I make sure the timing is such that I don’t have to wake up every half an hour at night with the prep doing its thing. 
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I’ll be sleeping on the downstairs couch the next two nights so I don’t bother my husband when I have to get up.
I can’t have any solid food from 1 pm today until after the procedure, which is at 1 pm Monday. I couldn’t pick the morning because I had to reschedule my appointment and they didn’t have much available.
I’m so hard to clean out. I’m doing everything they told me to do so I hope it’s OK this time.
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I don’t mind the afternoon, as it allows you to sleep through the night. Definitely the low residue diet for a week helps, hopefully they had you do that.
Good luck!
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Thank you! Yes, I was careful this past week. Fingers crossed!
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I think this prep has been the hardest one so far. Right now I have to drink 64 ounces of Miralax/Gatorade - 8 ounces at a time, every 10 to 20 minutes. I did it yesterday and I really don’t feel like doing it now!
We went to a Gershwin musical last night - poor timing on my part, ha. The theater was an hour away. I made it OK, but it was a little uncomfortable. I won’t make that mistake again!
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Five hours before the procedure and I’m still not cleaned out sufficiently. I’m drinking the optional bottle of magnesium citrate now (boy, that’s tough to get down). I’m also drinking fluids constantly. I hope it does the trick. I have done EVERYTHING they asked me. So frustrating.
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Hopefully those last hours have the progress you need to be ready for the procedure, have it Done.
Hoping that somebody is doing research to make an easier colonoscopy prep and/or method someday. Perhaps there is a CC kid out there somewhere who will be our hero.
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This is so interesting to me, how different our bodies are and how differently they react. Last colonoscopy, the prep was Dulcolax and then a few rounds of Miralax in water. I did the special low fiber diet for two days, then one day of fasting, and then took the stuff. I was completely cleaned out after the first round of the Miralax drink. I did the second round anyway just in case.
You are so lucky!
Here’s my report:
I asked my nurse if he saw the note about my being a hard stick and asking for an experienced person and he said yes. A woman came in, and I assumed she was the pro. Uh, no. She tried two times and gave up. Then my male nurse tried twice and gave up. He called in a woman who he said had been a PACU nurse and was a pro. Good grief, why didn’t they call her in first? Why don’t they believe me, particularly after they spend five minutes even finding a vein to TRY? Ugh. Sure enough, the last person got the needle in on the first try. So final score: One try in right hand, one try in left arm, two tries in right arm, and finally success in left hand.
While I waited to go in, there were several nurses right outside the curtain having a long conversation about FOOD!! Steak, salmon, you name it. Really, I haven’t had solid food in 50 hours and you’re discussing fine dining in my hearing? It was kind of funny.
The procedure went well. I knew what was going on, but was very relaxed. The doctor said I was cleaned out well enough. He said he didn’t find any polyps, yay! He still recommends I come back in five years since he found such a big polyp the first time. So I will.
On the way home, we stopped and I ordered a large pizza. I couldn’t eat as much as I thought I would be able to, so I brought home leftovers.
A big relief, to be done with that for another five years!
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I am both annoyed and happy for you. Why don’t people listen? Ugh! But very happy that after all that, you were well cleaned out and no polyps!
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But did you make sure to avoid any processed* meat toppings (like pepperoni and ham) that show a strong association with risk of colorectal cancer?
*Processed with nitrates, nitrites, or anything containing them like celery juice powder.
Nope.
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So when the RN in the prep room said my doughnut wasn’t necessarily the best post-procedure food but some people got pizza - she was right!
Incidentally, I re-read my post procedure write up and it just says, consider repeating in 10 years. So my choice!
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Recommendation: Colorectal Cancer: Screening | United States Preventive Services Taskforce says that colorectal cancer screening should be selectively offered at age 76-85, presumably because many people do not have that much life expectancy beyond that or would not be able to handle treatment for colorectal cancer if discovered. However, those in good enough health to have a relatively long remaining life expectancy and ability to handle such treatment may want to continue screening.
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I had the same experience, in pre-op the nurses were all discussing food, with beds of us not having been able to eat in at least a day!
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H was given a colonoscopy at age 81–he did fine & hopefully it is very last one
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I posted about the colonoscopy on Facebook and told everyone not to procrastinate if they haven’t had one on schedule. Several people thanked me for the reminder.
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I’m supposed to have my last one when I’m 82, which is in seven years. I had polyps – tiny, but still – at my first two, so I’ve been on a five-year plan. Doc this last time told me the recommendation now was seven years. We’ll see what’s going on at that time.
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This is HUGE news:
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The price of $895 per Guardant Shield cfDNA blood test is also HUGE compared to FIT or even FIT-DNA (Cologuard), meaning that you can do FIT or FIT-DNA at more frequent intervals for the same cost (and insurance companies may have different frequencies that they will pay for).
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