I have my first one tomorrow, so this has been a new experience for me. Dulcolax this afternoon, followed by a split dose of Miralax with 64oz of lemon lime Gatorade. Since I have to report at 6:45am tomorrow, I have to get up at 2am to drink the second dose. At least the Gatorade makes it somewhat tolerable. I only wish I had decided to use only 32oz of Gatrorade and then mix with water to get to 64oz. The flavor and the sugar get old quickly.
Edited to add that so far, the Dulcolax was the worst part. The two pills gave me significant abdominal cramps. So much pain that it actually made me sweat.
I had my first one 6 weeks ago. My main concerns going in were hunger and if the prep would work. I have never had luck with laxatives and Metamucil. All it ever does it make me bloat. Iām normally super regular when I run, which is almost every day. But if I donāt, I struggle. And I also struggle during PMS. Iām hormone sensitive it seems. My 5 years on Mirena were a digestive nightmare.
I expressed my concerns to the nurse and she assured me this stuff would work. I had the SuTab pills, but that was it. I skipped my run/workout the morning before so I wouldnāt be as hungry. And the goody goody rule follower followed every instruction to a T.
The good: I was never hungry. I made sure I got in enough calories/caffeine from Jello, Sprite, Mt Dew, and Gatorade. And following the instructions was a piece of cake. The hardest part was slowing down my drinking. I usually drink 16 oz in 30 seconds. (I usually drink 80+ oz by 10am.) 30 minutes? Boringā¦
The bad: It was supposed to work in ~1 hour, but some could take 3. After 2 hours I felt nothing but bloating and started researching. There is very little out there that tells you what to do if it doesnāt work. Drink more and consider Ducolax & laxatives. So, I drank more and moreā¦ Nothingā¦ 9pm I sent poor H out to Walmart for Ducolax & laxatives. Started with Ducolax. Nothing but bloating and some cramping. Laxative it was. That helped got things going, but by the time I did the second prep, I was probably where most people are after the first prep. And I had drunk 14 16-20 bottles of fluid! Nervous Nelly me was in a panic. My main concern was that theyād try to do it and couldnāt, and Iād have to go again and insurance wouldnāt pay. Iām not paying $3000 for something that will likely show Iām fine. I have no family history of colon cancer.
I called the doctor when they opened and they said to come and theyād do another enema. So thatās what they did. I will say the procedure itself was fine. Everyone there is no nice. Iāve already been there 3 times with H, as he had a 2.5" mass found during his first. The doctor said had we waited 6 months, we would have had a much different outcome. So he was on the 6 months, then 1 year, then 3 year schedule. For me? They said they had no issues doing the procedure. 2 tiny polyps. Back in 5-7 years, no biggie. They said next time Iām do with the clear liquids for 2 days and that might help. Iām OK with that. It also seemed I was in my PMS phase this cycle, so hopefully in 5-7 years I will be done with that!
For anyone dreading the prep - itās only 24 hours. I have a dear friend with a type of colon cancer that forced her to have her colon removed. For 2 years she had TPN and could not eat solid food (she had a tube that provided nutrition directly in an IV.). Her condition is genetic and all her kids had to be tested; one of them inherited the gene and had to have their colon removed pre-emptively.
I thought of her the whole time I was confined during my prep, especially when I got hungry. I canāt imagine not eating solid food for a year!
My procedure is done, and I am cleared for 10 years, phew! The 2am prep was a bit rough to finish, but got in all in before the 3:30am deadline. It is a relief to know all is well, despite the inconvenience of the prep.
Iām on the 5-year plan because my father had colon cancer (at age 88). My first colonoscopy was in my mid-50ās (already waited to get that, since recommendation was at age 50 for first colonoscopy at the time). The next time after that I waited 6 years. Looks like Iām headed that way this time, too (5 years was Apr 2022). Last prep was awful. No polyps found either time.
Anyone want to be my colonoscopy buddy? We can cheerlead each other on to get the darned thing scheduled!
I donāt have problem with the prepping, but my husband can get very cold without food, so we only do this in the summer. But itās most likely his last if we find nothing. His family doesnāt have this problem. While with me I might have to keep going until Iām in my 80s. Somehow 2 of my brothers had nothing. One even did with no drug and he got back to work afterwards.
