Friday, July 24, 2015

Colonoscopy Preparation - The Best and Worst Parts

Recently Read Novels
My posts have been short this past few days and today, because most of this week I've been preparing for the colonoscopy I had this morning. Like most people who take this diagnostic procedure, I dreaded it. As most people who have taken this test know, the colonoscopy itself is a piece of cake compared to the preparation one has to do.

The worst part of that is the liquid diet for about a day and a half before the test followed by another 24 hours of powerful laxatives and their aftermath. In contrast, the procedure itself is easy. The worst of that was the very tight blood pressure cuff that squeezed my arm painfully about five times before they knocked me out. It seemed they had barely knocked me out when I was waking up, all finished except for getting unhooked from all my monitors and IV's.

The best part of the preparation was having lots of time to read. In four days I finished six novels -- five mysteries and one romance. You can see them in the photo above. I checked them all out Monday at the Paso Robles Public Library and finished the last one  today. Earlene Fowler, Carol Higgins Clark, and Debbie Macomber are favorite authors. I find Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason's mysteries keep my mind occupied and are quick to get through.

 A gentleman who was browsing new books next to me suggested I try reading a new author, Alafair Burke, so I checked out some of her legal thrillers to sample. On my own I decided to try The Color of Law by Mark Gimenez, another legal thriller. All of these books took my mind off my MoviPrep cocktails and helped entertain me while dealing with the results. One does not want to sit in a bathroom for hours a day with nothing to read. I enjoyed all these books, so having time to read them was the best part of this entire week -- except for finally putting this colonoscopy behind me for another ten years.

Observations: It seems there are changes in the recommended preparation for the colonoscopy since the last time I endured it. First, I had to mix the MoviPrep cocktails myself. Second, it didn't seem to taste as bad as last time. Last, you don't get much sleep for the 24 hours preceding it. I don't remember exactly when I had to take the laxatives last time, but I know I didn't have to take the last dose 4-5 hours before arriving for the procedure as I had to this year. For me that meant being up at 3 AM and staying up. There is no  way to settle down and sleep once you start taking the MoviPrep because you will be on the run for the entire night. I didn't even bother to go  to bed. I read all night.

Feel free to share your own experiences with this procedure below.

6 comments:

  1. When I lived in Happy Camp I had no medical insurance the last few years I was there, and was stressed about not having the money for a colonoscopy... so when I got here to Idaho I was far overdue for this... and I got insurance and got it done. I was so happy to hear I don't have to do it again for ten years. Yay!! That drink for the prep was the worst tasting stuff ever. I'm happy you also are cleared for ten years.

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  2. I'm glad you had a successful result, too. Actually, the castor oil I had to drink once as a laxative for another test several decades ago was worse in all respects. When I told the nurse about that yesterday she said it was finally made illegal for that use. It is, after all, a poison.

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  3. Barbara, my daughter recently had a colonoscopy, so I can appreciate all that you went through, as I also heard from her about the experience. Good to know you won't have to go through it for another 10 years, I know!

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    1. I'm not even sure I will do it again in ten years. I may not live that long anyway.

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  4. I am going through my prep right now and that drink is vile. Glad you got through yours okay.

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    1. You have my sincere sympathy. Soon it will be over with.

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