I intended to write a “what it was like” post after my first colonoscopy was over, in the interest of making people feel more normal about colonoscopies. But now that the time is here, I find myself reluctant.
Partly it’s because of the very reason it’s important to make people more comfortable: colonoscopies involve EMBARRASSING ELEMENTS. I don’t really want to talk about them or think about them.
Partly it’s because I don’t want to accidentally talk you out of it. I’m really glad I had it done, and I think YOU should have it done when it’s your time; but if I tell you what it was like, perhaps you will be like my co-worker who is five years older than me but hasn’t had her first colonoscopy yet because she’s heard what it’s like and she doesn’t want to do that. On the other hand: I was glad to know ahead of time what it would be like. During the prep, it helped me to think, “This is how everyone said it would be. There are many, many people in the world right now who are also doing a colonoscopy prep, and we are all miserable together right now; it’s not just me.”
Well. How about if I tell you SOME of what it was like. I know we’re all supposed to be comfortable with bodies and body words and body functions, but there’s no law, and I will use euphemisms and elision if I want to. I’m sure you have OTHER friends who will be more explicit about it. I will tell you the SWISTLE version.
I have had an endoscopy before, and so you can start there if you want, because the endoscopy/colonoscopy I had this time was the same in many ways, though different in some important ways, the biggest one being PREP.
Many people told me the prep was the worst part of a colonoscopy, and I entirely agree: the prep made me LOOK FORWARD TO the colonoscopy, because then the prep would be over. For a week before the procedure, I was supposed to eat a low-fiber diet, which you would think would be easy since I already eat keto/low-carb, but what it actually meant was that there was almost nothing I could eat: I could eat eggs, meat, cheese, and yogurt. No broccoli, no spinach, no nuts, no low-net-carb (high-fiber) bread, none of my pitiful little keto treats except Rebel ice cream (the kinds without nuts) and Zollipops. And also I couldn’t take my multivitamin, so overall I felt ungood. A smarter person would have skipped keto for the week and at least enjoyed some white bread and pancakes and fruit cups, and that is what I will FOR SURE do next time.
The day before the procedure, I was allowed to have a light breakfast as long as it was finished 24 hours before the procedure, and then no more food, just liquid-diet things such as broth, jello, juice, coffee-with-no-cream. At 5:00 p.m., I started The Real Prep, and what I would advise if your prep is the same kind (there are several different kinds) is to just assume you are not going to sleep at all that night, so if you DO get some fitful dozing, you’ll feel happy and lucky. I also advise sleeping near a bathroom, and ideally not near anyone who is able to sleep normally; I slept downstairs in a recliner. The Real Prep started with mixing 14 doses of Miralax into two quarts of liquid (I chose Powerade Zero; I hoped the electrolytes would be useful), and drinking it over the next 2.5 hours. At 8:00 p.m., I was supposed to take four Dulcolax/bisacodyl tablets.
The nurse and my co-worker both said those things wouldn’t have an effect until around 11:00 p.m. or even midnight, but for me it was more like 7:30/8:00 p.m.; I wondered if it was because of keto. This part of prep was like having a stomach bug / food poisoning, without the barfing. You know what that’s like. It was like that. The nurse recommended using A&D ointment to reduce irritation, and I was CERTAIN we had some in the house but I could not find it, so I used Bag Balm. You might be tempted, ahead of time, to think “Eh, I don’t need anything like that, I’ll be fine, and ointment is kind of icky” but I encourage you to listen to Auntie Swistle and buy an ointment. Just have it in the cupboard, IN CASE you want it.
I was able to sleep a little, though I kept having stress dreams: I am trying to take a pre-appointment shower but people keep barging into the bathroom / the water won’t turn on / I can’t rinse out the shampoo / Paul is calling out that we’re late for the appointment and need to leave NOW but I haven’t washed yet; or, oh no, I am accidentally eating food, and now I have wasted the whole week of prep. And I kept waking up to use the bathroom. And I felt queasy.
At 3:00 a.m., I had to mix 7 doses of Miralax into one quart of liquid, and drink it in one hour. I’d thought I wouldn’t go back to sleep after that, but I did, though restlessly: more dreams, more waking up to run to the bathroom.
Starting at 4:00 a.m., four hours before check-in at the hospital and five hours before the scheduled procedure, I wasn’t allowed to have anything at all to eat or drink.
By the time we left for the hospital at 7:15 a.m., I was no longer running to the bathroom. I’d worried that there would be issues with the long car ride, but there were not.
