When I feel like complaining about a colonoscopy, I remember my good friend’s daughter, 27, who has Crohn’s. That young woman has had so many of the procedures! She actually had one this morning. Good news, her Crohn’s is in remission!
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My daughter had her first colonoscopy at age 11, and total colectomy at age 21 (UC).
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Oh sad. Sorry
You have to be NPO 4 hours before the procedure. And with as much as you have to drink, the thought of having more was a hard no.
I occasionally get migraine headaches when hungry, so fasting for a few days was the hardest for me…the prep was a hassle as well. You are allowed to eat broth, jello (add extra gelatin), and drink gatorade though in the fasting period which really helped…got no headaches whatsoever, no polyps found and the op report said “very good prep job” as well lol!
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Praise for prep. Love it!
I was told two hours, and I drink right up to that point. I agree, it’s horrible, but the alternative of getting poked five or six times makes it worth it for me.
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It’s interesting to see the different policies. Mine clearly, in BIG letters, said NOTHING by mouth for 4 hours before the procedure. I could brush my teeth but NOT swallow any water!
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It is interesting the differences between doctors! I looked my up. Nothing THREE hours before the procedure. It was pretty easy for me, since we are 60 minutes from the office and have to be there an hour before anyway.
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I probably should have pushed more fluids. I turned into a pin cushion today before they could finally get the IV in and everything flowing. But, all went well other than that. Whew. So very relieved.
I am am exhausted though — I was up all night with the prep.
Thank you very much to the good folks on this forum for the support yesterday. Good luck to all future preppers!
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You had to fast for a few days? I only had to abstain from solid food for less than 24 hours. I would have had a problem doing no solid food for 2 or 3 days for sure!
Hmm…so now we should ask our doctors their adenoma detection rate?
“It should be at least 25 percent. The average rate in the U.S. is 40 percent,” he says, though adding that, because women tend to have fewer adenomas than men, doctors whose patients are mostly women should have a benchmark ADR of at least 20 percent."
Is the consensus that we can eat a light breakfast the day before the procedure or not? My doctor’s instructions are confusing: Coffee with milk okay before 9 am. No solid food after 9 am. Does that mean a light breakfast before 9 am is okay? I don’t understand why they separate out coffee with milk if a light breakfast is okay.
And my procedure isn’t until noon the noon the next day, so that would be a very long fast.
Call your doctor’s office and ask.
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Yup – I’ve been on hold for a long time!
I just had mine this morning (yay, that’s over!) and my instructions clearly said only clear liquids starting at midnight of the day before. But my appointment time was 8am. Sounds like yours clearly says 9am, so technically a light breakfast is allowed under the “rules.” But personally I’d recommend it will be easier on yourself if you stick to clear liquids the whole day. I just had that day yesterday and was a little surprised that I wasn’t hungry at all. Having a full stomach from the broth, jello, etc. plus the prep liquid really left me with no desire to eat.
Good luck!
Thanks! Drinking my 3 cups of required chicken broth for lunch as I’m typing this! Feeling queasy just from that 
.
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From today’s NYT:
At my doc visit a few days ago, my doctor said I need to get my initial colonoscopy done (age 46) because they recently changed the recommended age to 45. So the doc said he would have the office call me to schedule it.
They called while I was at work, so it went to VM. I have not called back yet.
Doc assured me that the worst part is the prep. Says I’ll be a bit loopy afterwards, so I’ll need a ride.
My foremost thought/expression is UGH!/big sigh.
My check-ups are every 6 months. I figure I have six months to put it off. hehe
FWIW, my worry isn’t the prep – I can sit on the pot with the best of them. Plenty of books in the house, and Candy Crush on the phone; rather, I worry about the polyps, getting them cut out.
Those who have had polyps removed – is there pain afterwards?