Anybody ever have one? My husband is going to get it done in 2 weeks. My sister in law has had cancer for half of her life, has been in remission. Just recently has gone through colon cancer, and is being treated for it. She was told it was hereditary and that my husband should be checked.
He went for his preop yesterday, they told him somebody had to be with him to drive him home.
Will he be in pain when he gets home? Or is it just discomfort
The Jazzercise teacher said she had it done in the morning, and was laying on the beach by afternoon.
I really dont know anybody else who has had it done.

By Boxzgrl on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 01:21 pm:

I don't know *too* much about it but my Dad had it done a few months ago and while he said it was extremely uncomfortable (and embarrassing, lol) it only lasted for a few hours and halfway through the day he felt like nothing ever happened. Good luck to your DH and to your SIL.

By Breann on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 01:55 pm:

My mother in law had this done a few months back. She went straight from the dr's office to the mall, lol. She said she felt completely normal after it was over. No pain at all.

By Katiesmommy on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 01:55 pm:

I am a nurse and I assisted in alot of these. They will usually give the patient something (like Valium or the like)to sort of "calm them" and the procedure takes about an hour tops. It is very uncomfortable, but once the predure is finished, they patient will feel no more discomfort but may be tired from the meds. In some cases (if a biopsy is done) there may be very slight bleeding from the rectum, but nothing significant. People feel reall good a few hours later. Its more uncomfortable and embarrassing than anything. he will do fine

By Vicki on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 02:08 pm:

Dh had one done a year or so ago now. I have no idea what they gave him to knock him out, but he was strange when he woke up!! LOL Kept asking me things like 10 times in a row and stuff like that. He had gas for an hour or so, but he was so goophy from the medicine that he didn't even care he was tooting!! LOL I was very embarrased, but the nurse acted like it was nothing. LOL I am sure she hears it all day. LOL After the medicine wore off he was fine. He said no pain or anything.

By Andi on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 02:17 pm:

My DH just had a Sygmoyostopy (SP) I think that is what it was called...anyway he had it last week and he said the preparation for it was the worst part. He said the actual procedure only took about 5 minutes but was very uncomfortable. They blow air into you so he said he felt very bloated for a few hours afterwards.

A Colonoscopy is a bit more invasive I believe and I don't know much about that, sorry!

By Trina~moderator on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 02:33 pm:

Last year my doctor gave me the option of a colonoscopy or a sigmoidoscopy followed by a barium enema. I don't handle anesthesia well so he recommended the latter. The preparation was not fun, as mentioned above. The sigmoidoscopy was embarrassing, moderately uncomfortable, but over in about 15 minutes. The barium enema, which was done later the same day, was also embarrassing and uncomfortable, but didn't take long. No meds or anesthetics were involved so I bounced back pretty quickly. Resumed my SAHM duties the very next day.

By Bellajoe on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 02:40 pm:

I have had 2 Colonoscopys. Please don't worry about discomfort. The worst part is not eating for a day and drinking that nasty stuff. The actualy procedure is nothing. They put you to sleep and you wake up and hour or so (i have no idea how long it took) later. I didn't feel any discomfort at all when i woke up. I was just sleepy for a while and really hungry! Actually, the first time i had one done, my mom I and i went to T.G.I.Fridays on the way home. Mind you, i was still a bit out of it then, but i was fine.

They found i have Crohn's disease btw.

By Karen~moderator on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 02:59 pm:

I've had one. There is NO discomfort afterwards, except for maybe a little gas. LOL

The preparation is the worst part, not eating, drinking the Go-Lightly, or taking the pills to clean you out.

You are normally given something like Demerol and Versed (I was) and you don't even remember it (I don't!).

After I went home I ate like a pig! But what a flat tummy I had for a day!

By Kay on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 03:02 pm:

My dd was the first to have a colonoscopy in the family - 4 years ago when she was 10, they found she had Crohn's Disease. I had to have my first one a couple of years ago (about age 44) - the prep was the worst part - stuff tasted nasty and I got a really bad migraine (I get them alot) and I couldn't take anything for it. I don't remember any of the procedure itself, but I definitely was not sore afterwards, just a little drugged feeling that went away by early evening.

By Debbie on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 03:15 pm:

My dh had one. He went to work that afternoon. He said there was no discomfort after his. As mentioned above, the prep. work to clean yourself out is the worst part.

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 04:46 pm:

I have had three in the past 15 years. The prep has gotten much easier to manage. The reason he cannot drive home is that he will be under short but full sedation. I had an occasional "gas" twinge after the last one, but that was the worst of it.

Absolutely, colon cancer runs in families, and he must get checked out.

By Heaventree on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 07:36 pm:

I had one years ago, they gave valum and demerol on a drip and I was wasted through the whole thing. I had no pain and really not much discomfort, it's a little embrassing but that's about it. I could not drive home however because of the drugs which took a few hours to wear off. It was really no big deal.