When I arrived at the hospital, things were very similar to the endoscopy. I gave them the same paperwork I’d had to do for the endoscopy (health conditions, when was the last time I had anything to eat/drink, medications, etc.); I got a hospital bracelet; I was led back to the area with a bunch of little curtained waiting rooms. They asked me to pee in a cup for a pregnancy test. For the endoscopy, I only had to undress from the waist up; for the endoscopy/colonoscopy, I had to undress entirely, including swapping my socks for their grippy hospital socks, and I changed into a hospital smock. They gave me a blanket, and I settled into the hospital bed. A nurse came to ask a bunch of questions about the prep, and to put in an IV and take vital signs. Then I had visits from the anesthesiologist and the doctor, with paperwork to sign for both.
They’d warned me that the appointment might start late if the two people scheduled before me ran longer than expected, and that’s what happened: I was supposed to have the procedure at 9:00 a.m., but we didn’t actually start until 10:15; I was glad I’d brought a book. When it was my turn, it felt like things happened very quickly. I was wheeled into a procedure room. The nurse-anesthesiologist put a blood pressure cuff on my left arm and an oxygen monitor on my right hand. She put in that little nose-oxygen thing. She had me lie on my left side (that felt a little odd with the blood-pressure cuff), and they put a towel under me, which I found embarrassing and wished they could have done after I was unconscious, or perhaps have put in place when making the bed so it would already be there.
She told me they’d be using propofol, which I’ve had before (for the endoscopy and for my dental implant); she said people sometimes wake up a little during the procedure, but that no one who wakes up CARES that they’ve woken up.) I felt as if I would care, maybe not at the moment then LATER ON, THINKING ABOUT IT. The doctor arrived, the nurse double-checked my name and date of birth, and then the nurse-anesthesiologist said she was going to start the propofol, and that I might feel certain side-effects I can’t remember now (heat near the IV? prickles in my face? some things like that). After a few seconds, I remembered that I was going to see how high I could count before I fell asleep, and I counted to about ten and by then I was out; I felt a little funny but mostly just very pleasantly sleepy, and glad we were finally getting on with things and soon it would be over.
When I woke up afterward, but was not fully awake, the first thing I asked was had I woken up during the procedure. The nurse said, “A little—do you remember it?” and I did NOT remember it, which made me sorry I’d asked, and/or sorry I hadn’t been a little more awake so I could have asked some follow-up questions. (Did I…TALK?? during the procedure?)
They wheeled me into a little recovery area; I looked at a clock and saw I’d been in the procedure room for about 45 minutes. A nurse brought me a warm blanket and a hot coffee and a warm blueberry muffin, and I felt very perky and happy, and relieved to have the procedure over with and to have moved on to the stage that included a blueberry muffin. Another nurse came in to show me the preliminary results of the endoscopy and colonoscopy; a little while later, the doctor came in to go over them with me briefly, though she said she will send her full report to my primary care doctor, and also to me in a letter. After maybe 30-45 minutes total in recovery I was able to get dressed and leave. Biopsy results will be back…later, I don’t remember how long she said they take.
From check-in to leaving was about 3.75 hours; the hospital had said to allow 2.5 hours, which is perfect math with the 1.25-hour delay. Except that in my experience, hospitals have delays more often than not, so it would be a good idea to incorporate average delays into the estimated time, particularly since patients MUST have someone there to drive them, and it would be nice for that person to know that things might take significantly longer than budgeted.
On the way home, I made Paul go through a Taco Bell drive-through. And before we’d left for the hospital, I’d had him go out for a dozen doughnuts, so those were waiting for me at home.
In case it is relevant to your own feelings, I will tell you the Coping Thoughts I used to get over the sheer embarrassment of the procedure itself. I thought back to my endoscopy, and how there were a whole bunch of little curtained areas where other patients were lined up waiting—maybe a dozen altogether, all of us being processed, tick tick tick, ask the questions, roll them in, roll them out. All day long, this department does ONLY endoscopies and colonoscopies, one after another. All day long, these staff members deal with all the things that are upsetting or embarrassing to me, and none of those things are upsetting or embarrassing to THEM; all of those things are UTTERLY ROUTINE to them. BEYOND routine. They probably have to force themselves to remember that the situation is upsetting/embarrassing for the patients. It probably comes up at their little staff meetings: “REMEMBER that for OUR PATIENTS this procedure can be…” etc.
