Had the opposite effect on me. I almost collapsed at seeing the MRI imaging with the bright white spot, that I knew was a tumour, but after the doctor said it could be cancerous, I listened intently after that. People are still confused about the amount of medical terminology I can repeat back 15yrs later and cancer free. I do realise this is not the norm though. My brain just wants as much info on pretty much everything and anything in normal circumstances, so when it was something that serious, it was razor sharp. I had the breakdown later, ironically, after completing treatment.
Thanks to Crohn's disease, I got to experience four of these before I was old enough to drink. Around the second, my friend's mother told me that she finally got the guts to get a colonoscopy because "If a 14 year old can do it, what's my excuse?" It may have saved her life.
I had 5 endoscopies before I was 4 years old, yet some adults complain about the TASTE of the drink? Because of my health issues I couldn't have any children's medications, just the adult ones. I could dry swallow pills before I was three. The taste of Prednisone is better than the taste of many powdered medications I had to have. My infancy and early childhood taught me some very important things. The biggest one being that dying from cancer is more pleasant than dealing with doctors while dying from cancer. ... though most adults are better at handling possible death than an infant who has only experienced pain and suffering and grows up believing that pain, not a pulse, is the sign of life.
Similar situation here lol. I've had well over a dozen colonoscopies and my mom had to also do her first and one and only and she was like oh God I can't eat and I have to do what? I also have a weird rare condition that causes issues Everytime I take prep to where my abdomen is in excruciating pain, so I tried to reassure her that hers should be very smooth sailing comparatively.
I laughed way harder than I should have. It made me think of my ex husband’s father. Dad heard none of this script when it was spoken to him. He said later that it all had too many syllables and it sounded like Charlie Browns teacher… so he just nodded and agreed with the doc, and he wasn’t quite ready for the whole experience. He later saying things like “I s••t a screaming worm when they gave me that stuff to drink” and “Inserts and canals and blah blah blah and not one time did he say he was going to stick things up my hinder hole.” When I explained, he asked, “Why didn’t he just say that? Can doctors not use the word butt? Are they under contract? How about ass? Can they say that?” He also had prostate cancer. We lost him 3 years later, but not before he told every single friend he had to get in there and get their colonoscopy like their lives depended on it, because it might. He was a good guy, and I still miss him. (Thank you for letting me ramble! I must have needed it.) Good show, as always!
Yep, as a chronic patient I can confirm. Though I get a lot of misunderstanding in the other direction, because apparently they don't expect patients to use medical lingo correctly. Nothing like telling a nurse "Anywhere but my AC" only to get an "explanation" that "the elbow is the least ouchy bit".
@@Tbird761 my doctor told me I can’t take a low volume prep. I don’t understand why, they just said it has something to do with my kidneys 🤷🏼♀️ luckily it’s not a regular occurrence
@@kelseymahoney3673 If you brush your teeth beforehand and brush frequently throughout it cuts the saltiness. The saltiness is what made me want to puke but toothpaste masked all of the flavor. It made it significantly easier to drink.
I had to prep my dog for a scope recently. This dog has never met a food he didn't like, and I dissolved the powder in warm chicken broth just to be safe. The idiot wouldn't touch it. Wound up having to scoop it up in my palm and hand feed it to him, lol. Good news, no cancer. But I'm pretty sure he believes the rusty knife bit 😅
I used to type colonoscopies (and all kinds of other transcription). The two standouts here would be an Italian GI who would always say "Then we made a stabba woond" instead of incision. The other was a patient who got up on all fours on the table in the middle of the procedure. Wasn't too happy with the goings-on, I gather.
I get yearly colonoscopies (YAY PSC +IBD). The most amusing thing my GI doc asked me was is it OK if we do yearly colonoscopies because he had his first one and the prep was really awful. He just wanted to make sure the prep wasn't stopping me from getting them. Once you get past the prep that dull rusty knife ain't a thing at all.
I had to have a colonoscopy as a ternager. My doctor said I had the most beautiful and healthy colon he'd seen despite me stomach ulcers. Lol I put an 8" x 10" photo of my colon on the fridge. Mom was not happy.
