Don't freak out about a colonoscopy, there is really no reason to. You will have to do a preparation the day before the procedure. There are different kinds of preps, but the one I had was pretty easy. You will probably spend a lot of time in the bathroom (so get something to read), your butt might get sore, and in the morning (if you are like me) you will be a little weak from the lack of nourishment, since you won't be able to eat or drink until it is over with. About a half hour before the actual procedure, you will undress, a nurse will ask you a few questions, take a few vital signs, and might give you something to calm you down, if she thinks that you need it, or you ask for it. She will also explain the whole procedure to you, so you can ask any questions that you like. Just before the actual procedure is done, they will give you an IV and an anaesthetic. It won't knock you out, but you will be in a state of consciousness where you don't feel any pain, but are awake. The doc will insert a long tube with a camera on the end into the rectum, and slowly and gently move it along the entire length of the colon to inspect for polyps, inflammation or other abnormalities. If at ANY time, you feel pain, you can ask the doctor for more medication. You can even be knocked out if you really want to be. The only discomfort I felt was when air was pumped into the colon in order that corners could be turned without causing any damage to the surface of the colon. It felt sort of like a bad gas cramp, but no worse. If you want, you can watch the whole procedure on a tv monitor and ask the doc any questions you want. I did, and it was kind of neat. The whole thing takes about 15 minutes, and you can go home about an hour after it is over. The peace of mind knowing that there is nothing seriously wrong is worth it.[This message has been edited by brianfromparkview (edited 11-07-2000).]
