I Need Advice!!!

[kate1966]

[img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img]Ok here's the deal....this friday I have to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy done!!!!!!!!! That's tubes going in both ends!!!! I am so terrified of this procedure....Thurs night at 5pm i have to drink the 64oz of gatorade mixed with miralax...which is a laxative....then the following am i have to take 4 dulcolax pills which is also a laxative!!!!!!! I am going to be crapping my brains out.....i am so scared....i don't want to do this...but i am so nauseated all the time they want to check me out...i have ibs also....and so i should be used to the diarreaha i am going to be going through...but i am just so scared and i need some advice/reassurance/suggestion....anything to make me feel better...If anyone has gone through this....please tell me it's going to be ok.....any other opinions would be greatly appreciated too...thanks in advance........K

[babygap5]

I've gone through both of those tests. You have nothing to worry about. The worst part of the colonoscopy is the prep. That stuff is awful to drink, but, that is truly the worst part. The endoscope procedure wasn't bad either. What they did to me first was hook me up to the heart monitor and they put in an IV. Then they gave me this donut like thing with a hole in it to bite on (thats what keeps your mouth open during the procedure). They then sprayed this liguid lidocane in my throat which tasted like banana to numb my throat. After that, the anesticologist injected something into my IV, he held my hand, and I fell asleep. I woke up and was fine, not even nauseaous. They gave me gingerale to drink, I was in recovery for about 40 minutes, than I was able to go home. In recovery, the coolest part was my doctor came in with printed pictures of my intestines for me to see. He explained what they found (a few red spots) and I was fine to go home. I wish you luck.

[violet]

Hey kate, well as for the endoscopy,ive been there and know how it feels to have it done..


as for colonoscopy I havent had it done but my father has and he has well spoke about it in legnth.


it isnt the nicest of things to go through...


Everything is going to be ok hun,seriously everything is going to be fine,I shall say with the endoscopy I know its hard to do but you need to relax for it well both of them for obvious reasons.


but after its done everything will be fine and they will have found out what they need to find out,but yes as you and everyone would know it isnt the nicest thing in the world to be going through.


I felt n* before it and after it now that was only because of the nerves that was all but I Was "not" s* at all!!


You will be ok hun,and im here for you completly if you need me or have any other questions you want to ask about it? IM me or msg me here and il speak with you until you even in the slightest feel a lil better about this.


*hugs you*


Everything will be ok!!!!!


xVx

[crimgoddess]

hey Kate-


My parents go once a year, and my grandmother every few months for a colonoscopy (apparently we are predisposed to polyps- woohoo), and it has never made them nauseous or vomit. I would know, because I have been in the car when they were picked up, and all they did was joke about it. Apparently part of the procedure makes you fart a lot, and when my grandmother gets hers done there are usually other people there for the same thing. So, they put them all in this room- mostly seniors- and they were ALL farting and giggling. She said that at least she was being 'ladylike' with her farts Having diarrhea is, well, a s***ty situation (*badoomboom*), but if the end result is them possibly finding the cause of some of your discomfort, it's well worth it.


As for the endoscopy- I've seen it done on different medical programs, and it looks damned cool in terms of what they are able to tell about your insides. It may seem scary in principle, but I'm sure it will be a lot less scary once it's actually over. babygap seemed to have had a good experience with it- and hopefully it will go the same way for you


Goodluck! And I hope they can discover the cause of your nausea as being something tangible that they can fix! (as opposed to psychosomatic- which is indeed harder to remedy)


*amber*

[SimplyMe]

I can't speak on either from personal experience but my Mom has colonoscopies done every few years and has NEVER even beem n* much less had to v* from the stuff she took, the proceedure or the sedative. As for the endoscopy I don't know but people on here (like violet and babygap) have and were fine. I saw on Good Morning America (or which ever one w/ Katie Couric) where the have a new thing that you swallow like a pill and it takes pictures on the way down so maybe these endo's will be out of date soon! Wouldn't that be an emets dream!? Anyhow, I'm sure you will do fine. I'm assuming they will sedate you. Ask for some anti emetics in the IV to put your mind at ease but I'm sure you won't need them. According to my Mom the worse part is the inconvenience of the d*. But she never felt or got sick w/ it. Plus you will know what's causing it and that it will end and that it can't make you v*. Let us know how it goes!

[kel12347]

I've had the upper endoscopy done about 9 years ago. I didn't feel n* or v* at all. All I remember was the crappy tasting banana stuff, and the next thing I knew, I woke up and had to pee REALLY bad (b/c of all the water in the IV). The only thing I felt was a little dizziness walking to the bathroom (I did sit up pretty quickly....did I mention I had to go really bad?). You'll be fine!

[jesskali]

Hi, Kate! Hope you are doing well. I had the endoscopy 2 years ago and I was fine. The sedation meds they give you are great. I slept for 4 hours after the procedure and felt like eating as soon as I woke up.