@@catherinebirch2399yes, but it also doesn’t sit well in the stomach, particularly if you also have stomach issues. I went in for an abdominal ct scan due to some vomiting and diarrhea issues and because I have a family history of rare chemo resistant GI cancer, I fasted the day before, but still had to drink a bunch of PEG which is slightly thicker than water and has a wonky taste. I could barely get one cup down and I was supposed to drink three tall ones. Just didn’t happen. Doesn’t help I’m also the size of a 10 year old and they were using adult portions (4’8, less than 90 pounds) lol. They still got good enough pictures despite me nearly vomiting everything of that one small cup back. Thankfully no cancer, just cyclic vomiting syndrome…
For my colonoscopies I had the “Gatorade” prep (that’s what they called it). A bottle of Gatorade with a bottle of Miralax. Tasted just like the Gatorade and not bad at all. Last time they added 4 Ducolax pills which means you stay close to the toilet for 30 minutes. It was divided into two doses of the Miralax. The last dose was near morning. Then the anesthesia was different. This time I was totally asleep. It was no big deal and the prep was not bad at all. I just sat on the toilet and binged watched a TV show. It was over before the tv shows were finished. No reason to put this off.
I could have written the exact same thing, except for watching TV on the toilet. I played a logic game on my phone. Easy and really not unpleasant at all. PEOPLE: If you need a colonoscopy, get one! It's not horrible and is actually a little bit interesting.
Uh....I had one when I was 50 About to turn 60, so they will want to do it again. But....the problem is, I know what it's like now. So I will put it off.
Honestly, the Golite ( sic) stuff I got last time wasn’t the worst thing ever. It’s a little slimy but if you just concentrate it goes down not terribly. Seriously, I had a bleed in my colon and I was kinda terrified. Sucking down the snail snot was the least of my worries. Turned out to be small, they took care of it quickly, and I was better in just a few hours.
Rip to all the RNs who have to prep the patient... One of my patient just could not make it to the commode on time.. EVERYTIME!!! The poor housekeeper.
Heh. Having crohn's, and thus several colonoscopies before I was 40, I had the distinct pleasure of giving my dad (now in his 80s) advice on dealing with his first. I'll give the same to anyone. The picosulfate? Don't bother chilling or doing anything fancy with it. It's going to be the worst thing you have ever put in your mouth in your life (and I've had cement mixer shots). Just gulp it down as directed. Find an approved colored (very important, they need something that won't look like blood in your colon) drink with some sugar in it (IIRC, lemon gatorade/powerade is best) to keep your electrolytes up until you can only drink water. When you can only drink water-drink lots of water. The laxative will cause you to dehydrate. Talk with a GI nurse or your doc about what you can and can't do before the surgery and when, and make sure to take at least two books to read on the day (even if you get scheduled early, yours is a non-emergency operation, and you will be shoved further and further down the list if it is a busy day. Oh, and when you start taking picosulfate, you are going to want to be near a toilet for the rest of your awake time. Make sure everyone in your household knows that if you are running for the WC, you need priority.
@@LeonardoArchiperhaps you can buy a nasogastric tube and guide it through your nose into your stomach directly, and then just inject the fluid directly into your stomach, bypassing the mouth (and thus avoiding the taste). But placing it is going to be upleasant...
You forgot to mention the fear of the financial burden. Taking multiple days off in a row is a problem for many workers. Both a financial problem as well as a job stability problem making your next employee review look bad due to attendance issues.
Yes you need to mention that. If you haven't had a colonoscopy before that in itself is not that bad. You go into Twilight sleep & you are none the wiser.
Depending on your age the false positive rate can be high as 10%. Even if there is a polyp if it's precancerous they can remove it on the spot and you're done! I've had 5 colonoscopies and 2 precancerous polyps removed, the first 1 was 20 years ago.
There are lots of reasons it could be positive. Mine had blood in it yet no cancer. Try not to worry According to the website I just read there are alot of false positives. Talk to the doctor and get your colonoscopy.
After years of doctors telling us there will be "pressure" or "a pinch" followed by terrible pain... Yeah, we're going to assume you're downplaying everything to the extreme.
The first out of two drinks was easy it kind of reminded me of dextro energy in liquid form. Went down easily, worked and stopped. The second out of the two oh lord. It suddenly tasted like saltwater and my body was rejecting it as hard as it could. The moment id get it down, i would projectile vomit it out. The trick i found is to not drink the clear water you re supposed to drink during the prep, but afterwards instead. A full stomach with water for me is way more prone to vomiting than drinking little sips and gagging. I had to do it to rule out GI issues for my other health issues. I never in my life had GI issues, thank god. So for me the prep was indeed a whole new level of experience. And it made me appreciate my good GI health even more, and sympathize with ppl with GI issues even more. The prep was def the worst, following by anxiety prior to the prep. I kind of wish they wouldnt have left me wait 1h in the room prior to the endoscopy and colonoscopy; the moment i had the sleep inducing drug in it was all good. But prior to that as someone with SA trauma it was extremelly stressful. I didnt want to be unconcious and having stuff shoved up in me, it was a very re-traumatizing thought to have spiral in your mind as you wait for them to finally knock you out.