And I thought about how MOST of the upsetting/embarrassing things would happen while I was unconscious, and that there was actually no reason or benefit for me to even THINK about what happens between the part where I am getting propofol in my IV and the part where I am eating a blueberry muffin under a warm blanket: I can let the professionals think about that, and I don’t have to think about it or imagine it, even a little bit. I can look forward to the prep being over, and I can look forward to the propofol, and I can look forward to the blueberry muffin; really, there is so much to look forward to, at a colonoscopy!
Yes! This has been exactly my experience with both my colonoscopies
LOVE THIS! I’ve had two and due for another. Will reread this beforehand. Thanks for being so willing to share something so important
This is wild to me because my instructions and experience were different.
I was told no nuts, seeds or corn 1 week prior, and no iron supplements (including multivitamins if they had iron) but no other food restrictions. So I ate normally until the day before I started the prep.
I had an 8 am appointment and was instructed to start my prep (I took Moviprep) 24 hours before the procedure and had to be done at least 5 hours before. My office said since I had an early appointment that I could be be done before bed, as long as I didn’t have anything other than water after the 2nd round of prep drink. I started the second round around 5 pm and I was basically done clearing out before I went to sleep. I was hungry but went to bed early so I could stop thinking about being hungry.
I didn’t have the nose-oxygen thing (at least not while awake) I was wheeled in I was on my back and woke up my my back. They put something in my IV and I was out within seconds. I’m sure they moved me into position while I was out. I was the 3rd procedure of the day. Later I read in my chart notes that I was under for 14 minutes and the actual procedure took 8 minutes.
I didn’t get any food in recovery but I was able to get dressed pretty quickly. I was at the center for less than an hour so 3.75 hours kind of blows my mind. I do agree that knowing that the staff does dozens of the same procedures all day every day helps with the embarrassing elements.
This is how my prep went, too. I think I had a noon procedure, and I started the actual prep at 4pm the day before. No nuts or seeds for 3 days before the procedure, no solid food starting the day before, then 2 dulcolax at 4pm, and I think I consumed the bulk of the Moviprep between 5pm and 8pm (something like 8oz every 15 minutes). The biggest issue I had is that I was SO COLD while I was working through drinking the Moviprep – it goes down much, much easier if it’s cold, and consuming that volume of cold liquid when you’ve had very few calories in the last day made it tough to stay warm. I’d just run into the kitchen, chug my 8oz, and then run back to my nest of blankets on the couch to wait out my 15 minutes until I had to go again.
I’d say I was pretty much cleared out by the time I finished the Moviprep, and had no trouble sleeping. Feels worth noting that I am quite regular, so for someone who is less regular or suffers from constipation, it may take longer to clear out. I had to consume my last 16oz of Moviprep 4 hours before my procedure, so I did that at 8am. I would very much rather have a later appointment and have to go a few more hours without food, than have to wake up at 3 or 4am to finish the prep. That sounds truly miserable!
I drank a LOT of apple juice and Sprite during my prep (and had some green jello as well). It was helpful to me to have beverages I enjoy, that also gave me some calories and kept me from feeling too hungry.
My first colonoscopy was for diagnostic purposes when I was 38. Unrelated to the symptoms we were trying to diagnose, they did find and remove a polyp which turned out to be pre-cancerous. I consider myself lucky that other symptoms lead me to that colonoscopy, because without it that polyp might have looked very, very different by the time I was old enough for a standard screening colonoscopy at 50. Based on that scope, I now have to get a colonoscopy every 3 years, so my next one is coming up in about 6 months. I honestly found the anticipation of the colonoscopy to be worse than the procedure itself! I know I’ll be anxious when it’s time for the next one, but for me personally, the anxiety of NOT getting it done and wondering “what if” would drive me nuts.
I am still too young for a colonoscopy but your posts have had the intended effect! I now feel prepared and weirdly excited(!?) about having my first colonoscopy! You have given the perfect amount of detail and excellent coping thoughts.
My brother is a nurse and he has confirmed all of what you have said about healthcare professionals. At a former job he spent much of his day dealing with catheters and he said that after a while it was like dealing with an elbow. Just another body part! I now think, “elbowelbowelbow” every time I get a pelvic exam, lol
This is great work, Swistle! As an RN for almost 25 years, I can confirm what you said about healthcare workers. I work really hard to keep my patients’ privates covered during our cath lab procedures because I know it’s not normal for them to have their boobs or groins on display for all to see, but I could not care less than I do about seeing them.
