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Discussion 10 comments
Anticipation of and the starting of the liquid clean out stuff is the worst part of a colonoscopy. I even woke up during the last part of mine and it just reminded me of the music video for Tool's "Sober," just filmed from the inside out.
And I will go on to enthusiastically plug getting a full-on colonoscopy at 47 (or whatever the new recommendation is) vs. the mail-poop-in-a-box version: the medical team can find issues during the procedure and take care of some of them *in the moment* instead of later. I got some polyps taken care of -- watched one of them, even! -- and instructions to return in three years to recheck. I'll take that over more waiting and worrying any day.
I'm starting my pre-colonoscopy week-of-no-yummy-food diet this morning. I feel like a quarter of my daily calories are from nuts & dried fruit, so this is gonna be a long week. The "only clear liquids" day at the end of the week doesn't (yet) seem all that daunting.
I'm hoping I can go the poop-in-a-box route for the next decade...
Huh, I had my first last summer and I was instructed for liquids-only for like 24 hours, maybe 36? Definitely not a week!! And I'm with Rebecca: yes it's a drag but the full-on method is the way to go.
Pro tip: If your instructions call for mixing Gatorade with MiraLAX, do not use your favorite Gatorade flavor, unless you literally never want to drink it again because even the sight of it will turn your stomach. Pick a gross one, so the loss will be less devastating.
*full send colonoscopy respect nod*
The Gatorade thing is like that scene in Harry Potter where Harry has to encourage Dumbledore to drink that entire cauldron of liquid, the Drink of Despair. But, having said that, I felt righteous after having my first colonoscopy a few years ago. Also, I think there are less vile preps now but each doctor has his/her preference.
It felt to me that the article was insufficiently clear that you are still taking the laxative, Gatorade and MiraLAX to clean out, which I assume people consider the worst part of the prep (both drinking all that, and the bowel emptying that follows). You just don't need to precede that with a clear liquid diet. That's only a marginal improvement in my opinion.
I have been psyching myself out about the prep for my first one, and all of the rules and prohibitions just add to the anxiety. If it’s possible to remove barriers to entry without affecting the results, it seems like that’s a good thing.
Veteran of two colonoscopies, I can wholeheartedly advise all to avoid a full quart of tomato/red pepper soup as your last meal before totally clear liquids. The exit was horrific.
Oy.... will definitely keep that in mind.
Mine was liquid diet entire day before and prep afternoon before and morning of. Chicken broth from Better Than Bouillon was really helpful curbing hunger. The prep is unpleasant (y'all got to drink Gatorade?), but not uncomfortable. I think I thought it would be like food poisoning while it was more stay close to the bathroom.
Colon cancer is terrible and could kill you. Small price to pay.
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