Colonoscopy

[Whamo]

 
What a nightmare!  I'm trying to get on the transplant list.  All I needed was to pass the colon test.  I survived
the heart test, barely.  The colon test was awful.   First there was drinking the laxative juice.   I wound up changing
my underwear three times.  Then there was the waiting.   Got to the office at 7:30, and procedure began at 11AM.
Things went awry and I wound up in the hospital when my ticker rate went too low.  I got out of the hospital after
about eight hours in the ER, weak as a kitten.  Then I did 10 1/2 hours of dialysis at home, exhausted and weak.
It was a real struggle just to walk around.  I don't know if this is the end of my transplant quest or not. 

[Paul]

My sympathies. I had one of those a year or so back for entirely different reasons. Not nice.

[Charlie B53]

Had my second one just this past Tuesday.  I had been putting it off for almost 5 years.

Dr took one small 'bite' out of a spot.  Told me top return in five years.




Seems I'm not such a Perfect A-Hole any longer.











Wife says I still am.

[Paul]

I so want to say something along the lines of "Just looking up old friends." 

[Simon Dog]

I had an innuendo twice.  Worst part was the fasting; second worst part was the purge; procedure itself was uneventful.

[cassandra]

So sorry you had to go through all that Whamo


   


Love, luck and strength, Cas

[smartcookie]

Here's hoping that the heart issue was just a fluke and the transplant center will ignore it.  Colonoscopies suck, big time!

[SooMK]

My sympathies for anyone who has to have a colonoscopy. I had my second one ever, my first post-transplant, this year. The prep, once again, was terrible. I chugged that nasty stuff down as fast as possible. Bad idea. I threw it all up. It became clear (pun intended) that the little bit I kept down was enough. This time I switched to a soft diet several days before the procedure and I think that was something I did right. The test itself was a non-event, really. The facility (new to me) was wonderful, doctor and anesthesiologist very kind, all good. I was given a photo of my insides that I didn't really want so I could see everything was ok. I headed home two hours after I arrived, stumbling out on the arm of my husband. Such a terrible test. I'm so sorry you had to go through this. I hope this box can be checked off for you to get you one step closer to a transplant.

[Charlie B53]

My first one I was 'relaxed' well enough I slept through the whole thing.  Don't really remember anything about it.  This one not so much joy juice.  I have to admit it wasn't so bad, it could have been a lot worse.

The prep is nasty.  I added near a whole container of lemonade mix so it wouldn't taste near as terrible.  It was still quite the chore drinking it as normally I only drink maybe a mouthful of liquid at a time and those are at least an hour apart.  We are on Hemo and I am VERY strict with my fluids so being told to drink a whole GALLON of flush is way out of character.  Next Dialysis treatment I was way over my usual weigh-in.

[Simon Dog]

There is a prep that is considerably lower volume than 64oz.  Still tastes like stale bathwater.

[Whamo]

   Thanks for the sympathy.  Today I just noticed a facebook message from March.  Some guy from Canada offered to give me his kidney! 
It's a little late and he's too far away, probably. 

[Charlie B53]

Canada isn't that far away from the rest of the world.  With airlines and plenty of ice a kidney will still be viable many hours and thousands of miles later.


Don't we wish it that easy?

[cattlekid]

mmmmm.....Colonoscopies....I get one every other year whether I like it or not.  Personal history of 25+ years with ulcerative colitis, plus a family history of colon cancer.  Gastro doc has scared the literal (insert poo emoji here) out of me by telling me stories of patients who skip a year and then turn up with Stage IV colon cancer as it can grow flat against the colon wall and not present with any symptoms until it's out of control. 

Funny story about my 2014 colonoscopy - a friend took me to the hospital.  She told me I had a choice of ride:  her "mom" minivan or her Camaro.  Well, I chose the Camaro.  Got lots of interesting looks rocking up to the door of the ER (where they admitted early birds) in a bright yellow sports car.  Not so fun on the way home after a big dose of loopy juice.