What Should You Expect During a Colonoscopy?

[The_Professional]

Anybody had a colonoscopy? what was your experience like? any advice?

 

[hypatia]

I have a illness which requires me to have a colonoscopy 2 times a year. They give me a rohypnol{memory} drug, so I don't remember anything till its done. It has always been painless for me aside from some slight muscle cramping later in the evening.
After fasting all day, I tend to just have soup for dinner, and then a really good breakfast the next morning.
Advice...relax, they do thousands of them a year.

 

[Danger]

Anybody who thinks that doctors get into their line of work for the glamour will disillusion himself quickly during one of these.

They're very careful, they allow you to prepare yourself and go slowly enough for you to get used to it. The only discomfort that I noticed is that you feel as if you've had way too many breakfast burritos. They pump you full of air to keep the intestinal walls separated for a clear view.

It's not the most comfortable procedure in the world, but I'd rather have a hundred of them than one more hernia operation.

(PS: Leave your dignity at the door; you won't be using it. )

 

[The_Professional]

(PS: Leave your dignity at the door; you won't be using it. )

I'm very, very offended. Delete that post...





...just kidding Having never been operated or undergone any form of bodily invasion I didn't know what to expect and how effective the anesthesia is. But it was actually pretty cool, I didn't feel a thing. Before I know what hit me, I lost all consciousness and fell into a very deep, relaxing sleep. Then just being woken up five times. I tried playing with the ekg just to see how low I can make my heart rate go, but got only to around 74.

 

[Danger]

I'm very, very offended. Delete that post...

You scared me for a second there. I thought that was your whole response and wasn't quite sure what to do. Then I noticed that the scroll bar still had a ways to go.

didn't know what to expect and how effective the anesthesia is. But it was actually pretty cool, I didn't feel a thing. Before I know what hit me, I lost all consciousness and fell into a very deep, relaxing sleep.

This confuses me. I thought when Hypatia mentioned anesthesia that it was something to do with her particular ailment. Now you're doing it too. We are talking about the same procedure, right? (Honkin' big camera tube in the stern?) No wonder your medical insurance system is nuts down there. We Canuks just hop up on a table with our arses hanging out and they put a good glob of KY on the camera. Certainly no anaesthetic.)

 

[Ivan Seeking]

What I wonder is this: Do people just wake up one day and say, gee, I want to be a butt doctor? Or, I want to look at butts for a living?

 

[Zantra]

What I wonder is this: Do people just wake up one day and say, gee, I want to be a butt doctor? Or, I want to look at butts for a living?

You could also ask why every male med student doesn't aspire to be an obgyn. And the answer that I find most amusing- If you worked at burger king 12-15 hours/day every day,frying meat, when you got off work, would you still be hungry? And even if you were, would you want a burger? no you'd become a vegetarian.

I'm sure a proctologist has a comfy schedule compared to some specialties.

No one ever says "daddy when I grow up, I want to be a butt doctor"

reminds me of this old commercial..

 

[The_Professional]

You scared me for a second there. I thought that was your whole response and wasn't quite sure what to do. Then I noticed that the scroll bar still had a ways to go.

Sorry bout' that :)

This confuses me. I thought when Hypatia mentioned anesthesia that it was something to do with her particular ailment. Now you're doing it too. We are talking about the same procedure, right? (Honkin' big camera tube in the stern?) No wonder your medical insurance system is nuts down there. We Canuks just hop up on a table with our arses hanging out and they put a good glob of KY on the camera. Certainly no anaesthetic.)

I was talking about the sedative that was used to put me to sleep. But it was applied by an anaesthesiologist which is why I used that term instead. I didn't see the camera tube but I'm sure it's pretty small.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I remember reading something in Wired magazine a couple of years ago about some doctors who had invented a little colon-photographing device about the size of a horse pill that could be swallowed. Did anything ever come of that technology? Just curious if anyone had heard anything more about this.

 

[Danger]

Sorry bout' that :)

No prob, bro'; if I had a decent sized monitor, it wouldn't have happened.

I was talking about the sedative that was used to put me to sleep.

So was I. We don't get so much as an Aspirin here. We remain awake and conversing with the doctor. (Well... I did that through my first hernia surgery too, but that was just personal curiosity, and this time I didn't have a choice.)

I didn't see the camera tube but I'm sure it's pretty small.

I'm sure it seems that way when you're asleep. Awake, it feels as if someone is trying to insert the Hindenberg.

 

[Danger]

I remember reading something in Wired magazine a couple of years ago about some doctors who had invented a little colon-photographing device about the size of a horse pill that could be swallowed. Did anything ever come of that technology? Just curious if anyone had heard anything more about this.

I remember seeing that somewhere as well. I sure wouldn't mind if it hit the market soon; at my age colorectal cancer screens are pretty much manditory at least once a year. I wouldn't doubt that the FDA has it tied up in limbo until they determine that it doesn't make your teeth fall out or something.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I've decided to postpone getting older until such technology is available.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

They did a demo of the pill-cam on The Discovery Channel. I'm not sure if it's in general use yet, but apparently it's safe enough for someone to swallow for a TV show. The guy swallowed the pill and carried a receiver on his belt for a day or so. The pill xmits the video data which is logged on the receiving unit for viewing later.

