Free New Hampshire Blog

I had my second colonoscopy the other day, the first one was about 8 years ago. During the first one they found one polyp and removed it, it wasn’t cancerous. And the other day they didn’t find anything.

If you haven’t had a colonoscopy, it’s a good idea to get one as it’s easier to avoid colon cancer than to fight it after it’s happened. No, it’s not fun to deal with but it’s better than getting cancer.

Getting Ready for Your Colonoscopy
The worst part of a colonoscopy is prepping for it. To do that you must…er…clean out your colon.

Here are some tips for you to remember that will help minimize the discomfort:

Make sure you buy your clear liquids ahead of time. You will not be able to eat solid food the day of your preparation.

Here’s what I bought:

Gatorade
Chicken & Beef Bouillon (I recommend Herb Ox, specifically the no-salt, no-MSG versions)
Soft Toilet Paper
Cottonelle Wet Wipes
Cran-Peach Juice (can’t remember the brand but as long as it’s clear liquid it’s fine)
Cortizone
The bouillon is really important because you will be hungry and the broth tastes amazingly good and just feels very comforting to drink while you are going through your prep.

Do NOT just use regular toilet paper or you will have a sore, uncomfortable bottom. Use the softest toilet paper you can buy (Charmin Ultra is a good one) for the…er…first part of your cleaning then follow up with a Cottonelle Wet Wipe and then a bit of Cortizone.

The Cortizone doesn’t have to be applied each time but it does help you avoid soreness so I’d say use it as you need.

Remember that the prep is going to have you on the toilet a lot so prepare ahead of time and minimize the discomfort.

I used the HalfLytely Prep Kit which consists of two pills you have to swallow then some lemon/lime stuff you mix with water and drink about 8 glasses of the mixture. It’s not fun drinking that much fluid down but I found it better than the other prep kit I used 8 years ago.

The Day of Your Colonoscopy
I got my colonoscopy at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center and they did a great job. The staff was very nice and they treated me well.

They tell you what they are going to do and when it’s your time to get ready, they bring you to the prep area after you’ve put on the johnny/gown/whatever it’s called thing. They have you lay down on a bed and then they give you an IV after putting a nice, warm blanket over you.

I am not sure why they put the warm blanket over you but I found it to be quite comforting as you always feel some anxiety going in for a procedure.

Then they wheel you into the procedure room, hook up some monitors and put an oxygen mask on you. They then have you roll onto your side and they tell you that you will be getting sleepy. I remember thinking that I didn’t feel sleepy at all and then suddenly I was waking up in the recovery room. Heh, heh.

When you first wake up you are a bit disoriented but the medication they use clears away pretty fast and you are able to leave the hospital shortly thereafter.

All in all, it was not bad at all. I hope that this entry helps some of you out there who are getting ready to go in to have a colonoscopy. It’s not nearly as bad as you might be thinking so go and get it done. It’s the right thing to do for your health.

After Your Colonoscopy
Because of the medication used to put you to sleep, you will not be able to drive yourself home after the procedure nor will you be able to drive for the rest of the day.

Thanks go to my good buddy, Bruce, for taking me to the hospital and back (you are not allowed to drive yourself to or from the hospital because of the anesthesia). Bruce drove all the way from the other side of the state to take me and then had to drive home in bad weather. You know you have a good friend when he’s willing to do that for you. He’s a good egg. Thanks, Bruce. :)

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