A Colonoscopy? Yikes!!

For several years, my doctor has urged me to submit to a colonoscopy screening, but the very idea made my toes curl. My husband has had it done twice now, both routine, and both revealing no problems. My son and daughter-in-law have had it done, as has my stepdaughter...no problems with any of them. But I am a coward and preferred to put it off as long as possible.

Now, I'm pretty diligent about taking care of my health. I eat right, and exercise, have annual physical exams that include Pap smears, mammograms, bone density tests, and so on. I submit willingly to blood work and immunization shots. But I absolutely cringed at the thought of a colonoscopy.

This year, though, I decided I should get it over with. So all last week, I followed a low-residue diet that shunned popcorn (which I dearly love), as well as corn, seeds, and nuts. I don't like being hungry, so I dreaded liquid-diet Sunday, the day before the procedure.

I stayed in bed until around 9 a.m. that morning, and then watched DVD's most of the day, so I wouldn't have to expend much energy. I found that the fruit juices I drank satisfied my hunger.

At 3 p.m., the fun began. I took the prescribed four laxative tablets. And at 5 p.m., I mixed a prescribed laxative powder into blueberry Gatorade, and started drinking it. The whole idea is to clean the colon, and boy howdy, did it ever!

I could have no liquids after midnight, but I wasn't hungry or thirsty anyway. At 7 a.m. Monday, I was at the clinic, where I was prepped for the procedure. I was nervous, despite being told that the Sunday prep was the worst of it.

It's true, the Sunday prep was the worst of it - and that wasn't horrible. Once I was given the medication to make me sleep, I was aware of nothing until I got back home again (the medication produces amnesia...several hours of it for me).

I'm pretty sure the procedure was more of a trial for my husband and mother than it was for me, because the amnesiac state caused me to repeat questions endlessly, sort of like a brief attack of Alzheimer's Disease. It's a wonder my husband's eyes didn't roll permanently up into his head.

By the way, I got the all-clear from the doctor who performed the procedure. And next time, I won't be such a coward.