I have never had the colonoscopy, but I have seen the procedure done several times and have had family/friends who have had it done. In fact, my 80 year old grandmother had it done a few months ago and did great--she is real easy to get sick and she didn't even feel nauseated at all!

I am confident you will be just fine. I will keep in my thoughts and prayers because I know how nerve-wrecking it is!


Jess

[purpleteacher]

Ask them to admit you to the hospital while you take the laxies. Seriously - tell them you are scared of possibly getting uncontrollably sick and that you need to be where you can get medical attention at once. Request an overnight stay in the hospital because of the high dosage of medication they will be giving you. You can also tell them you don't have anyone who can stay up with you all night long to make sure you are okay.

[jennyleigh1975]

Kate-you know I am here for you. I dont have any personal first hand experience with this, yet. I didnt know you were gonna have to drink 64 ounces of Gatorade with the Mirolax in it. I didnt think it would take that much to clean you out. (I mean you in general terms.) Keep me posted!!

[kate1966]

Thanks so much you guys....I am still feeling scared but I guess I will just have to grin and bare it!!! I dread it...but then after it's all done I will be glad I did it.....(i hope)!!!!!!!!! God knows I will be a ball of nerves from today forward....but what else can I do...i have to find out what's making me so sick all the time....i just hope it's not all in my head and that they do find something that they can fix. That is my goal in doing this anyway....if they don't find anything really wrong...then i will be even more worried about why i feel so sick all the time. But anyway I want to thank each and every one of you who responded to me b/c I really did/do need the support on this one......I am the type of person who needs lots and lots of reassurance when it comes to things like this....so thanks a bunch for all your advice and kind words....Just start saying a prayer for me about 5 pm tomm...... I will let you all know how it goes...and hopefully be able to tell you that everything went fine...and i made it through just fine....Kate[img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[s0ccer_princess]

That's a great attitude

The very best of luck to you, and keep thinking of the positives- them finally finding a solution to your discomfort!

[65roses]

I've had both done more than once, and you'll be fine.


I take Miralax every single day for intestinal problems, it has no taste and it is very gentle, you will have minimal cramping from it. When I had it done they used something called Golytely, which was a horrid tasting drink that DID NOT make you go lightly! Anyway, Miralax isn't bad, and the Gatorade is to keep you from feeling bad, you can get really run down if you're dehydrated, and it will keep you hydrated so you don't feel that way.


You'll be so doped up you won't know or care what's going on, and the meds don't make you sick, they make you feel good! The doctors could not get anything done if you were sick, so they try their hardest not to make you sick. Both my parents are medical people, my dad an MD, my mom an RN. My mom worked in an endoscopy lab for about 3 years and doesn't remember anybody being sick from it or having real problems- even the people that declined the sedatives.


After you're done, treat yourself to something so you'll have something to look forward to- AND it will be a reward to facing your fears. When I was done with mine the first time I let myself go buy a pair of pants I had had my eye on at Old Navy.


I just had a bronchoscopy this morning, and I prefer the endoscopy/colonoscopy, they don't have the discomfort afterwards that the bronch has.

[shea:)]

Hey, i just read it right now. I suffer from n* a lot too. Do you have too much acid, cuz that's what i have. Anyways i've been through different tests for my stomach but they don't find anything. I'm so fustrated. I hope everything went o.k. Tell us later,k?

[kate1966]

[img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]Well, just to update...i had my tests done.....and i did just fine...of course the prep about did me in.....it was horrible....but i survived that and the procedures were far more tolerable than the prep. My doc gave me anti-emetics for after i woke up so i would not be sick...thank goodness.....he asked me if i wanted it and i said absolutely. So, that was the one good thing.....he did the colonoscopy and found 8 polyps...which he thought was alot for someone my age...so they will be sent off to be tested for cancer.....and he was not able to get the endoscope down my throat for some reason...i have done that before and it went fine...so who knows what went wrong this time...anyway had to go back this am and do the barium swallow xray test....that was almost as bad as the other prep i had to do....but it tasted way worse and i was in fear of V....it was that bad....but i didn't and i finally got it all down....wasn't much to drink...but it was so gross!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Shea......I am on prilosec for my nausea now....it helps some...but not completely....so as far as acid...who knows....mine is probably just all the stress in my life...i have tons....i just don't know what is causing all this with me. Probably all the cigarettes i smoke are killing me. I need to quit.......anyway i am frustrated too and so good luck to you on feeling better also.....


All of you who gave me advice and support...thanks so much...i didn't think i could make it through all of this...but i did...i am glad i finally got the nerve to do it......it was hard but i did it......now my only thing is that if they don't find a problem to fix....what in the world am i going to do......but anyway i just wanted to update you all and thank you for the support and advice.....take care..Kate