Colonoscopy--Now or Later???

[perkicar]

Saw my PCP yesterday and stupidly asked when I was due for a colonoscopy (I must be a litte masochistic. Actually it was my brothers possible colon CA recurrence that made me think of it).
Anyway--she wants me to get another one (it's been two years since my last one, and they did find polyps that time). She said I could wait until after my AVR, but now I"m a little freaked out at the thought of doing it while on coumadin. But also pressed for time to do it in the next three weeks (this time from now in 3 weeks is my big day). Looking for advice here.....I'm thinking I'm going to wait but wanted to see what you all thought.......

 

[Ross]

Just to avoid any unnecessary stuff once on Coumadin, I'd say go now. It's just not worth the all the headaches to wait.

 

[tommy]

Good idea, considering your family history, but I'd relax and do some fun stuff. You'll have more than one additional c-scope in your lifetime. Pushing this one before AVR wouldn't be high on my list of fun things to do.

Best wishes and prayers for you and your brother.

 

[Ross]

Not to detract or hijack, but just how bad is a colonoscopy? I'm scared to death of them. Heck after the last round, I'm afraid of everything!

 

[tommy]

Ross, you've never had a colonoscopy?

The prep is not too bad, but not real pleasant either.
24 hours of clear liquid diet.
Laxative regimin to purge your system.
Lots of fluids to rinse you out.

I've always had general anesthesia , but I've heard of some being wide awake and others half asleep.

Recuperation is simple. Rest. No legal decisions for 24 hours . Normal diet right away. Frankly I start soft, but that's me. Jump starting your GI tract with a big juicy steak is not advisable.

You can handle it. I've seen recommendations for your first one at age 50. Earlier (age 40) if you have family history of colon problems.

Ross, colonoscopies are nothing to be scared of, just not something to enjoy.

 

[Ross]

Yeah well after the last round, I need to be sedated just to get me to go through the doors of hospital. It really made me gunshy where I wasn't so much before.

 

[bvdr]

I don't have the best memories of having had a colonoscopy. I wasn't sufficiently out enough not to feel some significant discomfort. It wasn't through the whole thing but enough I had to ask for more medicine and then told them to stop. I was told that it was almost done and to hang in there. Then I went to sleep again. When I had an EGD I felt nothing.

 

[Guest]

To me the prep was about the hardest part.

I had Versed so I was unaware of anything. When to doc came out to talk to my wife, he said that I was talking but not making sense. My wonderful wife replied, "Well then he is back to normal."

One of the nurses that I work with took her husband (a doc) home after his. They live about 15 miles from the hospital. On the way home they were discussing going on vacation in a few weeks etc. She got him some soup, put him to bed and came back to work. Shortly after she got back her husband called and said, "I'm at home. How did I get here?"

One of my patients wanted to see what was going on, so he refused sedation and watched the monitor throughout.

 

[catwoman]

When I had one 4 years ago, I asked the doctor when he'd be starting it. He said, "I'm through." Although I wouldn't have attempted driving, I felt like I could have gone to work afterward.
My husband had one last month. We went out for a late breakfast afterward and then went grocery shopping.
We have the same doctor....

 

[Nancy]

I asked the doc if I could watch, he said, "sure, as long as you don't curse me out". I remember not being put out sufficiently in the past with a different guy, so I said, "Put my lights out".

The prep is the worst part. This time they used something that was mixed with GatorAde. I forget the name. It was an improvement. The first time it was NewLitely (spelling). Stay away from that one, GoLitely too, it's an enormous jug and much more uncomfortable.

 

[perkicar]

Not to detract or hijack, but just how bad is a colonoscopy? I'm scared to death of them. Heck after the last round, I'm afraid of everything!

I'm with Tom on this one--the prep is the worst. I did the pills instead of the go-lytely liquid (yes that's what it's called). Getting my IV started was more traumatic than the procedure itself. They gave me versed and demarol once, I heard the doctor say give her more and, as they say, the rest was history. I woke up in recovery, my SIL was there. I got dressed, walked to the car, and we went to Waffle House for breakfast and then shopping. Later it occurred to me that I didn't have any discharge instructions. Susan handed me the form (which we'd both signed). Man, those are good drugs.
Ross, you'd be fine.

 

[Barry]

Sometimes I feel like a pathologically insensitive stoic when I read threads...

