My Latest Colonoscopy Experience

I had my latest colonoscopy last Wednesday. For the last several times, they did an endoscopy first. This time the doctor decided that I didn6need the endoscopy, since I haven't had any issues for many years now. As soon as I was informed thar it was going to just be a colonoscopy, I said that I didn't want to be sedated. The doctor was OK with that, but still wanted an IV in just in case he decided later that I had to be sedated. After they took me into the gastro lab for the procedure & started prepping for the procedure, I heard the doc ask the nurse for Lidocane cream. Next I heard him slathering the cream on wshat i thought was a finger of his gloved hand. Then he told me that he was going to do an anal check before starting the colonoscopy. I was expecting feel a finger start sliding into my rectum when all of a sudden it felt like he rapidly slammed his finger in & start rotating it around. 😳 Then he pulled out & went on with the colonoscopy. There was some discomfort at times & even some twinges of slight pain, but everything went well.

Today I mentioned to my wife (she was there watching) about how fast he slammed his finger into me when he did the anal check. She said, "It wasn't just his finger, it was his whole hand at least up to his knuckles!" 😵😁 it didn't hurt at all & I actually enjoyed it.... if only it had been a female doctor. If I had realized that he was going to shove his whole hand in like that, I might have been tempted to tell him to show my wife how to do it good. 😄

Did the scope rub against your prostate at all?

NetBear

"Did the scope rub against your prostate at all?"

Not noticeably.

Well, although this is an old thread, it seems perfect for my report. I had my first colonoscopy last week and wanted to let folks know how it went. I was given a SuTab Prep, which involves clear liquid diet starting 28 hours prior to procedure. At 18 hours prior, I took 12 SuTabs, and over 2 hours took 48 oz of water. The prep started working 1 hour after starting, and finished about 90 minutes after that. I wore a diaper to bed just in case, but didn't need it. I took another 12 tabs and 48 oz of water 6-4 hours prior to colonoscopy, with similar timing, and moderately clear yellow water at the end. Check-in was 90 minutes prior to procedure. I had an iv placed in case I needed sedation, but had asked not to be sedated unless necessary. At the appointed time, they took me up to the procedure room and got me in position. A rectal exam was performed, revealing decreased sphincter tone. Then the scope was placed, and advanced until it got to a loop of sigmoid that is trapped in my rather large umbilical hernia. We had hoped that position changes and pressure would help advance the scope beyond this point, but the pressure proved to be more than I could tolerate, so I had them sedate me to see how much further they could get. Unfortunately, my redundant colon proved to be more than they could traverse, so the were no able to examine my ascending (right) colon or cecum. I woke up back in the prep room, got a brief report, got dressed and headed home with my ride. Now we need to decide if I need a contrast colon CT scan, or can just follow with Fecal Immune testing. At no time did I note pressure on my prostate, but they did retroflex the scope at the end (still sedated) to check on rectum and anal canal.

The nurse always put a diaper on me after colonoscopy.

I couldn’t be sedated for the colonoscopy because I had to drive home afterwards, nobody volunteer to drive me back.

The colonoscopy was carried out in a portable unit.

It was an all female team, I undressed and put on double gowns in a prep/after room. Was escorted through to the exam room. There was a few screens I could watch proceedings on.

Had to remove the gown from around my back but was allowed to keep the front one on.

I had an anal exam by a doctor first, then the scope was inserted fully into me, it was fast and painful at times. It was retracted slowly and gently with the doctor checking as it went.

A polyp was found and removed, that was painless and I watched it go in hi res colour on a screen.

Apart from the pain going in it really wasn’t bad and I would take the procedure again without sedation.