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FAO Suzannew
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Can you please tell me how your husband got through the days (and nights) from getting the letter to having the colonoscopy? The days are not too bad but the nights are something else. Woke at 5 a.m. this morning and could think of nothing else and the thoughts just got darker and darker.
Also I've read through the booklet on the Colonoscopy but as someone who has actually had it, can your husband tell me any more? Was it uncomfortable, painful, did the sedation actually help? I shall be a nervous wreck at this rate by the time the appointment comes round.
Also I've read through the booklet on the Colonoscopy but as someone who has actually had it, can your husband tell me any more? Was it uncomfortable, painful, did the sedation actually help? I shall be a nervous wreck at this rate by the time the appointment comes round.
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Hi FoxLee, As one whom had a Colonoscopy about 4 months ago, I can tell you quite honestly that there is nothing to it, I found the worst part was having to drink all that horrible tasting fluid the night before to clean out the bowels. Just make sure he is within 3 feet of the little boys room when it starts working.
Thanks for your answers. Now I just have to worry about what they might find. Incidentally, I am female and on my original post about home testing for bowel cancer for over 60s, Suzannew kindly answered and told me about her husband's experience so that's why I addressed this post to her asking for more info.
Hi, sorry just seen your question for me. Here is my husband's reply. "I agree that the days waiting and in particular the nights waiting for procedure are very stressful. I can assure you that having attended for a pre-procedure assessment with the nurse I felt much better as she played down the chances of anything nasty being found. I felt much better between seeing her and the 8 days waiting for the procedure.
With regards to the actual procedure the 24hrs of starving beforehand are by far the most unpleasant together with taking of laxatives. The procedure - the sedation certainly helped and I did not find the process at all painful and only very slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps I was lucky the Doctor in attendance was extremely pleasant, but i was somewhat concerned when during the process he told me that he had "found things". In my relaxed sleep state I was not particularly alerted by this but felt certain that something significant had been found. It was only after the procedure when he came to tell me that 2 polyps had been found both of a different nature, but none serious in his view could i then relax and eat something!
Although I was somewhat relieved after the procedure I was told that I must make an appt to return to the centre when further treatment would be discussed. It seems a strange process but I was told that if on examination the polyps were found to be benign then I would receive a telephone call from the hospital. I was delighted when my wife received a telephone call a week ahead of the proposed appt telling me that all was well and in fact one polyp turned out to be nothing than more than a fold of skin. I was told that I would be invited to bi-annually submit myself to further screening which of course I will be happy to do. If I can help further let me know. ". Best wishes. Suzannew.
With regards to the actual procedure the 24hrs of starving beforehand are by far the most unpleasant together with taking of laxatives. The procedure - the sedation certainly helped and I did not find the process at all painful and only very slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps I was lucky the Doctor in attendance was extremely pleasant, but i was somewhat concerned when during the process he told me that he had "found things". In my relaxed sleep state I was not particularly alerted by this but felt certain that something significant had been found. It was only after the procedure when he came to tell me that 2 polyps had been found both of a different nature, but none serious in his view could i then relax and eat something!
Although I was somewhat relieved after the procedure I was told that I must make an appt to return to the centre when further treatment would be discussed. It seems a strange process but I was told that if on examination the polyps were found to be benign then I would receive a telephone call from the hospital. I was delighted when my wife received a telephone call a week ahead of the proposed appt telling me that all was well and in fact one polyp turned out to be nothing than more than a fold of skin. I was told that I would be invited to bi-annually submit myself to further screening which of course I will be happy to do. If I can help further let me know. ". Best wishes. Suzannew.
I've just seen your reply Suzanne - thank you (and your husband) for all the extra information. I have calmed down since I got the letter and am feeling more philosophical about it. My appointment is on Thursday so not too much longer till I see the nurse.
