Hi everyone~~I just received a positive test result on the FOBT test (stool test for fecal blood) and am scared to death. Have a colonoscopy scheduled for May 14 and (I hate to admit it) am almost convinced it is something bad. Don't think I'll have a decent night's sleep until this is over! Just wondering if anyone else has had a colonoscopy and/or a similar experience. Any help would be so appreciated!!!
Carol
Hi CarolN and welcome,I'm sorry your test came back positive.I have had a couple colonoscopy,and it's really not bad at all,they sedate you,and you never know any thing going on.The worst part of all,is drinking that stuff to clean you out.Make sure you drink it all,it gets hard to drink.But i had a friend who didn't drink all of hers,and had to do it all over..........no way did i want to have to drink it again that soon.
Please try not to worry,i know that isn't easy to do.
Sending love,prayers, and hugs
CarolN...I will tell you from my experience, it was nothing...honestly, it went very well, and even the prep wasn't nearly as bad as when I was sick a few weeks ago...you have nothing to fear, really...they put you out while examining you..and it's over in no time...just make certain, you don't do much the rest of the day, b/c you are groggy...but, it's actually very easy compared to the one I had many years ago, when they didn't knock oyoj out...sheesh, now that was hard...our Technology today CarolN, I'm finding makes things much easier on the patient...so, go in there and get it done asap, b/c you have nothing to fear, but fear itself...it's a sinch...
big hugs
Creme
I'm sorry to hear you're going through this; it's hard to wait for tests and and results when you think there may be bad news. Try to stay positive if you can; there's no point in stressing yourself out until you know more. The colonoscopy itself, while not a joyous couple of days what with the prep and all, isn't bad. I'm proud of you for taking care of this in a timely manner! Whatever the outcome, not delaying is the best action.
Sending good thoughts on a great outcome!
Anna,you sure have had a time with colds :P I know the pollen is really high this year,i think they said the highest in 30+ years.Is it your allergies? I know they affect you really bad.
I'm hoping good results for you also,on your colonoscopy.It's really not at all bad,really!
I hated the cleanser pills (had those instead of the drink)....whopping big horse sized jobbers that you had to take five at a time, every half hour. They tasted so bad to me I had a hard time getting the last four down each time. Didn't have a problem with the actual scope procedure.
Want to thank everyone for your responses-it really helps alot to hear everyones views. I am trying not to think about it but I am a "professional worrier" so that is hard! LOL
Anna~~You'll have to let me know how yours went. Take care and hope your feeling better soon.
Hugs to you all
Carol
It really isn't that bad at all. The prep certainly keeps you occupied on the toilet. You might want to eat lightly a few days before. For me the procedure was I was awake, asleep, awake and it was over. Somewhat tired and groggy the rest of the day - don't drive that day. Really not bad at all.
Meryl :)
CarolN and Anna,
Another good outcome - I had a couple colonoscopies and it's nothing to worry about. I agree with everyone else, the prep is the worse part. The procedure itself is relaxing b/c they sedate you and you feel so peaceful when you wake up. Before I had my first colonoscopy, I had a scope down my throat and I was soooo scared, but it was such a good experience, I wasn't worried a bit when I went back the same year for my first colonoscopy and five years later for my second. I'm sorry to hear that there's a reason for concern, CarolN, and I pray everything comes out clear.
Here comes a couple good hugs.........Hope
Anna, *gulp* is right, LOL. That's a big jug of liquid you have to drink the night before :P I actually liked feeling light and squeeky clean for a day. It made me think about what I put in my body; I wanted to keep it as clean as possible for awhile. That lasted until we drove by an In 'n' Out burger stand (no pun intended) a week later :)
Carol, I just saw this. Don't worry excessively. 1: If it is something bad, it sounds like you caught this very early (it sounds like you are a person who regularly sees your doctor.) But 2) My aunt actually had very severe rectal bleeding. It was totally frightening. With all the emphasis on "warning signs," she was convinced she had cancer. They did the colonoscopy right away and guess what, there was nothing wrong but hemorrhoids! (Did I spell it right?) You might also have an ulcer bleeding a little; these heal and go away---it could be other things as well.
