Hi everybody I hope my experience will put your mind at rest a colonoscopy is nothing to worry about. I am a 70 year old woman referred for a colonoscopy after a bowel cancer screening kit showed blood in poo.I was terrified but I got an appointment for 6 weeks later and was permanently on Google reading all the horror stories,bad idea.My test was booked for 2.30pm on Thursday 12th May and I was told to fast from 1pm on Wednesday and mix the first litre of the dreaded Moviprep at 6-7pm and drink it over the next couple of hours. Well I decided to make it easier I just had liquid all day Wednesday and mixed the prep at 5pm and gulped half of it down through a large straw in one go followed by the second half 15 minutes later, it really did not taste bad. About an hour later I had the urge to go to the toilet, nothing too urgent and this happened 3 or 4 more times over the next couple of hours then nothing. Next morning at 6am I mixed the second litre and gulped it down the same as before and same result so was able to go back to bed after a couple of hours.

At the hospital, the staff were wonderful and I opted for no sedation,I wanted to know what was going on, they handed me gas and air but I never used it and felt no pain at all and watched the whole procedure on the monitor while the nurse beside me explained everything going on.When it was over the doctor said he had removed 5 polyps, one of which was 13mm and they would be sent to the lab for testing and I would get a letter in 2-3 weeks with results. As I'd had no sedation I was able to go straight home, stopping for fish and chips on the way, I was starving,

The first couple of weeks was stressful waiting for results but as time went on I convinced myself no news is good news and after 8 weeks I got the letter confirming the polyps were all benign but due to the size and number of them I would be recalled in a year for a follow up colonoscopy

I am now a happy woman