I had a colonoscopy a year or so. Was on Coumadin because of a St. Jude's mitral valve, just stayed on it. I'd been told that the prep was worse than the procedure, but the prep wasn't bad at all (I guess I wasn't as full of it as my friends had thought!). The procedure itself involved a bit more pain than I had anticipated, but not bad - next time I'll take a Vicodin before I go in. But no big deal.

Point being that I don't think that before-or-after really makes much difference, but I'd probably take care of it now and get it over with - especially since you seem to be a bit given to worrying, and one less thing to worry about would be a good thing. As with many things, anticipation of a colonscopy can be worse than the procedure itself.

 

[perkicar]

Sometimes I feel like a pathologically insensitive stoic when I read threads...

Point being that I don't think that before-or-after really makes much difference, but I'd probably take care of it now and get it over with - especially since you seem to be a bit given to worrying, and one less thing to worry about would be a good thing. As with many things, anticipation of a colonscopy can be worse than the procedure itself.

Moi???? A worrier???? Surely you jest!

I'm going to wait--not because I'm worried about it (I've had one before, in the grand scheme of things it's nothing, I'd rather have a colonoscopy than a TEE, for instance), but because I have too many other irons in the fire in these weeks leading up to my surgery. I'll get it done during my recovery period when I'm already off work and just hanging out.

 

[Barry]

Moi???? A worrier???? Surely you jest!

Worse than that. Making unwarranted assumptions.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Carolyn -

DO IT NOW !!!!!!!

As a mechanical AVR recipient on Coumadin, I am TERRIFIED of going OFF Coumadin after reading these stories about (more elderly) people going in for a "routine colonoscopy" and coming out with a MAJOR STROKE.

I have NEVER had a Colonoscopy and only one Sigmoidoscopy MANY years ago. My Mitral Valve will eventually need to be replaced which will place me at even HIGHER risk of clots / stroke but so far that has not given me the motivation to go ahead and have a colonoscopy done now.

MAYBE you will still need colonoscopies in the future, but you can avoid the anguish of the NEXT ONE by simply going ahead and having it done BEFORE you are ever put on Coumadin.

SO, MAKE THE TIME. GET IT DONE.

End of Sermon.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Guest]

It probably hurts less than the prostate biopsy (they use the same portal of entry) that I had without any pain meds or anesthetic.

 

[perkicar]

Worse than that. Making unwarranted assumptions.

LOL, even worse than that. Dead on accurate!! I'm a horrible worrier!

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Versed

Versed

Apparently VERSED became the mild Tranquilizer of Choice during the last decade, replacing Valium in many hospitals.

MY perception is that patients wake up 'less groggy' following treatment with Versed, but an interesting 'side effect' quickly became apparent. It also produces a short term amnesia effect as aluded in a previous post.

Three stories:

Several years ago, a physician friend near Nashville TN told me he performed a procedure on one of his patients using Versed and sent him on his way shortly after he came to. Three hours later, he received a Long Distance Telephone Call from that patient saying "I'm in Lexington, KY. How the H*LL did I get here"?

An employee at an medical facility near our main hospital had a procedure at the hospital using Versed, was released, and he walked across a Very Busy Street to his office, but had NO recollection of doing so.

After having an upper endoscopy with Versed and Demerol, my S.O. told me I insisted we stop at a Grocery Store on the way home and buy Ice Cream and other items I never ask for. I had NO recollection of that happening.

Discharge instructions for procedures using Versed now require a 'designated driver' and instructions to stay at home for the rest of the day.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Barry]

Halcion (a sleeping pill, I don't know if it's still on the market) was also noted for amnestic effects. A doc friend of mine would take it for long plane trips to avoid jet lag, sleeping during the trip. He'd take it as the plane was taking off, and when he'd be awoken upon arrival his last memory would be parking his car at the airport!

I don't know that anyone but a horrible worrier would need a tranq before a colonoscopy (joke, joke), but I came away thinking that a Vicodin would have been a good idea.

And came away from my angiogram thinking that a tranq (or three!) would have been a good idea!

Better living through chemistry.

 

[Barry]

If I recall correctly, prep for me consisted of drinking some stuff that opened the floodgates and later taking an enema. I'd cut down on my food intake substantially beginning a few days before, so I wasn't, as they say, "full of it" to begin with. Prep was no big deal for me, passing so much that electrolyte imbalance was an issue didn't happen.