Getting a Colonoscopy: My Experience

After being told that I needed a colonoscopy, my heart sank a little bit knowing that I’d have to get a camera up somewhere I’d prefer not to. This was to see what the issue was after receiving a positive FIT test. In the week build up to my colonoscopy, I was worried about the procedure due it being invasive and there being a 1 in 2000 risk of something going wrong doing it.

One thing that was easing my mind a little bit was that it was my first time getting a procedure at a private hospital, which has a better success rate than public hospitals. Additionally, I was being seen by a surgeon that had decades of experience with completing colonoscopy while never having one gone wrong in his career.

Let’s explore how the build up process and the procedure was throughout this article. If you’re having one done soon, I hope this guide gives you a better understanding of what’s to come.

The Preparation

In the days building up to the procedure, my diet had to change quite a lot. I could no longer eat certain foods, restricting what I could eat and limiting my choices. This was the hardest part of the experience, as I was starving when it came to the procedure day.

To prepare my bowel for a colonoscopy, I had to take MoviPrep. This is a laxative used to clear the bowel for medical procedures like a colonoscopy. It is a solution made by dissolving two sachets in water and it works by causing frequent, watery bowel movements until the colon and large intestines are completely empty so the camera can clearly see everything inside.

I read so many Reddit posts that said that the prep was the worst part due to how disgusting the drink tasted and how much it stung their rear end. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of the MoviPrep. While it wasn’t the tastiest drink in the world and I wouldn’t be rushed to drink anymore of it, it was actually quite easy to get through and tasted like a sports drink which I didn’t mind at all.

I’ll spare you the details of what was coming out of my backside and go straight to my hospital experience before I went into theatre. I was given my own room to wait with my partner, which wasn’t great as I really wanted to eat and couldn’t drink any liquids at least 2 hours before so I was very thirsty too. However, my time finally arrived.

The Procedure

When I arrived at the procedure room, I was told to lay down and relax as they put a cannula into my arm so that they could give me some sedation. After this was put into my arm, I gently lay on my side and the procedure started. While I won’t bore you and gross you out with the details, I will say that although the procedure was slightly uncomfortable, especially when the device went around the corners of my large intestine, it was actually painless and pretty quick. I had a nurse sit next to me the entire time letting me know that I’m doing well and also asking about my life, which took some of the pressure off.

After the procedure was done, I was given the all clear and was told that my bowel was clear of anything sinister. This was a complete relief, as I knew my colon was healthy. If anything did go wrong, I could’ve contacted a medical malpractice solicitor, but luckily it didn’t come to that and I was able to leave the hospital within an hour of the colonoscopy.