by Jacqueline Price

Created on: September 24, 2008

I was dreading my routine colonoscopy due to the many negative comments I had heard about the procedure. However, I can testify that it was not nearly as bad as I expected. The worst part is the preparation, but even that can be tolerable if you prepare in advance.

My colonoscopy was requested as a base line after turning 50 a couple of years ago, but also because I carry a gene mutation (BRCA2 which can increase the risk of developing colon cancer as well as breast, ovarian and a few other types of cancer). I also suffer from irritable bowel syndrome which had recently flared up and caused me to worry that something more sinister might be going on.

I can walk you through my experience and hope that some of the tips will help you if you are facing a colonoscopy in the near future. I was asked to buy Colyte or Golytely from my pharmacy to which I had to add four litres of water and thoroughly shake up the mixture. Two days before the procedure I was asked to refrain from eating all kinds of vegetables, even vegetable juice. A friend who also recently underwent a colonoscopy was told to avoid seeds and grains. Apart from that you can eat a normal diet. The day before the procedure I had to follow a total liquid diet which included clear liquids such as broth, clear tea, Gatorade or other Powerade drinks, jello, juices and water. Some people are asked to avoid red and purple juices.

At 4 p.m. the day before my procedure I had to start drinking one cup (250 ml) of Colyte every 15 to 20 minutes. In between these drinks I could sip on juice, broth or jello. About one hour after starting the procedure I started the first of many trips to the washroom. At first I started to keep count of how many trips I made but gave up after about my 20th visit.

To prevent getting sore in the nether regions I bought extra soft toilet paper (I went through over two rolls), special moist wipes (Cahsmere brand was very good) which I used after each visit. After using the wipes, dab gently with the toilet paper to dry. I also bought a very good zinc cream normally used for diaper rash and applied a small amount after each bowel movement. This really helped to prevent soreness. After the first couple of bowel movements you will be passing liquid, watery stool. Not too pleasant.

You will need to park yourself in close proximity to your bathroom for about the next 10 hours! I set up my bathroom with a couple of magazines, a good book and my handheld Nintendo DS gameboy. The rest of the time

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