Speaking to a cousin of mine who is 2 months older than me - he is awaiting his third test kit and I only received my first one in January. I don't know if anything would have showed up had I tested two years ago but I don't understand how the system works when he received his first kit at age 60 and I had to wait until I was 64.
Best wishes to your husband and I hope his future tests go well.
Thanks again.
Speaking to a cousin of mine who is 2 months older than me - he is awaiting his third test kit and I only received my first one in January. I don't know if anything would have showed up had I tested two years ago but I don't understand how the system works when he received his first kit at age 60 and I had to wait until I was 64.
Best wishes to your husband and I hope his future tests go well.
Thanks again.
Hi Foxlee
Just to add to the above posters, I have had 2 colonoscopies and am on a 5 year repeat screening programme. (All well so far I'm glad to say).
The actual procedure is almost completely painless, a little discomfort is all that I would say, nothing to write home about at all. You can actually see what the Dr and nurses are seeing on a monitor (if you want to) and the staff doing mine on both occasions talked me through everything that was going on. I honestly do not remember any aftereffects either, so I guess there were not any.
I must agree, however, that the day before is not pleasant. I found that it wasn't so much the running to the loo that was bad, it was actually downing the sheer quantity of liquid laxative that I found quite unpleasant. The stuff does not taste bad at all, sort of sweet and vanilla flavoured but you have to down an awful lot of it within a certain time period. That was yuk, but definitely not painful.
The staff are so good too, that I didn't even find it embarassing which I thought I would. When I had mine, the Dr examined me internally with his fingers first. Again, not at all painful and over very quickly. By the way, I did not find the sedation particularly sedating, so was fully aware of everything that went on.
Chin up and I hope all goes well.
Just to add to the above posters, I have had 2 colonoscopies and am on a 5 year repeat screening programme. (All well so far I'm glad to say).
The actual procedure is almost completely painless, a little discomfort is all that I would say, nothing to write home about at all. You can actually see what the Dr and nurses are seeing on a monitor (if you want to) and the staff doing mine on both occasions talked me through everything that was going on. I honestly do not remember any aftereffects either, so I guess there were not any.
I must agree, however, that the day before is not pleasant. I found that it wasn't so much the running to the loo that was bad, it was actually downing the sheer quantity of liquid laxative that I found quite unpleasant. The stuff does not taste bad at all, sort of sweet and vanilla flavoured but you have to down an awful lot of it within a certain time period. That was yuk, but definitely not painful.
The staff are so good too, that I didn't even find it embarassing which I thought I would. When I had mine, the Dr examined me internally with his fingers first. Again, not at all painful and over very quickly. By the way, I did not find the sedation particularly sedating, so was fully aware of everything that went on.
Chin up and I hope all goes well.
Hi Suzanne,
Didn't think there would be any more posts on this so only just thought of checking. I felt really reassured by talking to the expert nurse. One of my worries was that I've had a lot of back pain over the past few weeks especially over the hip bones and getting that abnormal result, my mind went into overdrive thinking it was cancer and had already spread into my bones!! She reassured me that by the time a cancer, spread, a person would be experiencing real symptoms. She said it would take about 20 mins. unless they found, say polyps which had to be removed and you're given a sedative, painkiller and oxygen so i'm not worried about the procedure itself. It's scheduled for 8.45 a.m. in two weeks, well the 25th so it will be over and done with early in the day. I've got masses of paper stuff to read plus two bottles of the laxative for the day before. So now I'm going to try and put it out of my mind until the Wednesday before.
Thank you again for your interest and good wishes - it is really appreciated.
Didn't think there would be any more posts on this so only just thought of checking. I felt really reassured by talking to the expert nurse. One of my worries was that I've had a lot of back pain over the past few weeks especially over the hip bones and getting that abnormal result, my mind went into overdrive thinking it was cancer and had already spread into my bones!! She reassured me that by the time a cancer, spread, a person would be experiencing real symptoms. She said it would take about 20 mins. unless they found, say polyps which had to be removed and you're given a sedative, painkiller and oxygen so i'm not worried about the procedure itself. It's scheduled for 8.45 a.m. in two weeks, well the 25th so it will be over and done with early in the day. I've got masses of paper stuff to read plus two bottles of the laxative for the day before. So now I'm going to try and put it out of my mind until the Wednesday before.
