Colonoscopy pep talk - What it's like Knowing the scope of things Got the jitters about having a colonoscopy? You’re not alone. The idea of going through the exam can be rather unsettling—even though you know it’s for your own good. The truth is, most people say it’s not nearly as terrible as they expected, and that the anticipation is worse than the exam itself. To help settle your nerves a bit, we’ve put together a description of what it’s like to undergo and prepare for the procedure. In the end, we hope you see there’s really nothing to fear. What to expect during a colonoscopy What to expect during the preparation

“I can honestly say this exam is really nothing to fear or worry about. It’s painless.” -Roslyn Moskowitz, 67 years old My own experience went like this... To help others better picture what it’s like to have a colonoscopy, and alleviate some fears, please tell us your story.

What to expect during a colonoscopy
Once you arrive at our center, a nurse greets you, asks you to sign a consent form, and shows you where to change into a hospital gown.  

The nurse then brings you to a private colonoscopy room and places nasal oxygen and several monitoring devices on your body. This equipment lets us monitor your heartbeat, blood pressure, and blood oxygen level during the colonoscopy. Don't get alarmed. This is routine for all colonoscopy patients. You’re then hooked up to an intravenous (IV) line.  

Next, the doctor meets with you to answer any of your questions. Once you're ready, the doctor then administers pain relievers and a sedative through the IV. The sedative brings you into a state called "conscious sedation." This is not like general anesthesia, where you’re unconscious, but a pleasant, sleepy, relaxed dreamlike state in which you don’t feel a thing.

Receiving the sedative is often the last you remember. The drug leaves you with little or no memory of what happens next, which is the procedure itself.

While you’re in this relaxed, sleepy state, the doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube, about the size of a finger, into your rectum and gently eases it into your large colon. The tube is equipped with a tiny video camera that sends clear pictures to a TV monitor, letting the doctor see signs of cancer or polyps. Air is inflated into your cleaned-out colon (see Colonoscopy Preparation) so it holds its normal size, helping the doctor get the best view of what’s inside.

The doctor removes any small polyps, because they could eventually become cancerous. If your doctor sees a large polyp or tumor or anything abnormal, a biopsy is done. For the biopsy, a small piece of tissue is taken from your colon. It's sent to a lab to be checked under a microscope for cancerous cells. Having a biopsy is painless, because the inner lining of the colon has no pain receptor nerves.

The colonoscopy exam itself usually takes 10 to 20 minutes. If the doctor needs to remove polyps or take a biopsy, it might take 45 minutes. But then again, you’re under sedation so time passes quickly.

After the exam, you’re taken to one of our state-of-the-art recovery rooms where you wake up. There your IV is removed, and you’re watched and given fluids. Most people feel OK after waking up. Some feel a bit woozy and have a dry mouth. You may have some gas, which could cause mild discomfort that gradually wears off.

As a last step, your doctor visits with you, describes how the exam went, and gives you instructions to follow upon returning home. Results of biopsies will be available to you in 10 days.

The total time you’re at our center is 1-2 hours. Basically, you get up and walk out.  But, because of the wooziness from sedation, you need someone to drive you home. In fact, you should avoid driving and going to work the rest of the day. It might be helpful to have someone stay with you six hours following the exam.

What to expect during the preparation
For a colonoscopy, you need to clear your colon of all obstructions--and we do mean all obstructions. Which means you spend the day and evening before the exam cleansing your colon.

Your colon cleansing experience will depend upon the type of preparation your doctor prescribes. (See Colonoscopy Preparation below.) Still, the day before the exam you can expect to:

• Avoid eating solid foods and milk products. Exactly when you must start avoiding solids will depend upon the type of preparation your doctor prescribes and whether you'll be having a morning or afternoon procedure.

• Consume a liquid diet consisting of any CLEAR liquid--except things with red or purple in them. A clear liquid diet consists of foods or drinks you can literally “see through." In other words, you can have apple or white grape (no orange or grape juice), clear soup broth, coffee, 7-Up, ginger ale, gelatin (but no red or purple), popsicles (but no red or purple), Gatorade (but no red or purple), and all the water you want.

• Drink lots of fluids. The key to a successful preparation is drinking plenty of clear liquids to flush the bowel.

• STOP taking anything by mouth three (3) hours before your colonoscopy appointment.

For detailed instructions on how to prepare for a colonoscopy, see Colonoscopy Prep Instructions.

People often say that the preparation is “the worst” part of a colonoscopy. But they also add that a day of limited eating and an evening in the bathroom are a small price to pay to save their life.

"Cancer" has to be one of the scariest words in the English language.

Colonoscopy Preparation
The following laxative solutions are commonly used to prepare for a colonoscopy.

PEG lavage prep (GoLytely, NuLytely and CoLyte), which is a one-gallon liquid solution. Some come pre-flavored. Golytely is unflavored but you may add to it one or two packets of Crystal Light Lemonade-Flavored Soft Drink Mix to help the taste.