I interpret for a hospital, and I’ve interpreted soooo many colonoscopy procedures and honestly they are so chill. You get a nice propofol nap then you wake up and get snacks.
I once had a situation like this. The neurosurgeon's resident was trying to explain the proceedure in layman's terms, and I stopped her and finished the explaination in proper medical terms saying I understood. The neurologist whipped around and asked if I was or had been in the medical field. When I said yes, he told the resident to leave because he believed I understood well enough. 😂 But some people, some people sure do hear a whole different conversation than the one that's actually happening.
They said: "itll be completely safe! Nothing will happen to you. Dont worry! In the history of this hospital there's only been 1 complication!" What actually happened: Woke up in a complete state of shock, was shaking terribly and i shot up and started screaming nonstop over and over and clutching my stomach. I looked pregnant. The nurses kept trying to calm me down saying " its only the gas honey! Its just gas you gotta pass!" I kept yelling "something wrong! Help!" My mom was terrified she kept trying to calm me down and was concerned. I had these done all my life since i was a wee child. Never have i ever woken up in such severe pain. I couldnt stop hollering. They ran to get morphine....it didnt work. More and more nothing. They switched to dilaudid. NOTHING! They gave me another dose and at this point i was in and out. I remember all the nurses calmed down and said "shes ok now. See its just the gas." Then my favorite nurse...who practically raised me said "no. No. No. Shes not ok look! Her mom keeps putting her legs down but she brings them back up. Shes guarding. I have to page the team." My pedi GI team came. They ordered xrays. Turns out it was a major bowel perf, had to be rushed to emergency surge. Once there, the surgeons told me all my options. She kept trying to shake me awake. She said, "One we can do this laparscopically, 2 we can give you an ostomy-" As soon as i heard that, i started screaming even louder and panicking, "Not another ostomy NOOO! PLEASE!" She said it's not up to you at this point. We have to save you. Or 3 a laparotomy." Went under...woke up in ICU. Hooked up to so many tubes. Couldn't speak. Turn my head to the right to see my mom standing there crying, saying she loved me. The doctor walks in Creeps up to me and says the following "im so sorry this happened to you.please understand me. Please understand me...i was trying to get through the procedure as fast as possible because i have a very important flight this evening that i cannot miss. Im truly sorry. Hope you understand." I was soo hurt by it all i could do was let some tears roll and turn my head to the left. Ended up with a laparotomy. The cut was from belly button all the way down. They had tried laparascopics first and the whole was just too large. Thank God the surgeons took my pleas and spared me the ostomy. Later on in recovery in icu, my favorite nurse came to tell me the truth. She said the doctor was demonstrating to her students how to do the procedure, and the nurse realized the doctor was going into a part of my bowel super inflammed. The nurse told the doctor, "Doctor i don't think you should continue." In that moment, she turned to the nurse and shouted."im sorry, whose the doctor here?! Is it you? How dare you interrupt me while im teaching my students?! Get out! Get her out of here now!" They escorted her out. I... was livid about this. Imagine i was a teen at the time. No one guided me on how to sue or anything, and she retired in less than a month. Now i live with permanent damage, constant motility issues in the area, keloids, and scar tissue. Keep having to correct bowel obstructions in the area...its hard. She got to retire happily, and im left suffering, trying to survive for my children from the complications. It's tough. 💔
For my second colonoscopy, I just did a general liquid diet 2 days before and clear liquid the day before. I took some Mg citrate in apple juice (good) the night before. Didn't do any of the usual prep crap with a gallon of the stuff and the pills, etc. When the doc asked whether I had done all of the prep, I lied. Afterward I asked the doc whether my prep was good. He said it was really excellent and I had done a good job. Then I told him. This isn't any sort of medical advice. What works for me might not for you. But published alternatives do exist.
After having an absolutely wretched first colonoscopy where I cried throughout the entire thing and then ran out of the building blacked out repeatedly yelling “how could you do that to me” my instructions at the beginning go a little like this now “You are giving consent now and we will not stop no matter what you say after we give you the meds”
@@ceciliapetrowsky2572 Unfortunately no I wasn’t. I have to do them with propofol now. Although after what happened with the first I have crippling ptsd and am terrified of gastroenterologists. My last EGD I had such a bad panic attack the nurse cried.