Oh boy! Popcorn and a movie.

 

[Danger]

I've decided to postpone getting older until such technology is available.

Unless you haven't updated your picture, you're doing a mighty fine job of that. You still look just like you did 40 years ago when I first saw you...

 

[Danger]

The guy swallowed the pill and carried a receiver on his belt for a day or so. The pill xmits the video data which is logged on the receiving unit for viewing later.

Oh, no! I just thought of something... If it's going in from that end, they'll see what you had for lunch. What if it was pickled squirrel heads? There'd be no end to the embarrassment...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Oh, no! I just thought of something... If it's going in from that end,

You could try from the other end while standing on your head; in the tradition of Feyman who stood on his head and peed to prove that one can pee in space...but that's another story.

 

[Danger]

You could try from the other end while standing on your head; in the tradition of Feyman who stood on his head and peed to prove that one can pee in space...but that's another story.

I was just about to add you to my buddy list, but this indicates that you might be just a tad strange...

 

[Danger]

Incidentally, do you think that you can ever manage to write a post that's as long as your signature?

 

[Danger]

I was just about to add you to my buddy list, but this indicates that you might be just a tad strange...

Okay... I added you anyway. Upon several seconds of intense introspection, it appears that I might be as well...

 

[hypatia]

I was going to mention something about a pot and a black kettle, but you seemed to of figured it out.

 

[Moonbear]

So was I. We don't get so much as an Aspirin here. We remain awake and conversing with the doctor.

As far as I know, usually it's just a "twilight" sedative. Something to keep the patient relaxed during the procedure. Most of these have the beneficial side effect of making the patient forget the procedure. I don't know if The Professional was really asleep or not. Some patients think they've been asleep when the sedative wears off because they can't remember what happened until then.

I think the reason they introduced sedatives isn't because they are necessary, but that people are more willing to agree to having the procedure done if they know they can be made loopy enough to not care what's going on during the procedure.

I think I agree with MIH, I'll try to postpone getting old until they've perfected that camera pill, at least for routine screenings. Though, everyone I've ever known who had a colonoscopy claims it's not the procedure that's so bad, it's the prep before the procedure, which I think the pill camera still requires. It's probably safe enough to swallow, but they would need to make sure it doesn't miss things since nobody is sitting there with a joystick turning it around to see in every direction.

 

[gnome]

I've decided to postpone getting older until such technology is available.

I've decided to postpone it permanently.

I remember reading something in Wired magazine a couple of years ago about some doctors who had invented a little colon-photographing device about the size of a horse pill that could be swallowed. Did anything ever come of that technology? Just curious if anyone had heard anything more about this.

I imagine that the regular colonoscopy is far more reliable. With that, the doctor can examine areas closely and from different angles. A pill-cam that's just floating randomly down the intestine, with all its bends and folds, seems likely to miss small growths.

 

[Danger]

I was going to mention something about a pot and a black kettle, but you seemed to of figured it out.

I knew you would; that's why I jumped back in so quickly to deny you the pleasure.

 

[Danger]

Some patients think they've been asleep when the sedative wears off because they can't remember what happened until then.

Yeah, I can believe that. I deliberately had my first hernia done under local so I could watch. They set up an angled mirror for me and everything. The next thing I knew after the injection was waking up on a gurney in the corridor. When I gave the Dr. **** about knocking me out, he told me that I was perfectly alert, asking questions, joking the whole time. I can't remember anything about it.

 

[Danger]

A pill-cam that's just floating randomly down the intestine

You brought to mind something called a 'pig'. I'm sure Evo, MIH and other Y'alls (Texans) know about it. It's a camera and instrument package that they pop through an access hatch in the Trans Canada Pipeline. It toodles along downstream on its own for a few hundred miles inspecting welds. This vision somehow disturbs me.
Also gave me a memory flash of 'The Fantastic Voyage'.

 

[gnome]

Everybody, back to the ship!

 

[Danger]

Everybody, back to the ship!

Too late! Arrrrggghhhh... the e. coli mauraders got me!

 

[Tsu]

Four words to remember as you walk in the door:
1. I
2. Want
3. My
4. Versed (sort of like Valium with a little amnesiac med included) :-)

 

[Danger]

Four words to remember as you walk in the door:
1. I
2. Want
3. My
4. Versed (sort of like Valium with a little amnesiac med included) :-)

And Yanks complain about the laxity of our drug laws? They won't give us something like that up here unless we're in handcuffs already.

 

[Tsu]

And Yanks complain about the laxity of our drug laws? They won't give us something like that up here unless we're in handcuffs already.

OK. I'm starting to re-think Canada...

Don't suppose Canada has territories anywhere in the South Pacific, huh?