I was actually talking to a colleague about how many naked bodies I’ve seen in my career. It’s gotta be close to 10,000. And let’s not even talk about the variety of body fluids! SO MANY. I try to be respectful because it’s weird/uncomfortable when it’s your own body/fluids, but it’s true that healthcare workers don’t care at all. I only care about YOUR comfort level with what’s going on.
Thanks for writing this! It is such an important screening procedure, so de-stigmatizing is great! I had my first colonoscopy last year and my experience with the prep was very different! I didn’t have to follow any special diet the week before (or maybe I was supposed to and I didn’t realize, although I doubt it because I had a meeting with an RN to discuss prep). I didn’t eat anything beyond clear fluids for a full day before the procedure though. My prep was very different. I had to drink the most foul and disgusting slimy liquid in copious amounts the night before and the morning of, by far the worst part. I expected to be in the restroom much more than I was. I used the toilet a total of four times, slept through the night without getting up, and then went again I think twice the morning of. I think that might be unusual, but I chalked it up to 24 hours of no food. The procedure was easy and I don’t remember a thing. I did complain to the doc about the nastiness of the drink, and he casually said that maybe next time I’d prefer the pill only prep. Yes. Yes I would’ve preferred that had I known it was an option!!
Regarding the pill prep, there just was a discussion on a private board I’m on about the different kinds of prep, and several people said the pills didn’t work so well for them. Only one person said they preferred the pills (regarding the result, I mean).
I suppose it could depend on someone’s general diet as well as other individual body specifics which one works better, but I wanted to throw that info in since your doc apparently presented both options as equal, and from the personal experienced I read, they are not. I’ll just do some additional research when my time to go through it comes, and not worry about it too much in the mean time. But I was happy to know there *are* different options, and they *do* work differently for different people.
I think I would feel MUCH more comfortable about this experience if I knew I would have a female doctor and a female nurse-anesthesiologist! Was that just random good luck for you? Given my previous medical experiences, I find it hard to believe The Medical System might actually take patient comfort into consideration, and I’m sure in many places there are limited options anyway.
Yes, it was just random good luck—but there are multiple doctors working in that center, and I wonder if I could have requested a female doctor? I’ll bet I could have. I too feel MUCH happier that way.
You can 100% request female caregivers. Usually it’s because of religious/cultural reasons, but we regularly accommodate that request. There ARE times when it’s not possible, but if you mention it regularly while scheduling your appt, they should be able to meet your needs.
Thank you! That was both reassuring and comforting to read.
I had my first colonoscopy last fall, and they found/removed three polyps. I’m really glad I had it done, because one of those was pre-cancerous. The others were benign. I will have to do it all again in about 6 years. One thing I did afterward was take notes about the things I thought worked – for example, having a package of wet wipes and a lined garbage can near the toilet to dispose of them. Wearing black underwear and old black yoga pants helped me worry less about making a mess of my clothes.
“Another nurse came in to show me the preliminary results of the endoscopy and colonoscopy”
So did you have *both* done at this appointment? It makes sense to do them both if the office does both and you are out anyway.
Yes, right.
I’m so glad you got to do the miralax prep. My mom had to drink this really gross liquid she described as dirty flower water (picture the water after flowers have been sitting around for a week). Yours sounds so much better!
Wow, I have never heard of being offered food in recovery. All they do here is to tell you work on passing gas so you can go home. It’s weird being told to do that, and they make such a big deal about not being embarrassed that it’s actually embarrassing. I can hear other patients and that’s kind of the worst, because of course they can hear me. Of course I want nothing more than to get out if there. I always pass out for hours at home; anesthesia just hits me hard. I do actually like that part—like, sleeping is my job right now, so no one can ask anything of me.
Oh god they did not require this of me, holy pete WHY
Ohio is a very regressive place. Maybe where you are, they have more modern ways of doing it. If so, you are blessed indeed.
I am such a hysterically self-conscious person, it’s odd that I didn’t feel more embarrassed about it, except that the drugs hit me really hard and in a better way than they usually do, so I was basically just suffused with happiness and relief and affection for all humankind. They didn’t bring me a drink or food after, but I was lying there on my side feeling so happily dozey I didn’t care.
I was also worried about the car ride, and it was not an issue. I had the hardest time drinking the last of the prep liquid in the early morning because by then my stomach was empty and I was afraid it was going to make me throw up.
I had a colonoscopy last fall and the prep process was similar. However, they did not knock me out for the procedure! I had an iv and they gave me something through it- to relax I guess, but I was wide awake the whole time! If I looked down by my feet I could see the screen with everything the tech was seeing. It did not hurt, but I would MUCH rather have been asleep.