The colonoscopy itself isn't a big deal, like the actual procedure. The prep drink however, is absolutely revolting. Everyone advised me to drink it through a straw, "because then don't really taste it". LIARS. The first mouthful almost ended up all over the place, cause I dang near threw up. I found the only way I could get the solution down was to act like a child and pinch my nose while I chugged it. It doesn't help that there are 4 liters to get through. I didn't even mind the toileting portion of the prep. It's the prep solution that is the problem. You'd think with how far we have advanced in food science that they could figure out something better.
Hey, I've had this procedure done quite a few times, IT'S NOT THAT BAD! Don't be scaring guys to have this procedure done. Unfortunately it's a necessary evil. Might even save you future pain and discomfort in the future!!
I had that last week. The prep was better than it used to be, and for the actual procedure, I had not idea what happened. However, since my appointment was in the afternoon, I was really hungry when it was over, and I went straight to a place to eat.
Two for the price of one sedation - I've done this a couple time now. First time, it was a last minute decision to add the endoscopy on my scheduled colonoscopy day. The nurse assured that they would do the 'clean' procedure first, before moving on to the 'dirty'. 😂
@Arkelk2010 lol yeah I have to do the liquid diet for 2 days instead of one and it's the prep that's making me stressed, but I'm sure the procedure will be easy. Just want to get it over with and get some answers
@@iwanttoridemybike2224 That's funny. I hadn't even thought of that. Although as I was going under they seemed to to focusing on the "clean" end first.
@@shelbylucero3460 My suggestion is to plan on not leaving the house from the time you take your first dose (even though it'll take something like an hour or two until it takes effect) until your ride picks you up to go to the doctor's office. Also, within the range of what you can take, choose your favorites--a little pampering, as it were. And, of course, if you are religious, prayer is helpful/comforting. I prayed for me to relax at test time and for the doctor to find what he was supposed to (if anything). Best wishes that all goes well.
I'll take your advice. Although can I still take probiotic supplements like ultra strength probiotic 10, should I drink another glass of water thirty minutes after the one with the ppi when I start eating, or should I save it for when I drink with my lunch?
I was drinking that prep before hand and with every flavor i love having red food dye in it, making it a no no for the prep, i had to put a different flavor in that i could tolerate. Couldn't even finish the first cup because i was starting to vomit it up instead. My body refused to accept the prep so I had to cancel it. xP
@forumkitty yeah it's not fun. Idk if "vomiting it up" is the correct way to phrase it. More like rejecting it and not letting me swallow it in the slightest.
@forumkitty oh trust me, I get that phobia. I can't handle listening to it, watching it happen, smell it or even taste the attempt. I come real close to vomiting myself if I'm around any of that. 🤢 I'm grateful that my sense of smell is weak enough that it needs to be really strong or in my face.
It wasn't *that* bad when I had a colonoscopy, but it comes quite close.😂 Just kidding. I had an awesome doc who was very patient, answered all my questions and even showed me the OR and the instruments. That calmed me down a lot. Drinking the liquid was really the worst part. I had agreed with my doc I could step back from the procedure any time if it would exhaust me too much. (For reasons I don't wanna share.) But dang, when I finally had managed to drink the liquid I was like "whatever will happen I'll go with it and push that through. I definitely will *not* drink that stuff again, if I can avoid it." I guess, my doc foresaw this. 😂
i don't really know if people in there head _hear_ that the laxative tastes like motor oil mixed with gatorade, but the level to which that description is accurate is astonishing and cursed.
You forgot “this will turn you gay.” I’m not a doc but so many straight guys I know say this to me when they are prepping for their colonoscopy. “Well I guess I’m going to be playing for your team after tomorrow. Hahahahaha.” Yeah, pretty sure that’s not how that works, and also that’s a little homophobic, and I’ve heard about 100 times already. You also forgot “this is the worst procedure you will ever have in your entire life.” Honestly I would take a colonoscopy over dental work any day, but maybe it is an autism thing and I just don’t like stuff in or near my mouth.
Huh? No, it's just the harsh painful overkill prep. I had one at 50, and I'm turning 60 so I'm due again. But I'm putting off this next one. After you find how bad something is, it makes it difficult to do it again.
I have some nerve damage in my GI track, so it takes my colon longer to clean out...I have to do a two day prep. Not just one day of drinking that stuff, repeat the following day. Loads of fun...not!
