday morning!

Pain in the arghh - it will be okay

You may just have polyps with no abnornal cells - many people do

Thank you for the handholding, it's much appreciated. I start the diet of doom today. I have lots to do today but not as much walking (6-7 miles instead of 10) so I won't be as hungry. It's going to be weird living off refined white carbs after months of trying to eat more healthily. This time tomorrow I'll be half-way to London for my birthday day out. Really must get to bed by 9 tonight as we are leaving here at 5.30am tomorrow 😱 I'm looking forward to it very much but also a bit nervous as it's a big place and I'm not that familiar with it. DC were too young to remember anything of their previous brief trip so this is a big adventure for them. And me! It's going to be hot and sunny and hopefully wonderful.

I'll waffle more and more as I get nearer to Monday morning so I apologise in advance.

Waffle away - - ive been where you are - i know its hard

Enjoy london town :)

@painintheargh Hope you have a lovely time in London, the food side of stuff over the weekend will be a bit rubbish, but once Monday is here, and they can see what's been going on when you have the colonoscopy, it will have been worth it. Have an idea of something that you really fancy to eat afterwards
x

Thank you. I'm looking forward to it. Food has been ok today and has been yogurt with honey, iced fingers, biscuits and some toast. The toast was not great. I've not had toast for so long and I thought it was meh bordering on ugh. Hovis white sliced with Kerrygold butter but just so tasteless. I'm too used to porridge and homemade bread when I do have it. The nurse has been great and I can have a Frappuccino and a plain doughnut and even a flake in an ice cream! That cheered me up. The sweets I got for the train will be saved until next week. I'm so glad the nurse will be meeting me on the unit because I'll be a wreck. I'm ok at the moment but that's because I've got tomorrow to look forward to.

Well London was awesome! The food was limited but ok: yogurt and honey for breakfast with tea, lots of water, shortbread biscuits, a yum yum (god I hate that name), baguette from M&S with some sliced cheese on that I cobbled together in the park, Frappuccino, ice cream, and more yogurt when we got back. I haven't eaten large amounts the past few days and I'm hoping that will help.
My appointment is Monday morning and I'm to have the prep at 2pm and 7pm on Sunday. Can I bring that forward a couple of hours? I need to sleep tomorrow night and not be up all night in the toilet. 7pm is late when I'm usually in bed by 9. I won't be eating tomorrow at all apart from my allowed breakfast. I'm allowed lunch too but I want to get cracking and the less food in the less to poop out

Oh my god I woke up at 4.30 with stomach cramps. I've not even started the moviprep yet and was in agony on the loo with sweat pouring off me and retching. I've put a bucket in their now incase I'm actually sick. It's so hot in the bathroom with no window so ill use wet flannels on my forehead to cool me down. Even my legs were sweating. I've never known normal laxatives work so fast. It's just dulcolsx that you can but OTC. It's already liquid so I hope that will be less cramps from hell now!

Here goes with the moviprep! I'm dreading this. I've got some mild cramps from the bisocodyl now so I think things will explode soon. Sudocrem is applied, wet wipes at the ready.

Hope your doing okay
Read a book in the bathroom or such or put a radio in there

I'm on glass 3 of 4 if the first batch. Poo is bright yellow and almost clear but not that much of it. Or less than I expected anyway. Possibly due to last nights evacuations and not eating much all day. I'm feeling really tired now though and wish I could go to sleep. I started taking it an hour early as want it all done by the time II go to bed. If I start my last jug at 6 should I be done by 10pm do you think?

If it was me , id keep to the timings they work out 4 you

My body kept throwing out liquid even like 5 hours b4 procedure

You need to keep hydrated etc

When i har moviprep - i did 250 ml each 30 mins
Mine was menna be over 2 hour period

Mine is over 2 hours too. I'm half an hour over that now but that's because of the time spent in the bathroom but at least I've finished the first jug. There's not an awful lot exiting but it's now clear bright yellow and like peeing from my bum. As soon as I sit down on my bed I need to go again. I need a rest from drink for a while otherwise I'll be sick. I've had lots of ice in with it because without I'd have thrown it all back up. Might do my daily Duolingo while I'm here. Mumsnet is keeping me occupied as it always does!

Yeah.. its hard but keep going because its important that the system gets it all out...

Did you put squash in with it ? .

I found the second lot easier ( i threw up after first litre )

I've put lots of ice and some lime cordial in it and am drinking it with a straw. If I'm done drinking by 8.30pm when do you think I could safely go to sleep?

If it was me - id give it 2 hours after

Tbh though - your body / brain will probably wake you when you need to go

Thank you. I'm so tired and feel cold despite it being over 25 in my room. I'm under my covers

Feeling cold isnt great tbh

I spoke to 111 afer i threw up the first lot

Maybe chat to 111 if you continue to feel cold ?

Im feeling ok in myself I think the bathroom is warmer than the bedroom and I'm very tired and tend to feel cold then anyway. Plus there's a lot more liquid passing now and that's a shock to the body. Ds has brought me a litre of apple juice to drink. I'm never going to want apple or lime drinks again after this. I thought this would be much much worse and painful but it's not painful at all.

Yeah , i felt that way too - ie - never wanting lime squash again after

Glad your ok

Youll probably want / need to rest the day after colonoscopy- nausea comes and goes in waves

Let us know how you get on tomorrow

@painintheargh ..sorry to hear its making you feel so rubbish, hopefully it'll be doing its job and you'll be ready for tomorrow.
I have a telephone appt tomorrow at 11, so I'm expecting them to put me on the colonoscopy list. I'll be reading this thread back for all the tips with the prep for when it's my turn.
Hope everything goes OK tomorrow.
x

@DumbledoresWand I've been thinking of you and hope you get an appointment soon. How are you feeling during the awful wait? I was phoned last Monday and put on the list then they phoned me on Tuesday I think and originally I was given an appointment for the first week of July but then they called back to say tomorrow which is all very quick. The prep isn't nice tasting. It's like dioralyte rehydration salts. Ice is a saviour and add some lemon or lime to it. Sudocrem for your bum. I applied some before it all kicked off and I wipe toilet paper into the tub then wipe with it once I've wiped normally. So far so good. I'm onto the second jug now. I'm finding it hard to drink 250mls per half hour but sipping it as best I can. The tablets caused major cramps but the moviprep is just that feeling of liquid in your rectum that means toilet quick. It's not been explosive though. Feeling hungry now. I didn't bother with breakfast or lunch but had some shortbread with a cup of tea this morning. I'm daydreaming about what to have for dinner tomorrow. I'm not sure I'll have much appetite so might stick to toast tomorrow then have something really nice on Tuesday. Pizza and chips being a possibility. Double carbs🥰
I'll be happy to try to answer any questions you have so feel free to use this thread for support. From searching this is quite a common procedure. That's sort of reassuring but it's still scary for me and I'm sure others will feel the same. If this thread helps anyone else I'll be very happy because it's really helped me.

I felt exactly the same during my prep a fortnight ago - cold and exhausted. I didn't stop passing fluid from my backside all night. In the end I just wrapped my backside in maxi pads and then several old towels (as by that time it was clear water) and tried to sleep.

I promise this is the worse part by far. Good luck