By Karen~moderator on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 09:06 pm:

Yea, it's pretty humiliating, IMO. After all, no one wants to think of themselves as lying there completely out of it, exposed to the world, while being.........well......invaded! ROFL

By Palmbchprincess on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 09:36 pm:

Ok, I have a question... My grandmother called a few weeks back to tell me colon polyps run in our family, and that they can be cancerous, or lead to colon cancer or something. (She had just had a colonoscopy) I didn't think twice about it until I saw this post, but at what age do you need to start worrying about this? I'm 22, so it really didn't phase me other than a "file for future reference" kind of thing.

By Kay on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 09:49 pm:

I had no family history of colon cancer that I knew of, and was advised to have my first before my 50th bday - but if you have a family history, it's good to check with your doctor. There's also that fecal test that you can do in your own home and send in (kinda gross, but if it saves some lives along the way....)

By Ginny~moderator on Saturday, February 5, 2005 - 12:05 am:

Check with your doctor, Crystal. As for the home test, recent studies have said that they miss well over half the time, maybe more. And even the quick test in the doctor's office misses at least a third of the time (That is, followup colonoscopies showed stuff the home test and doctor's office tests were "supposed" to pick up and missed. These tests mostly check for blood in the sample, and don't do the job they were intended to do from what I have read/heard in the past few months.)

Crystal and others, I don't know what the recommended age for the first colonoscopy is when you are under 50 but there is a family history or potential family history, but if it were me I'd ask my family doctor for a referral to a gastro-intestinal specialist and go over your family/relative's history with him/her. I had my first at age 50 and at that time the recommended followup was 5-7 years, so that is what I did. Your family doc may not be as up-to-date on guidelines and indicators for earlier colonoscopy as a GI doc, or on current recommendations for frequency. My GI doc told me, after the last one, that the next one would be in 10 years. Each time you come up "clean" the time span is extended, except when there is a family history, as for Jackie's husband, when a more frequent interval may be appropriate.

A dear friend's brother changed family docs when his first doc died and when the new doc learned that his mother had died of colon cancer and he had never been thoroughly checked, sent him for an immediate colonoscopy and, yes, he had early stage colon cancer which was successfully removed with surgery and followup chemo.

As for the sigmoidoscopy, that only checks the lower bowel and everything I have read says that the current recommendations are against that and doing a full colonoscopy (entire bowel) instead, unless, as in Trina's case, there is a good reason to not undergo anesthesia. The prep is the same either way, as the point of the prep is to have a clean bowel for examination.

I have had two friends who had surgery within the past few years for colon cancer. One had a family history and had colonoscopies every 5 years and still got colon cancer which had invaded and broken through the bowel wall by the time it was detected. The other had no family history and was just doing the recommended intervals but still had a serious case of colon cancer. Both had chemo, and both came up clean in the 1 and 2 year colonoscopies afterwards. One has since died of other causes; the second came up clean on her 3 year colonoscopy.

The thing about colon cancer is that it is slow moving and if detected early can be completely dealt with, unlike some other kinds of cancer.

By Kaye on Saturday, February 5, 2005 - 09:56 am:

I have ulcerative colitis (which is like crohns but different intestine involved). I am a very modest person, the idea of this was frightening. They want someone to drive him home because they do put you under. They pretty much go in take care of business, then send you home as soon as you wake. I was only at the hospital for a few hours. But once the drug wore off I was fine.

The very worst part is the prep. UGH. Wet wipes will be his friend. Going potty so much is just really irriating to your bottom. So buy the wipes or some tucks pads.

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, February 5, 2005 - 10:28 am:

Hubby wasn't in pain when he came home, but he got nauseated from the sedation meds, so that was his biggest problem. He was kind of dopy that night, too. He said the prep was the worst part.

By Hol on Monday, February 7, 2005 - 12:52 pm:

I have to get colonoscopies every four years because my Mom had colon cancer, and ended up losing a section of her colon. In fact, I'm due for one in March.

I have a wonderful gastroenterologist. She is very kind. Don't be embarrassed. They see so many butts! LOL! My doctor goes to my church, and has scoped about half the congregation, including the pastor and his wife! Doctors are professionals. It's just their job.

I don't even mind the prep. You just stay real close to the bathroom all day, the day before. My doc uses Fleet Phospho-Soda. Two bottles. It acts like Drano! About twenty minutes after drinking it, the rumbling starts. You can have clear liquids. I stock up on ginger ale, low fat chicken broth (the salt keeps your electrolytes up, so that you don't feel faint or get heart palpitations),Jello and popsicles (any color but red or purple. Looks like blood inside you). I view it as a fasting day, which the Bible says we should all do. And, the Lord knows, I could use a day with few calories! LOL!

Yes, your bum gets a little sore, but a Vaseline helps a lot.

The procedure itself is nothing. They give you drugs, and when you wake up you have totally lost track of time. You don't remember a thing. And, no, you can't drive home. I've never had any post procedure pain. It takes about forty five minutes to an hour.
My last one, I had two pre-cancerous polyps, so I do as I'm instructed. A little inconvenience is better than getting colon cancer.

By Lauram on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 - 09:16 am:

The prep is AWFUL. I had a very rough time with it. I actually wore a diaper (one of my son's) on the way to the procedure because I was worried I wouldn't make it. I barely did. The procedure is fine. Afterwards, I just slept alot.