So often the anxiety about testing builds up and is worse than the test. Last year I had to have a small growth removed and I was terrified. Turned out totally benign and the surgeon was so great, he put me totally at ease. I will never worry again if I have to go through anything else with him, Make sure you are getting good practitioners that are kind and CAREFUL. Ask some questions about the risks of the tests and who is doing it, if you don't know.
I can't help but think that if your doctor thought it was something really bad, he/she would have scheduled your colonoscopy much sooner than a month from when you wrote----?
Good luck. I think you will be fine. But let us know, will you?
Kathleen
Anna, after it's over I think you are going to report that the procedure wasn't a big deal at all. The anticipation is the worst part (and the prep).
Hugs, Hope
Gee Anna~~Does that mean I'm gonna have to go first????
Kathleen~~Thanks for your words of encouragement~~I really appreciate them.
Hugs to everyone Carol
Best wishes to all; I'm with you, literally and figuratively - my app't is due soon, too :P Maybe we could get a group rate? Make it a party?
What could the prep solution be called........new cocktail.............gut blaster?
instead of happy hour.................potty hour!
How about not happy hour, but c*appy hour? Oh, that was bad, sorry :(
You two are too funny! I love it!
I was thinkin' maybe a "poop" party (instead of a partypooper)! :D
Carol
Good one! ;D
OMG.............my sides hurt from laughing!!!
I needed a good laugh!
Cancelled my colonoscopy today and need to reschedule. Had to put our Golden Retriever,Halle,to sleep today and not really up to going Friday :'(
Carol
Sending blessings heavenward to your lovely dogie and shedding tears because they are so precious...
RE: Colonoscopy...here is something we pass around the family any time one of us schedules one:
I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenterologist, to
make an appointment for a colonoscopy.
A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color
diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all
over the place, at one point passing briefly through
Minneapolis .
Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a
thorough, reassuring and patient manner.
I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear
anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, quote,
'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR
BEHIND!'
I left Andy' s office with some written instructions,
and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,'
which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven.
I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it
to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of
America 's enemies.
I spent the next several days productively sitting around
being nervous.
Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my
preparation.
In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any
solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is
basically water, only with less flavor.
Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two
packets of powder together in a one-liter plastic jug, then
you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with
the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons). Then you
have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour,
because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a
mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint
of lemon.
The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody
with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it,
'a loose, watery bowel movement may result.'
This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your
roof, you may experience contact with the ground.
MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too
graphic, here, but: have you ever seen a space-shuttle
launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with
you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the
commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty
much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You
eliminate everything. And then, when you figure you must be
totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep,
at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel
into the future and start eliminating food that you have not
even eaten yet.
After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep.
The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was
very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure,
but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of
MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, 'What if I spurt on
Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend for something
like that? Flowers would not be enough.
At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I
understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the
forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other
colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained
space and took off my clothes and put on one of those
hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind
that, when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked
than when you are actually naked.
Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in
my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie
was very good, and I was already lying down. Eddie also
told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep.
At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this
is, but then I pondered what would happen if you got
yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were
staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no
choice but to burn your house.
When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the
procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an
anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I
knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was
seriously nervous at this point.
Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the
anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in
my hand.
There was music playing in the room, and I realized that
the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA. I remarked to
Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during
this particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' had to be
the least appropriate.
'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from
somewhere behind me.
'Ha ha,' I said. And then it was time, the moment
I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are
squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you,
in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.
I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment,
ABBA was yelling 'Dancing Queen, feel the beat of the
tambourine,' and the next moment, I was back in the
other room, waking up in a very mellow mood.
Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I
felt excellent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told
me that It was all over, and that my colon had passed with
flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal
organ.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for
the Miami Herald.
Anna & luise~~Thank you so much for your kind words!
luise~~The colonoscopy article was very good--is it like a true story or just fiction?
If you have ever had one of those darn things (and I have had two)...you know that it has to be true. Few, however, would think it was material for stand-up commodity! ;D ;D ;D
Luise,
I have had two colonoscopies so far as well. I loved the story and had to laugh out loud! It was great. There's a lot of truth in there, exagerated to make it funny. I had to email the story to my husband who has also had a colonoscopy. Really, I don't think it's all that bad. I didn't have any dreadful feelings for either.......before, during, or after.
