Adouglas 

Hi Adouglas just read your post and wanted to put your mind at rest And answer some of your questions.,as ive had 39 Colonoscopy' procedure s .

Firstly the procedure doesn't hurt itself,it is just a bit uncomfortable  as the camera goes through the bowel,but no pain,I always have sedation though as I am not brave enough not to,but I know some people on here have posted that they don't have sedation and are ok,but personally I get to wound up and I find it helps me to relax, which is a good thing,whilst having the procedure.

The sedation doesn't put you out,you are still aware of evertything ,you can still talk and look at the procedure beung done on the screen.

If there are any polyps, they are taken away, and you don't even feel a thing,it doesn't hurt.

The time it takes depends if they are only lookung at the Lowe bowel, or the whole bowel.

After the procedure you are put in recovery, and  your observations are taken ,your blood pressure . Then you are told you can get dressed,and then you are given a cup.of tea and sometimes a biscuit. 

The usualy come and talk things through with you about your procedure,if thry have found anything, what they have done if they did,( if it was polyps taken away, they will tell you etc) .

You will be given a sheet which will explain evetything that has been done, and it will tell you evertything you need to know at thst point in time.

Sometimes you get a follow up letter , an an appointment, if needed. 

Please don't worry ,as I said " I've had 39 and lived to tell the tail lol,you will be well looked after ,and evertything will be talked through and explained beforehand,when you sign the consent form. 

The only thing I will say which isn't pleasent is the prep you have to take befire,you will be sent all the information and prep through the post and going to the toilet  as much as you do,to clear your bowels does make your rectum sore,so use some nappy cream like bepanrham  or any nappy cream ,chemist is usualy good at advising you with one's are the best. 

Good luck with evetything, I'm sure you will be fine, hope this has helped .

Hi [@Jassoscared]‍ . Just wanted to say thank you for your helpful post. I'm having my first colonoscopy on Friday and your advice has been really reassuring about what the procedure will entail.

take care, L 

x

Hi [@Jassoscared]‍ . Just wanted to say thank you for your helpful post. I'm having my first colonoscopy on Friday and your advice has been really reassuring about what the procedure will entail.

take care, L 

x

Hi AnonLF  thankyou for your reply, I'm so glad it helped you,  and hope everything is OK.

Always here if you need to talk .

This is in response to jassoscared. I have had a few colonosopies myself. three weeks ago I had a flexi sigmoid on the lower bowel. I did not have anything as I never really felt any pain from previous camera investigations. it did detect one large polyp and a smaller one a little further up. Because the large polyp was on a bend in the lower colon. it was decided to do a full colonoscopy,  Because if I had two polyps, the likelyhood was there were going to be more. the flxi lower bowel was very painful and not a walk in the park as I was expecting.Last Saturday I was admitted to hospital with a high temp. and a very painful stomach. I was treated for the initail  temp and painful stomach on my right side. While I was given antibiotics They said they would bring my colonoscopy forward. I am diabetic type 2. this is relevant because the hospital started to alter my insulin by half from what I was origanally taking. I had been sent a different type of prep powder. as the other stuff I had I just kept throwing up.  My lad brought the powders to the hospital. so began to drink the first batch liquid. fine no problem. waited half an hour before drinking the second batch. drank it all. but then began to vomit it back up.

The combination of fasting for twelve hours and my diabetes medicines cut by half. I had four hypos while I spent 6 days in the hospital. some nursing staff were new to the job having just qualified, so were on the late shifts. I got the impression they were not skilled enough to deal with my hypos. instead of helping they stood and watched not knowing what to do. So morning of the camera. I said if anything ever needs removing meaning polyps. I said take them out, as this was going to be my last ever colonoscopy I'm ever having. I did take sedation and because I was so tired from the hypos I was practically falling a sleep through the whole procedure. I was given a CT scan which brought to light my painfull right side. I had some gall stones present in my gallbladder. So all in all my NHS experience wasn't a pleasent one. I'm due to have a phone assessment. I'm just worried that with the hypos I had will go against me when they read my hospital report. should Birmingham rule I'm not fit to undergo  any potentail liver transplant.

The hospital I'm under now the liver specailist had told me I would have 1 to 2 years  life span without any intervention.  Now I'm back home I'm in control of my own medications. so far no signs of any more hypos.

Blobs

Hi Blobs ,I'm sorry you had bad experience with your Colonoscopy, and the prep made you throw up. Uve always had full bowel Colonoscopys and when polyps were found they don't ask me ,they just take them away. 

One polyp waa a flat sessile polyp, which I has to go back and have it taken away cut into five sections, dye had to be inserted into polyp first as they needed to see the sessile polyp as they were curring sections of it awsy,because it was flat to the bowel wall. It contained  pre cancerous cells, nit actually cancer,but cells waiting to turn into cancee,so my surgeon decided to take the right-side of my bowrl away  ,my appendix and small.part of my intestines.   

I also have gallstones ,so I know how painfull they can be. I do hope you don't need any more Colonoscopys,I have to have them for the rest if my life. But id rather that, to be check everything is OK.

I do hope your feeling much better now.