Colonoscopy - The Day Of

So guess what? I'm back already! When people said that the actual colonoscopy procedure itself is easy peasy, they weren't lying.

This morning, the last litre of prep I had to drink was God awful. I won't lie about that. It was a struggle drinking it all down (but, I was so proud of myself when I finished.) There was such satisfaction in checking off each little glass on the sheet I was provided, that indicated, yep, I'm a good girl and I drank all my medicine. :P

My mom drove me to the Endoscopy/Colonoscopy clinic. I was incredibly nervous, and my heart was beating a mile a minute. Having never been put to sleep, received an IV, or had a HUGE TUBE SHOVED UP MY BUM was kind of stressing me out.

A serious concern - thankfully, averted.

When I got to the clinic, all my nerves vanished. Everyone was incredibly kind and supportive, and I never felt confused or worried about anything. Once I filled out a form, I was guided into a room where I changed into the MOST fashionable blue hospital gown (they're all the rage, I swear) that had a back opening. I was allowed to keep on my bra and socks, but that's about it.

A really kind lady then escorted me to a bed, where she put in my IV. Slight pinch, but nothing horrible. My blood pressure was taken, I met with the man who was going to put me to sleep, and then I was wheeled into the operating room. I met my doctor, who was super friendly and answered all questions I had. Oxygen was placed into my nose, and the sleep medicine (it was Propofol - the same kind Michael Jackson used. Oy) slowly went into my arm. I felt a bit of a tingling/burning sensation and... that's the last thing I remember.

Next thing I know, a nurse is calling my name. I woke up in a little recovery section (I guess I was wheeled there?) and my nurse was all smiles - always a good sign! She told me that my colonoscopy went great. No polyps, no indication of Crohn's Disease, and NO CANCER! Phew. All my anxiety about that dreaded "C" word finally blew right out of me. Or was that gas? It might have been gas. You're REALLY gassy after that procedure :P

The doctor did biopsy several sections of my large and small intestine, just to be safe, and I'll receive those results in four weeks when I go in for a follow-up meeting with him. In the meantime, I've been diagnosed with having Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which is easily managed by maintaining a healthy diet and not stressing out so much. I was also given a prescription for pro-biotic pills, just to maintain a good balance in my colon.

I'm surprised I didn't feel groggy or dizzy, or... really anything but gassy after that test. Some abdominal cramping, but nothing serious at all. In fact, I felt better rested than I have in a long while! I even joked that being put out was the best sleep I've had all week!

The moral of my story here is that, if you suspect you have an issue, don't be scared to have it checked out. Chances are, it's nothing as serious as you think. And if it is, the faster you catch it, the more effectively you can treat it. :)