Hugs, Hope
Yes, that's a classic, isn't it? My last one didn't go as smoothly as the first. I woke up on the table before they finished and was very uncomfortable. Afterward, on the way home, I got violently sick and again after I got home. Not fun...but not a horror by any stretch of the imagination.
So sorry to hear that your second one didn't go so smooth, Luise. I guess something they did was different. I would make sure your doctor knows about that just before having another.
Hugging you, Hope
Hi CarolN,
I have just read your post and I am wondering how you got along. If you haven't already please post and let us know how you are going. I look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Julia~~Thanks for asking. Had my colonoscopy on June 25 and,just like everyone said, the prep was by-far the worst part!!! You would think by now they would come up with something alot more tolerable than that "sewer water" they make you drink. LOL They gave me something to relax and it must have knocked me out as I did not feel a thing and woke up when it was over (which was fine with me). A polyp was removed with was begnign.
Anna~~Did you ever have yours?
Hugs to all
Carol
Glad to hear you're OK, CarolN. The prep is nasty, but didn't you enjoy the "clean" feeling you had until you ate your first meal? LOL
Hi Carol, fantastic news , thanks for replying. Colon cancer is in my husbands family. My husband and his family have colonoscopy's every 4 years or so. I am 49 and I guess it is on my mind quite abit and although I don't have any symptoms I sometimes wonder whether a "just in case colonoscolpy is needed." It isn't in my family so I probably should just forget it and worry about something else LOL.
Quote from: Anna on July 26, 2010, 06:08:44 AM
Hi CarolN, no I have not had mine yet. The Dr. was suppose to call & reschedule, & they haven't. Maybe I should call them. Maybe they forgot!! I'm not too anxious, but know I need to have it done. Still nervous about it. :-\ Thanx for thinking of me!! (((((hugs))))) Anna.
Colonoscopy is nothing, nothing...please call and get it done....please...
I know a girl who left it go and had a scare...big time, so please, the colonscopy's are so easy and you feel no thing....compared to 20 years ago, it sure has changed, thank God, but please, this procedure is easy....and well worth it....
Thanks for the reminders. This is really important to follow up on, and I'm making an app't today.
Let me add to that: My sister died of colon cancer and my doc kept pressuring me for years to have a colonoscopy. I dragged my feet and said I was fine. One day when I was working at the front desk here at our retirement home to cover the noon hour break...a nurse came by and mentioned she'd just had one. I made some remark about my situation and she actually yelled at me! I backed down and said I would schedule one immediately. I did and there were were several very advanced columnar adenoma just getting ready to bloom into cancer!!! She saved my life!
Anna~~I agree with the other posts~~Call and make an appointment. Now that it's over I realize I should have listened to everyone here (that the prep was the worst part!) And believe me--no one is a bigger "scardy cat" than I am. LOL
Hugs Carol
Quote from: luise.volta on July 26, 2010, 08:24:38 AM
Let me add to that: My sister died of colon cancer and my doc kept pressuring me for years to have a colonoscopy. I dragged my feet and said I was fine. One day when I was working at the front desk here at our retirement home to cover the noon hour break...a nurse came by and mentioned she'd just had one. I made some remark about my situation and she actually yelled at me! I backed down and said I would schedule one immediately. I did and there were were several very advanced columnar adenoma just getting ready to bloom into cancer!!! She saved my life!
that is exactly what happened to a friend of mine...Oh Luise, thank God she bullied you into getting one....whew....
Quote from: CarolN on May 10, 2010, 11:45:39 AM
Cancelled my colonoscopy today and need to reschedule. Had to put our Golden Retriever,Halle,to sleep today and not really up to going Friday :'(
Carol
CarolN - I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. Golden Retrievers are one of my favorite dogs. I'm certain that Halle was part of your family and it is going to take some time to heal. We are here for you!
Hugs, Hope
CarolN
I'm so so sorry to hear this...it's always so devesating to have to do this....that is why I didn't get another dog for so long, however, here I am with another one?
please know my thoughts are with you....
big hugs
creme