My biggest problem is my tiny, squiggly veins. They have a terrible time getting a needle in me for the IV. And yes, I hydrate even after drinking gallons of prep stuff. I TELL them Iām a hard stick and they just smile at me. After 3 or 4 tries, they go get the experienced person. They always apologize and itās danged hard to be gracious. Next time, Iām going to tell them ahead of time I will not be gracious if they donāt get the expert immediately. And use a very small needle. Ugh. Itās much worse than the prep.
On an individual basis, how is his overall general health, in terms of his remaining life expectancy and whether he would be medically able to go through treatment of any newly discovered colon cancer (or colonoscopy to begin with, whether as primary or secondary screening)? The answer to these questions would help inform whether colorectal cancer screening (whether by colonoscopy or other means) would be of value going forward.
I hear ya, Maine Longhorn. I have the same veins and IVs are very traumatic for me. Iāve been told to always ask for the IV specialist when I need an IV. Problem is, that person isnāt always around (if its in a hospital). My last colonoscopy was in 2020. Its done in a freestanding center and there are only 2-3 nurses who do IVs. Last time, I went through the whole rotation, each trying several times. They all start out nice and then they get frustrated and pass me on to the next nurse. I was about to hop off the table and go home when they finally got the IV in. I am in a cold, panicked sweat the day before the procedure, wondering if theyāll be able to get the IV inserted.
Add me to the bunch. Hate, hate, hate these vein fishing expeditions. Iād rather drink a bucket of that prep! I once had a tech yell at me for not having any veins for her to work withā¦ this was the only time I lost my cool and gave her a good lecture about how we donāt pick our genes and that she needed to go back into training if she couldnāt handle folks like me.
It is frustrating as the HCW to not get the IV. When I worked at the endoscopy center, by policy we were only allowed to try an IV twice. You were required to pass to the next person if you couldnāt get it in two tries.
Itās almost impossible to do a proper colon prep and not become dehydrated. The prep meds are designed to draw the fluids you are instructed to drink into the colon to help clean you out. If you normally have veins that are hard to get an IV in, itās going to be even harder when you are dehydrated.
If you find yourself in this situation often, my best advice is to inform them you are a very hard stick and ask if an anesthesia provider can do your IV. They usually are quite expert at it. Many RNs are also good, but not everyone is talented at it. And sorry to say, even the absolute best can run into trouble on any given day, depending on various factors.
Iāve heard about some crazy places people have had to place IVs in someone who is a very hard stick. When my D had surgery at 1 year old, they had to put her IV in a vein on her forehead. Iāve seen them on feet, and Iāve been told by anesthesiologists about some really surprising locations on the body that they have managed to get an IV into!
In an emergency such as a cardiac arrest when IV access is basically impossible due to low blood pressure, emergency meds are given via a specialized needle into BONES. Sternum, clavicle, humeral head, iliac crest, distal femur, proximal tibia, distal tibia, and calcaneus are all potential sites for intraosseous access.
Thanks for all the helpful information! I do feel sorry for whoever has to try to get a needle into me. The last time I went to the ER, they told me I was their challenge of the night! Greatā¦
@Nrdsb4 Thank you for your input. I always am grateful for the āinside scoop.ā
@MaineLonghorn you have trouble getting blood work done too, I suppose? I have very prominent veins and I never knew until recently that not everyone is able to easily get bloodwork done. Of course, those prominent veins are not something I like when I look at my legs and arms in the summer! I canāt imagine having more than one āstickā.
The good news about blood draws is that they are typically much easier than getting an IV. With blood draws, you merely need to get access to the vein with the tip of the needle. For an IV, getting access is only the first part-you must then thread the catheter into the vein. A lot can go wrong once you start to thread the catheter. Thatās also why HCW try not to use the vein in the spot where people usually draw blood (the antecubital fossa), even though patients often demand it, thinking itās logically a good spot, since they have such good luck there with blood draws. Blood draws are quick, then the needle is removed. With an IV, the catheter of course remains and will be āsqueezedā by normal arm movement when itās placed there, preventing the consistent delivery of medications. People bend their arms a lot, blocking the IV flow. Thatās when you get the IV pump constantly alarming or people coming out of anesthesia during procedures. While sometimes you canāt get an IV anywhere else, the anesthesia providers hate it when we start IVs there.
I have a hard time with blood draws as well.I drink about a half gallon of water right before I go and I also ask for a baby needle. These things help. If I have a choice, Iāll go to a certain Quest lab and wait until the ace phlebotomist is available. Sheās a whiz with a needle.
My husband has giant bulbous veins and doesnāt quite understand my fear.