Colonoscopies can be performed for a variety of reasons but I will give you my take on them. I have had numerous with and without sedation.
The fear is greater than the actual procedure. There always will be exceptions to that rule but in general I find the whole thing not nearly as bad as I anticipated. The worst bit by far is the preparation.
You will be given some form of bowel preparation which is often a salty awful tasting mixture that you need to drink over a period of time, and because you can’t eat ,it is very nausea inducing I am afraid. But you just have to get on with it. After so long you need to start going to the toilet.
DO NOT PLAN ON GOING ANYWHERE as you will almost certainly need to go lots of times to clear your bowel out. Because of the timing of the prep you will be able to sleep, and in the morning you will need to drink one more sachet usually. You should be fairly clear after a while but the urges may still be there. As long as you have done as they asked you are ready. ( things may vary depending on when you are booked in, either morning or afternoon).
When you arrive at the endoscopy unit you will be taken to see the nurse before hand to talk about sedation and consent etc..you will be asked to get into a gown and you usually have to wait a short while for your slot, this is the time that most folk are nervous about the unknown, please don’t be, it is ok.
Next, you will taken into the procedure room where you will see a bed, a monitor and various other machines and items. Your doctor will there ready fro you , as will a nurse or two. One of the nurses will get you comfortable and look after you the whole time.If you asked for sedation this will be given now, you will have a cannula placed in your hand or arm and the sedation will be given.
The nurse will give you an oxygen nasal cannula or similar which is just a small foam piece attached to oxygen that you place in one nostril. You may get a different type but essentially they will be the same idea.
Once the sedation starts working you will feel very relaxed and may not remember too much, you are still awake and may even watch the monitor if you are not too squeamish. You will be on your side with your knees up and they will then insert the camera. Lubricant will be used to help it in and you should feel fairly comfortable.
The doctors ( as there may be two) will guide the scope around the bowel and may ask you to move into a different position now and again.
If they take biopsies you will not feel this. Sometimes you make be asleep and sometimes you may wake a bit. I do find some pain when they are moving the scope around the bowel corners, as they tend to use your tummy to help push it around, but in all honesty it is soon forgotten.
Eventually it is over and you are wheeled into the recovery bay where they will let you sleep off the sedation. You then get a cup of tea and biscuits and are on your way. You won’t be allowed to drive after sedation. If you are lucky you will be given a copy there and then of the report.
Good luck and don’t be scared, it’s a breeze. You have probably been through far worse with what has got you there in the first place.