I got to do this in like two weeks because of rectal bleeding concerns. Ive lived with IBS and all that but this has been concerning and ive been having stomach pain when i bleed the most too. I have POTS so i need extra salt and again, IBS so familiar with stomach issues. I am terrified i will get explosive 💩. Im not even started on fearing anything going up there yet. That will hit probably an hour before the procedure.... Im 28, btw. Im too young for this 😅 im just hoping its nothing that would make me have to stop NSAIDs cuz i have multiple conditions that cause inflammation that my naproxen manages.
I don’t know if they practice on each other but the doctor that did mine told me he had done them on some of my other doctors and they would tell me he did colonoscopies on them.
We need more walk-in bloodwork hematology labs where you can order and pay for the tests and results you want without a primary care doctor. For really suffering patients, Primary care is pretty much useless and expensive.
Yeah, I hear ya. Medical stuff aims for overkill. I know everything needs to be emptied out...but I only weigh 150 pounds. That was enough laxative to clean out an 1000 pound elephant! The internal pain caused by the massive laxative dose and the external pain of inflamed skin from constant pooping even though there's nothing left to poop..... Don't know if I'll have another one.
“ I will never, ever, have another colonoscopy as long as I live “ Lol, as if that’s up to you 😂. Good luck with that mentally buddy, your health is not something you nor anyone have control over.
@@YesNoMaybe-kp7px huh? You say it's not up to him? Yes, he does have control over this health procedure. They will not kidnap you and force you to have the procedure. It most certainly is up to him.
@YesNoMaybe-kp7px sure I do. Last I checked, nobody is even required to see a doctor, at all. But because I am reasonable. I voluntarily had a screening test which was 100% normal. 💯 Most colon cancers take 10 years to develop, and longer than that to be life threatening. I'm done. No history, 100% clean screening. Done. Done. Done. I think the prep would put me in the hospital! Lol. Good luck to the poor souls with polyps and diverticulae! I am glad these tests sometimes save lives, but mostly, they just cause more procedures to be done.
@@langreeves6419 Yes that’s what I said, you passed the “ I can read and therefore I am not a dumb ass test “. Quite frankly nobody is in control over his or her own health. There are people that do the whole “ health lifestyle “ 9 yard and still end up getting cancer, buddy. Those that thought that they were doing well and suddenly a disease pops up which they didn’t see coming. That’s called life and those like you who think they do have CONTROL over it are just in denial on how the world works, as humans we have little control over the outcome and circumstances of our lives, things sometimes just happen out of the blue. Keep on dreaming that you are able too maintain your health, which you have no control over. 😉
My advice: hydrate well at least 48hrs before you start the prep. That stuff is nasty and will leave you so dehydrated you'll feel like the Sahara but won't be allowed to drink
The prepping was definitely the hardest part, especially living 30 minutes away from the facility and ready to sit on the pot when I got to the hospital. 😂 Glad I went because I had polyps removed.
I heard EVERY Word As All The Doctors ran Around Like The Three Stooges making arrangements (Finally) for surgery. I Had been telling them for Almost a year to cut it out but they kept saying we can’t prove it’s Cancer I don’t care if it’s Cancer or Not
What? No one is into this stuff...have you had one? I mean I have heard of people taking laxatives to lose weight, but I doubt they take the MASSIVE dose you get for a colonoscopy. And even then, I don't think they're taking laxatives for the fun of it, they're wanting to be skinny, not be on the commode in pain.
Often times, seeing a shadow on a scan is what prompts us to want to do investigative surgery bcos we think it might be a polyp. Cos, as the doc says, they can be cancerous. Of course, there are other symptoms that might indicate the need for investigative surgery + certain blood results etc
Ok, the video started lacking entertainment value as soon as the fake Southern accent came along with the “stupidity” of what the patient hears. I can absolutely laugh at myself, but this wide spread fallacy of a Southern accent equating to being stupid, backwards in beliefs or modern practices, and intolerant of those different to us. As a doctor, you should definitely know better. Thank you for your attention to this matter. From an Alabama native with a Master’s degree and who is a former member of MENSA.
It is hard to rise above the "accented" definition but worth it if we who have a stronger accent can feel pity for those without who try to ridicule us
Skits are funny, but I unsubscribed because seems you mock the patients position. After being gaslighted, blown off, and billed for "nothing new" visits, I'm done being a "come back in 6 months" customer.
