routine colonoscopy prep.

[salsabike]

Three days??

I will be turning 50 this year so was expecting to have one of these things. If I have to be on a liquid diet for three days I will have to spend three days in bed, I won't be able to function.

But then I have no one to drive me there and back, since I live alone and have no family in the area, so it may not happen anyway.

Hey, ny biker---the prep is usually bland diet for two days and liquid for one. And not to be TOO much of a proselytizer, but can you make a deal with a friend or co-worker to drive you, and trade some service for it? As one with a big old multi-generational family history of colon cancer, I am one who can testify pretty passionately to the importance of getting your first one done.

[Grits]

Hey, ny biker---the prep is usually bland diet for two days and liquid for one. And not to be TOO much of a proselytizer, but can you make a deal with a friend or co-worker to drive you, and trade some service for it? As one with a big old multi-generational family history of colon cancer, I am one who can testify pretty passionately to the importance of getting your first one done.

+ a million on what salsa bike said. Try to find someone to give you a ride -or take a cab. If you live really far from the doctor's office, then find a hotel close by. Another idea, ask the doctor's office what other patients with that problem do. Maybe they know of a shuttle service or a place close by you could stay. My 58 year old SIL (with not officially diagnosed Aspergers) refused to go to any kind of a doctor for her whole adult life until she recently had an intestinal blockage and emergency surgery that turned out to be Stage 4 colon cancer with a very poor prognosis. The doctor said it had probably been growing for 10 years. All of her siblings have had polyps removed during colonoscopies and so have avoided what she is going through now. This is not something to mess around with. (I AM being a proselytizer!)

[marni]

well its all over and I came out clear so I am good for another five years. An indication of how low my brain content was after 5 days of bland low fiber food and then three days of a liquid fast is that one the day of the procedure while trying to occupy my mind until it was time to go, I tried to figure out how to sew a warp and had made for a Navajo weaving onto the weaving beams. I sat up stairs for two hours reading the directions and trying to follow them with no success. Today I went upstairs after my bike ride and whipped it out without referring to directions, in less than 30 minutes.

Two items of note. This is the first time ever that I have had an IV that didn't leave horrendous swelling and bruising. Not a mark to be seen, even just after surgery. And this is the first time I have ever had a doctor ( and actually it was the sleep dr.) ask me about my low heart rate instead of immediately assuming that I was brachyocardic and in dire danger of "starving my circle of willis". Or at least that is what I think they always say. ( my normal resting pulse rate/ heartbeat is 45-48 bpm and that day it was 149) so I explained to him that it was a bit elevated because of anxiety, and then explained my training routine. All he had to say was "well there's your thank you from your heart, you're going to sleep now." and boy howdy did I.

[azfiddle]

Glad it's all good

[ny biker]

+ a million on what salsa bike said. Try to find someone to give you a ride -or take a cab. If you live really far from the doctor's office, then find a hotel close by. Another idea, ask the doctor's office what other patients with that problem do. Maybe they know of a shuttle service or a place close by you could stay. My 58 year old SIL (with not officially diagnosed Aspergers) refused to go to any kind of a doctor for her whole adult life until she recently had an intestinal blockage and emergency surgery that turned out to be Stage 4 colon cancer with a very poor prognosis. The doctor said it had probably been growing for 10 years. All of her siblings have had polyps removed during colonoscopies and so have avoided what she is going through now. This is not something to mess around with. (I AM being a proselytizer!)

I appreciate your concern, but doctors don't let you go home alone in a cab, and there is no one within 300 miles who would take vacation time from their jobs to drive me anywhere.

I'm glad everything went well, Marni.

[shootingstar]

This is a tough one, NY biker. That's why I grabbed the opportunity when I was to go in for the colonoscopy the very next day after my medical prelim. interview visit. Someone cancelled...so I actually took a sick day off (Our collective agreement is that we get 90% pay not 100% pay for a sick day. I told my employer blatantly why I was off so suddenly the next day) because dearie was around to take me to and from the hospital during a work day. Otherwise it would have been another few months wait. Fortunately my boss understood since she's around my age and has Crohn's disease.

I could if desperate, call upon a distant friend locally and maybe hung around at the hospital at the cafeteria with a laptop, book etc. until she finished work to pick me up. How about that option?