Having my first colonoscopy Thursday...

As a relatively young man (20, going on 21), any advice on handling it all.

Cowboy up and get it over with. If a wuss like me can handle it then surely you can too. Follow the directions for prep exactly, don't improvise. It's up to you to decide about sedation or no. I went with sedation for my first colonoscopy but I think next time around I'll go without it.

Above all, remember that it's only one day out of your life and it could save your life. Everyone else is there for the same thing so there is no reason to be embarrassed.

Just suck it up and do it like a man.

That way you can make fun of all the wusses crying about it. 😁 😁 😁 😁

A colonoscopy is an inconvenience, that's it.

I think it will be interesting to say the least, I've already been making jokes about it in a way. I know I can only have clear liquids, but do alcoholic and carbonated beverages count?

Colorless sodas are fine.

Try to stay away from alcohol as it can permit more bleeding if a biopsy is taken.

See my recent post: http://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=forum;ox=display;topic=60064.0

The procedure should be easy on you, with the possibility of some pain. If you're knocked out you may not feel anything. The only embarrassment would be if you are sensitive about showing your butt. The worst part is the night before: You have to take some clean-out prep, either pills, a half gallon of liquid or both. The liquid is nauseating, and one needs to stay within few feet of the toilet for a while.

I am not advocating this for anyone else, but I do them without the anesthetic and there is no pain involved. If you have some sort of stricture in your colon I suppose there could be pain. The guided tour my Doctor gives is interesting. I take the pills the day before because after all these years there is not a Gator Aid flavor that doesn't make me wretch.

Doing it this way eliminates the need for someone to drive for you after the procedure. As Susie stated it is an iconvienence

but worth doing given what it can detect and maybe prevent.

My partner had one just this morning. Yesterday he had to take two small doses of a clear liquid mixed in water. While it helped him to clean out his intestines, the effect wasn't as nauseating or unpleasant as I had expected. Today they gave him a "light" general anaesthetic and he didn't feel a thing. When the effect of the anaesthetic wore off he felt a bit of pain in his gullet (from the probe put down there) and a bit of lethargy. Tomorrow he will he right as rain 😃

I just finished the prep. Threw up a couple times, but otherwise, I'm ready for the morning.

The prep's a drag, but the procedure's a piece of cake. No worries.