This HORRIFIES me—but I know my mother and brother would both have PREFERRED this. The freaks.
I was one of those freaks who chose to go through the procedure without a sedative. It was mostly because mine took place during the worst of the COVID pandemic, pre-vaccine, so I didn’t want to ask anyone to have to drive me. I found the process was really geared/assumed toward patients being sedated. Afterward, the staff even smugly asked me whether I’d do it without in the future, expecting me to say no. It was a little uncomfortable through some of the bends, but mostly I just got a little sea-sick watching the motions on the screen–had to avert my eyes about 3/4 of the way through the procedure. Honestly, I think something like laughing gas would add the perfect amount of levity without the negatives of sedatives.
I have decided that what I would like is to spend the night before in a hotel near the place where I’ll be having my procedure, so I can be up and down as much as necessary and have fancy cable when I’m not on the toilet.
If you don’t have diaper cream, petroleum jelly works just fine.
Oh my god this is a genius idea, I am 100% doing this next time
Thank you for writing this! I have to do this for the first time in the next few weeks and really had no idea what I’d be walking into – even if I’d be awake or out for the procedure – so this is super informative and also very reassuring!
The one thing I feel pretty okay about is the embarrassment part. I’m my mom’s caretaker and I was surprised by how quickly body parts were just body parts.
I had my first colonoscopy this past fall and I had made the prep so much worse in my MIND than it actually was. I definitely did not enjoy the drink, I hated that it had to be done in the middle of the night (why, really?! You’re not going to sleep and the procedure itself doesn’t take that long so I don’t know why they can’t…space out the appts more), and I did not enjoy all the time on the toilet— BUT I imagined I would feel like I had a horrible stomach virus and crampy and in pain. I didn’t have that at all – the drink did its job but I wasn’t nauseous or hurting. I am no longer worried about the next time – and luckily, I don’t have to go back for 10 years!
My wife is in the colonoscopy frequent flyer club (her dad had cancer of the appendix, of all things!), and at this point we have an unspoken agreement that I’ll pick up some disposable incontinence briefs when I go grocery shopping and leave them in the bathroom for her. I think it helps with the sleeping thing so that she can relax more fully with a little more confidence.
It is interesting to me that there are so many different prep procedures. I wonder if the differences are meaningful and who gets to decide which one is the default for that particular colonoscopy place.
Oh that’s interesting, Swistle. I’m in Australia so it’s automatically a little different. I’ve had three colonoscopies, with two different types of prep. I have to do extended prep because I have constipation issues, so I take more than the regular. The prep I prefer only requires me to be on low residue (no seeds/grains etc) for 2 days before the procedure.
The day before, I can have a low residue breakfast, then I take two tablets. Then I have to take Picoprep (mix with 250ml water) at 8am, Glycoprep (mix with 1 litre water) at 10am, then the same again at 6pm and 8pm. If I’m having a morning procedure then I take the final Picoprep at 5am and I have to go again after that. I do get SOME sleep but it’s fitful. For me, I go to the loo once or twice per dose, and maybe once or twice extra in the big gaps. I definitely want to be close to a toilet, but I don’t feel like I have to sit on there for 55 mins out of every hour, which I know is different from some people’s experiences.
I feel very crampy/sore (and resentful, I’m a delight to be around!) about having to do all the prep. That keeps me awake more than needing to go to the toilet does, but I might go once or twice overnight.
I love your coping thoughts. I find that it’s a very vulnerable thing and pretty awful in that way (I catastrophise about them finding terrible things), but I personally find it easy enough to trust the staff because they’ve done it so many times. It’s definitely good knowing that I can just ask or mention things without needing to be embarrassed.
They’ve removed quite a few polyps each time for me – upwards of 20. The first time I felt quite sore afterwards. 2nd and 3rd weren’t too bad. I’ve had gastroscopies each time too and some polyps removed from the throat/stomach as well.
When I wake up afterwards, they help me get changed and go to the loo (always very respectful of me not being totally naked in front of the whole room lol), then I go to a recovery area with other people and have something to eat and drink. Usually feeling pretty good by then. Physically AND emotionally, because the stupid thing is over!!
I did not know you can wake up during the procedure!!
