Big Mistake - read old colonoscop posts

[Hope]

Oh help, big mistake. I was going through old colonoscopy posts looking for the one that talked about which sedation is best for ic. I ended up reading about some really bad colonoscopy experiences, which now has me absolutely freaking out frightened. I should have known better, but I was just looking for a specific piece of information. Now I feel like I have undone weeks of preparing myself emotionally for this procedure. My procedure is next Thursday. I know some people have a bad experience but I thought it was the prep that was the worst part. I am afraid I am just going to be in so much pain during the procedure and after the procedure.

Help please, spiraling into anxiety land and can't get out....

[vm]

Ugh, I know that feeling.... I have done it myself in the past --- went looking for info and then stumbled upon info that scared me to death.

I don't know much at all about colonoscopies - but I do know that when we search message boards on the Internet we tend to find the worst stories. People who do well through procedures aren't as likely to post about how well it went. But people who had awful experiences will b/c they need support afterwards.

Maybe you could talk to your doctor or the nurse about the procedure again and what they will do to make it as comfortable as possible for you. That might help a little bit.

I don't know if you pray - but that is always what helps me a bunch, too.

Good luck and I hope you feel better about the whole thing soon. :kissing:

[jaime15]

{{Hope****
You poor thing.......:( You aren't seeing the posts on positive experiences since people either don't like the prep or the gassy feeling when they wake up. It isn't a fun procedure. I've had one and if I had to have it again, I'd do it. But it is not rated top things to do in my life again.. :lmao:
It is best if you have any reservations to discuss it with your m.d.
Most likely you won't remember anything about the test afterwards.
Let us know how you are after next week. :kissing:

[SharonA]

Hope... :kissing: Please calm down and relax. This precedure is no fun, but it is not so bad, either. Yes, the prep is the worst part because of the taste of the junk they have you drink and the fact you are chained to a toilet until your bowels are cleaned out. We all need a good cleaning out every once in a awhile, anyway ;-)

Do talk with your doctor about what they will give you to make you relax. I have heard that they will give you a drug that puts you into kinda a twlight state. You won't feel any pain during the procedure nor will you remember it. Hey...that could come in handy sometimes. :D :woohoo: :dizzy: Bad Sharon :shake:

[Hope]

Oh, thank you thank you again. After I posted i went out in the hall to colleagues and got the same reassurances. After that, and reading these responses I am trying to take your advice and am relaxing a bit. If only they could start that twilight sleep during the prep, rope me to the toilet and wake me the next day when it is all over.

:love:

[kelly McC]

I just recently had a colonoscopy and everything was fine worse part was drinking the prep! Good Luck
Kelly

[ICNDonna]

Yes, the prep is the worst --- I did find out what I was full of! ;)

You will be sedated for the procedure. It would be extremely rare to feel it at all. And I didn't even have any gassy feeling afterwards --- just passed it all out very quickly.

Hugs,
Donna

[Katrina]

:grouphug::kiss::kiss:

[Hope]

I am still here, meditating, imaging and immersing myself in holiday shopping to distract my thoughts from next week's big adventure. I so appreciate your responses and good thoughts and will check in next week. I will buy the first round of cyber champagne next Thursday to toast us all and the many challenges we all face.

Love,

[TerryEllen]

I'll be checking in to see how you do. I'm pretty sure I have IBS with my IC, and that it is often the big culpret when I flare and figure out why. I've been so resistant to going and getting things checked out, and I really should - I'm 54 and past the time when it should even be a routing check. When I'm really scared, I take my biggest baddest angels with me (Sal and Guido)...I let them (and God of course) walk in the room ahead of me - and it give me some peace. It's a little silly (the Sal and Guido part), but whatever helps I say is wonderful! My prayers will be with you.

[Betsie]

As unpleasant as the dreaded colonoscopy may seem, I would really urge you and others here to take advantage of a great diagnostic procedure.

If your Dr is willing and your insurance will pay, I think it is something as essential as a mammogram and not needed anywhere near as often.

I know people with family histories that would preclude that they have testing earlier than 50 and they are flat out refused by insurance. I would urge everyone to make this a routine procedure at the age of 50 and certainly earlier if you have a history of IBS or similar GI disorders.

Again, the prep is the worst part...but one day of prep is far worth the lives saved from this procedure. I also wonder how long insurance companies will pay for this in full...they seem to cut out more and more in cost cutting strategies.

Can you tell I am a long time GI patient?

[Hope]

Thank you so much, TerryEllen, for checking in on me. Today is the prep day. Unfortunately my ic is flaring badly and all I have had is water so far! Probably from nerves. I am trying to stay calm and all I can think about is how nice it will be to have it over with. Kind of been crying about this last two days, but more psyched that it will be over with soon. Thanks again. Your post helped, as do all these posts.

Sal and Guido? I love it! :biglaugh:

Love,

[TerryEllen]

Yikes, hope it went well yesterday....!!!??? That's been the bigger fear for me, that my IC will flare from being nervous. Hope you were able to stay relatively calm, and that the doctors and nurses were very kind....

[Hope]

:woohoo:

Yippee, all done! Break out the prelief spiked champagne.
Not a fun two days, but basically, like everyone said it would, it was manageable. Probably my biggest problem is that the narcotic that the doc routinely puts in the iv along with that lovely versad :) causes me nausea, as all narcotics do to me. They found removed two polyps, which he said he is just about certain are not cancerous. So that's that for 3 to 5 years, anyway.

And the stress induced ic flared settled down just in time to consume 64 ounces of gatoraid. For future reference, I threw out half of it and mixed the miralax with half gatoraid and half water. I also used the clear gatoraid and so far no flare. But I will never have gatoraid again!

Tons of hugs to everyone for their support. This was the one medical procedure I have been terrified of for a decade. :grouphug:

Love,

[SharonA]

Glad you made it through it. The unknown is always frightening. :kissing:

[TerryEllen]

I'm thrilled to hear you survived...you're an inspiration. I just may get off my silly butt and make that appointment before the end of 2004. It would be great to have that worry behind me....(pun intended).

[Katrina]

:biglaugh:

[Hope]

Yes, yes, make the appointment. I hereby appoint myself the absolute queen of anxiety about this procedure :bonk: -- and doing it anyway. I will tell you one thing, it was a good lesson for me in learning how to ask for help. I hope I can help anyone out with their worries about this. And it is so totally great to have it done. And did I tell you about the added benefit of being a few pounds lighter -- however temporarily, it is kind of fun.

Love,

[Hope]

Oh, and I forgot to tell you, TerryEllen. When I was in the pre-procedure room awaiting my turn, I was calming myself down (which did work). Then I thought of Sal and Guido, which made me smile .... for a second, then I went back to worrying, of course.

[Betsie]

Hi Hope,

I am so happy to hear that this is over for you. It is no fun as you said, but I am sure you feel so relieved to have done this. Like me, your relief will have you encouraging others to go through with it.

I think much of it is the physcological fear of the very "personal" nature of it. Mine was done pre IC dx, but now I can see with so many of us having overlapping IBS like issues, it is another vital part of our health to keep under control.

Now you can truly enjoy the holiday season! YAY!!!!! :)

[TerryEllen]

I'm so glad to have loaned you Sal and Guido....they've kept me sane many a time. And I hereby pledge I'm making an appt. on Monday to visit a GE guy that my neighbor loves (I just found out she has IBS...is that a God shot or what!). I'm sure this will be the first step toward that procedure. It will be a relief to have even done that...his name's been on my desk for literally months.

[Hope]

TerryEllen, that's great. I try to appreciate all the little and personal courageous acts we must take on everyday. Have a nice week.