I've had both procedures done, including 3 colonoscopies without any sedation at all, (didn't have anyone to drive me there and back...), so no choice in the matter.
Have to say that the doctor, and assisting nurse, can make a 'big difference'. The first wasn't so bad at all. In fact afterwards the doctor commented that he wished more people would do it without the sedation. And have to admit that it was nice afterwards just getting up, getting dressed and walking out of there, and not be trying to wake up from the sedation.
That first one was some years ago, when they were doing them in hospitals. Since that time, they're doing them in surgi-centers and even doctor's offices.
I think this was the first this particular doctor had done a colonoscopy to someone without the sedation. Nurses and assistants were running around like crazy when they had ask who was there to drive me home, and I told them no one.
They finally had to call the doctor down. He asked what the big problem was, like in a panic, all the nurses and assistants told him I didn't have anyone to drive me home.
He came to me talking about rescheduling for another time when I would have someone to drive me. Told him that I lived alone, and would never be able to have someone drive me.
I mean no relatives in the area, really no close friends, and even my neighbors, all worked during the day, and I wasn't going to ask anyone to take a day off work just to drive me there and back. Besides, I wasn't close with any of my neighbors, just close enough to wave when passing by each other.
And after all that 'prep', which I agree with many here, is like the 'worst' part of it all, and I didn't want to go through that again! Wound up having to sleep on the toilet the entire night before...
Anyway, he said that they couldn't give me sedation without anyone to drive me home. Frustrated at that point, I told him just to do it without the sedation.
He said okay, but was still going to hook me up to the IV, and if I couldn't handle it, they were going to push the sedation. Then I would have to leave my car there, and take a taxi back home or something. Anyway, that one went very well, didn't need any sedation, and wasn't that bad.
The second was more uncomfortable, but still managed to get through it. The third was nearly unbearable! Almost didn't get through that one. So three different doctors and assistants, three different results.
Of course with some years inbetween each, there's always that possibility that something changed in 'me', to where I became more sensitive to them? Don't know about that...
Need to schedule another sometime soon this year, and after that third experience, I do believe that I'm going to ask for sedation, just in case it is something in me that changed, or I don't get a doctor and assistant that was as good as that first.
Don't know about transportation yet, might have to bite the bullet and use a taxi. However some doctors have begun not releasing patients that have had sedation to a taxi. They want someone that's going to be responsible for the patient, to be with the patient afterwards.
And all a taxi is going to do is drop someone off at their door. But is having someone to drive someone there and back, really going to be much different?
I mean are they 'really' going to stick around afterwards, when they might have changed their schedule around to accommodate that ride back and forth, and have other things they need to get back to?
Granted, having a spouse around would be most handy and would tend to stay with someone afterwards, but not everyone has that luxury. All the doctors are doing is protecting their asses. If they release someone to another responsible party, then their liability afterwards is off their shoulders.
Makes it really difficult for a single and alone person to have 'any' procedure done when sedation is given.
My recommendation, find transportation, and take the sedation! If you want to watch a colonoscopy being done, you can find that on the Internet. No need to suffer so you can watch your own.