Thanks for writing this – I’m always very interested in what happens when other people go through it, and what parts they find easier and harder. And I also just appreciate it from the POV of normalising it.
oh, PS – I’ve never been offered to just do it with tablets. I wish I could just do that! The first time I did it, I had to drink a LOT of this horrible salty Moviprep. The other prep (as above) is a bit easier to handle. The Picoprep is ‘only’ 250ml of fairly salty stuff, and the Glycoprep is actually almost palatable – I’d never choose to drink it for the taste, but it’s much better than Moviprep.
With the Moviprep I came close to throwing up multiple times. There’s just so much and it’s such a strong taste, even with being allowed to drink other things in between mouthfuls of Moviprep. I can handle about 2/3 of the Picoprep before I need a glass of something else.
People should definitely be allowed to just have tablets!
My doctor offered me the tablets but cautioned that they were not covered by insurance. It turned out that “not covered by insurance” meant paying $20-$30, probably the deal of a lifetime considering the alternative.
Oh that’s interesting! Is the other prep covered by insurance?
I have to pay over the counter for everything I take for a colonoscopy, even if I’m doing it under the Australian public health system and don’t have to pay a cent for the actual procedure (I am very lucky). But it’s only around $30-40 if I recall correctly. Not nothing, but doable.
So awesome to de-stigmatize colonoscopies! My mind game to get through the hard stuff was being appreciative of good healthcare and heavy comparmentalizing (la la la… I am not thinking too much about what happens when I’m asleep!). Also google Ryan Reynolds video of his experience.
I did the tablet laxatives and they went down OK. My stomach did not like them and I felt very nauseous. I’ll ask for an antinausea med in the future.
This is virtually the same experience I had with my colonoscopy except I wasn’t offered food in recovery and my procedure was delayed by two hours so I was absolutely ravenous when finished. I was all prepared to chow down on Burgerville but then sadly found that my GI system was a little sensitive for a couple of days after so I had to eat smaller, more easily digested meals for a bit. Not nearly as fun as the burger and fries I’d been dreaming about but I got them eventually so *shrug*
This is how I felt after my c-section with my firstborn. I had imagined a post birth meal of sushi, and sent my husband out to get me the food, only to learn that I had to eat boring post op food for a while. Bummer. But a few days later really enjoyed a spicy chicken sandwich at the hospital with no fear of heartburn reprisal, not being pregnant anymore so it’s all good.
This is very helpful. I was dreading my first colonoscopy, but having the option id being knocked out sounds marvelous. I had a sigmoidoscopy (just lower bowel) and a barium enema with x-rays back to back one fateful afternoon in my college years. I was wide awake for it all! I remember nursing students surrounding me and I just gave up all shame as we all watched the screen as they inserted the little scope. Oh my. Of course it was a male doctor and male nurse. I honestly didn’t mind all the girl students even though they were all my age. Solidarity? The nurses were so kind for the barium enema, but they gave me way too much and it came from both ends after the procedure. So, I ended up throwing up barium all over the bathroom floor while on the toilet. TMI? The nurses were very understanding about the mess, but they wouldn’t release me to my mom right away because I looked horrible. NATURALLY! I was a wreck. It does make for a hilarious story in the right crowd, so there’s that.
I’ve had one colonoscopy, but my experience was a little different. I didn’t have any eating restrictions until 24 hours beforehand. I was able to do the pill prep, which I was happy about because I didn’t have to choke down any weird drink – but I did have to swallow twelve giant pills with what felt like gallons of water. It took a couple of hours for me to start feeling SUPER bloated – like I would have WELCOMED a trip to the bathroom – and then I only needed to visit the bathroom 2-3 times in about 2-3 hours, then I went to bed. I slept through until I had to take a couple more pills at…4 AM, maybe? And then back to sleep, and only hit the bathroom one or two more times. I feel like my prep was very lucky in comparison, while still not my favorite thing ever.
I was congratulated on the cleanliness of my bowels, so apparently it worked fine! I was…weirdly proud?
This post is how mine was supposed to go. I did the prep or most of it before bed since mine was an early procedure. I woke up at around 2 am and was in so much pain. I made an emergency call to the doctor and asked if this was normal. He said no but it could happen. He called me back a few minutes later (after looking at my chart I assume), and said maybe I was trying to pass a kidney stone? Ended up in the emergency room that morning, but went ahead with the colonoscopy anyway because I wasn’t going to waste the prep I had done. I was supposed to drink some more of the mixture but I couldn’t keep it down so I was a bit worried. He said I was very nicely cleaned out anyway, so I’ve always wondered if the prep is over prescribed. It was quite the experience, but everything from the colonoscopy was normal.