If anyone is scared of endoscopy/colonoscopy read this!! - Digestive Disorders Message Board

murray71203 · 09-16-2004, 06:49 PM

Ok everone. Let me start out by saying I am a HUGE baby. I had both of them done today and it wasn't NEAR as bad as I was fearing. Let me explain.
Prep: (I preped with Fleet Prep Kit #3) I ate oatmeal for breakfast and that's all for the rest of the day I had to drink tones of water and clear liquids, and I could have popcicles. I took the phosphosoda @ 4 and kept pooping all night (about every 15 minutes) This is the worst part I promise!!!
Day of: This morning I got up and couldn't drink anything. I was pretty hungry and pretty nervous. I went to the hospital at 8:30 (crying) and they put an IV in, took my vitals and talked to me about the procedure. This helped a lot I had a great set of nurses there. At 9:30 the doc. came in and told me it was time I started crying again and gave my husband a kiss. Then they wheeled me into the endoscopy room. These nurses were great too. I had one there who ONLY monitored ME, my berathing, oxygen level EVERYTHING that's all she did was make sure I was ok. They put you in what's called "conscious sedation" which means you don't remember a damn thing but you can talk to them while they're doing it. For me this is what made me the most nervous, the drugs and not being able to remember stuff. They put oxygen on me and told me to lie on my let side. Then they said ok we're going to give you the medicine, see you when you wake up and the next thing I know.... I'm farting in the nursed face LOL (they pumped a tiny bit of air in your intestine when they do the colonoscopy so I had gas. I woke up and got up put my clothes on and went home.
After: For about an hour I was in and out of remembering things. Hubby said I would ask him the same question 5 times. I got some food in my tummy and I felt a WHOLE lot better. I took a nice long nap on the way home and a nice nap when I got home. I woke up around 5 and hubby and I went to dinner. I feel FINE.
I made this into WAY more that it needs to be, it REALLY is quite simple and VERY safe. I know that nothing anyone could say would completely calm me down but really I hope this does help. I am really the biggest baby in the world and all my crying did today was give me a headache I wasn't necessary. I hope someone gets some good use out of this. If you want to ask me, please do.
Thanks.

fiveoffive · 09-17-2004, 12:52 PM

Thanks for the post on the procedure. I will have my colonoscopy on Oct. 5th. I am already freaking out, I dread it more than anything, well almost anything. The drugs are the part that scares me.
do you know what they gave you?
also where are you? (state)
I thought a lot about the gas thing, I will be soooooo embarrassed!! and I will probably laugh and it will make it funnier than it should be, oh my, how I dread this thing.
I am very sensitive to meds of any kind, had my gb out and only took ibuprophen for the pain. I think I am THE biggest wimp in the world.
anyway if you can give me details in a big way...lol
Thanks

sara52 · 09-17-2004, 07:09 PM

You won't be that embarassed, you will soon find out that everyone else there is also being told to "let it rip." About every few minutes the nurse will stick her head in and tell you "Get rid of that air" and you will. Usually they use versed and demerol for these procedures. Versed puts you in that conscience sedation state and demerol is for pain.

actudan · 09-17-2004, 08:06 PM

Nothing to be embaressed about. If I could have "let er rip", I would have. Unfortunately, after my colonoscopy, I had a lot of cramping and it felt like I could let out a 10 minute fart (sorry for the blunt description) but it was like something was preventing me from letting "it" out. The good news is that 24 hours later, I was back to "normal". As for the EGD, I was spaced out for awhile but I could remember everything I said or did but I wouldn't have allowed me to do anything that required good response time (like driving), if you know what I mean. From reading everyone's experiences here and from talking to people I know personally who have had these procedures, I have concluded that everyone reacts differently but the good news is that the reactions are all non-life threatening (great news). I know there are people who aren't as lucky but these procedures can rule out so many things that I believe the reward outweighs the risk by far. I'm glad you made it through ok and I hope the results are just as good. Take care!

murray71203 · 09-17-2004, 09:10 PM

I was most scared of the meds too. I am a HUGE wimp. Seriously I cried and cried and cried then my husband would make me laugh and then I'd cry some more. All I did REALLY was give myself a headache. Liek everyone else said they give you meds to sedate you and then a little bit of beds to make you not remember sutff. You can tell them that you're sensitve to meds. The nurses will know what to do sweetie. That's the hardest part for me, to trust someone OTHER than myself. LOL. But they are professional, they do it ALL the time, they DO know what they're doing. As far as the gas I thought it was so funny (apparently) even though I can't remember. Make sure someone patient it with you b/c God bless my husband I asked him the same questions 25 times. LOL poor thing. I'm in Missouri. I also have had one done in Virginia and my parents said they did the SAME thing. This was a couple years ago.