Thank you again for your interest and good wishes - it is really appreciated.
ladyalex - thank you also for taking the time to reply and telling me of your experiences. All in all,no-one has said the actual colonoscopy is a bad experience so I'm not feeling too apprehensive about it. The nurse said to sip the laxative over about half an hour - if I drank it too quickly, I was likely to be sick. Then later in the day, repeat the drink. The downstairs loo will be mine that day!! I shall report back in two weeks.
I'm back from the hospital and it all went well. They found some haemorrhoids but they weren't bleeding and no treatment is necessary. All they could put the blood specks down to is sometimes when I floss my teeth, between two particular ones, the gum bleeds and I could have swallowed some blood. So when I repeat the test in two years, I shall not floss for a few days beforehand.
The actual procedure wasn't too bad - a bit uncomfortable when they pumped in air and felt some strong aches around my ribs.
Yesterday was by far the worse day. Drinking that vile stuff and all the water you have to have - not eating was the last thing i cared about, I was so bloated, headachey and with a foul taste in my mouth all day. I asked the nurse this morning and i could have sucked a polo or similar mint - I'll know for next time!!
Thank you again for your interest and good wishes - it certainly helped.
The actual procedure wasn't too bad - a bit uncomfortable when they pumped in air and felt some strong aches around my ribs.
Yesterday was by far the worse day. Drinking that vile stuff and all the water you have to have - not eating was the last thing i cared about, I was so bloated, headachey and with a foul taste in my mouth all day. I asked the nurse this morning and i could have sucked a polo or similar mint - I'll know for next time!!
Thank you again for your interest and good wishes - it certainly helped.
Foxlee, so pleased to read your post, I was thinking about you today. Just the results you wanted. It almost seems criminal that you and my husband went through all those weeks of stress and worry and then the discomfort of the last two days (he will never forget the taste of that solution - thanks for the tip about sucking a Polo) but for some poor souls who had the procedure done today and when he had his done, they may have been a 1/10 who had terrible news. The bowel cancer surveillance programme for that reason is valuable and important. I hope you will be celebrating with your family at the weekend. My other half felt he had been "reborn" after his good news, I am sure you feel the same! Best wishes, Suzanne.
When I think about this morning now, it all seems like a dream. The phone's been ringing like mad today and everyone is so pleased with the outcome. My older son and daughter in law (well I call her my daughter, she is so wonderful) want to take us out for a meal on Saturday and earlier in the year we had been talking about having a cottage holiday together with their little son and I put it on hold when I got that letter. Now we can talk Cornwall again!!
Yes, that solution was vile and I didn't think I could take it again in the evening, I was still so bloated. When it got to 7 pm, I thought I'd give it a go and if I brought it up again, well too bad. Somehow I kept it down. One of the bad times was waking at 2.45 this morning absolutely starving and staying awake for 2 hrs, thinking about food but you get through it.
The nurse said you could suck any thing similar to a polo without 'bits' tho' how much waste they could produce, must be minimal.
You sound like such a lovely person Suzanne and I am really touched by your concern. I send you and your husband my very best wishes and thanks. Take care.
Yes, that solution was vile and I didn't think I could take it again in the evening, I was still so bloated. When it got to 7 pm, I thought I'd give it a go and if I brought it up again, well too bad. Somehow I kept it down. One of the bad times was waking at 2.45 this morning absolutely starving and staying awake for 2 hrs, thinking about food but you get through it.
The nurse said you could suck any thing similar to a polo without 'bits' tho' how much waste they could produce, must be minimal.
You sound like such a lovely person Suzanne and I am really touched by your concern. I send you and your husband my very best wishes and thanks. Take care.
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