If you are just joining me for this journey into the ultra glamorous world of the colonoscopy – I suggest you read my first post explaining what a colonoscopy is, and why I’m getting one!
As I said in that post – my first step was meeting with a gastroenterologist, and he scheduled me for a colonoscopy. The day before you are scheduled to have a colonoscopy you are customarily asked to not to eat anything solid. Just liquids…
Day before- Only Liquids
Above, you see what I shopped for. Gatorade, Jello (no red or purple), hard candy to suck on & soup broth. I went a little wild and got both chicken broth, and beef broth. It was a soup party ya’ll;)
-This was really no problem. I wished I’d gotten more broth actually as Gatorade and water didn’t really sound that good during the day. And before 6pm I was allowed milk products, so I made a great coffee and added some creamer as my lunch. I usually use skim milk- so that felt kinda special and fun. You take the victories where ya find them, right? 🙂
-I did hear after I had already shopped that I could have had yogurt until 6pm as well, so I suggest picking some up if your doctor also allows that. It would have been a nice change.
After 6pm- Start Drinking the Prep…
-Ok, I promised to be TOTALLY HONEST about this whole thing. So here it goes…the prep I had to drink was yucky tasting for about the first half. Then after 50% was gone… the stuff I had to drink became putrid. It was really, really hard not to throw it up. Luckily a reader had suggested in the comments of my last blog, that it helped her to keep a hard candy in her mouth to swish around between sips. I did that – and it did indeed help. It’s really the after taste that was hardest for me, so keeping something handy that can change the taste in your mouth with in between sips is a great idea!
-Another tip. My cousin wisely told me not to try and chug the whole thing down really fast (that was totally my plan too!). Even just taking big sips made me feel like I might throw up, so even though it takes longer to drink the stuff… I do think its better to work through it at a moderate pace. Do not try to handle the Suprep like a really big shot;)
-I realized at this point that I had totally misunderstood why people kept telling me the worst part of the colonoscopy was the prep. I thought they were referring to the sheer amount of prep & water you have to drink. But in hindsight, I’m pretty damn sure they actually were saying it was really, really hard to keep the prep down. And this point brings me too…
Wake up at 3:30 am to do the prep again
-This sucked. I only got through half the prep when I started to get sick to my stomach. So at that point rather than throw up what I had managed to drink- I just focused on lots more water.
My Bathroom Supplies…
-The tip about A&D I mentioned in my last post was a good one. I recommend it.
-I also suggest you clean your bathroom and make it as spa like as possible…since you will be spending much of the evening there. I was also really thankful my husband suggested I watch movies from Netflix on the ipad. Definitely have some kind of entertainment available. There will be lots of waiting, but you wont want to be too far from the potty:)
-The Aveeno bath that was recommended on my sheet from the doctor is so laughable to me now! I cannot imagine at what point they thought I would have time to take a leisurely bath…LOL. Perhaps everyone experiences the prep at different rates? For me- that Aveeno bath would have been a FIASCO! Do not recommend;)
– On a whim I searched the hashtag #colonoscopy on Twitter, and found several other people doing the prep at the very same time as me! It was great as we could complain to eachother in real time 😉
– FYI white wine does not count as a clear liquid on the prep diet. Darn it!
*update* I’m getting ready to go for my second colonoscopy now, and during the visit to the doctor I made this joke. The doctor said that actually a white wine or a shot of vodka in some seltzer totally DOES count as clear liquid. He said they dont write that on the sheet because some crazy person would come in the next day intoxicated – and obviously that does not work! But my doctor said a glass, if it will relax you and make your night a little less stressful is fine!
Of course you will need to follow your own doctors directions, but this goes to show – it’s worth asking 😉
Want to know how the actual procedure went? Click here—-> Getting a Colonoscopy!
About Shannon SchmidShannon traded in her sensible NYC TV producer shoes (they were best for taking the subway), for a pair of Texas Cowboy boots when she married her best friend! He's at fault for making this Yankee a Texan! Shannon writes about all things that make a house a home. Her chief blogging inspiration is being the proud & slightly neurotic mom of a preschool age daughter.
You can find Shannon on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and her new favorite place to hang out, Google+.
How wonderful that you blogged about this. I think one of the biggest things people fear is the unknown and by taking all of us through the process it will help elivate that fear for many and in turn they will have the procedure done and not chicken out! Thank you for being real and helping others! That is awesome!
I love that Micheal thought about Netflix. I bet it helped the time pass.
OMG a bath!? I cant imagine taking a bath or wanting to be relaxed in the tub with water around me while my body is needing the bathtub! can you imagine?
ha
Thanks for sharing this! My hubby has to have colonoscopy’s due to his Crohn’s disease (his next one is next week). I will pass along some of your tips to him. 🙂
Wow, I have heard about that prep stuff being horrid, I sure hope your day after went well. You are very brave for blogging about this and I totally admire you for it. I visited your blog during the big UBP linky party and just want to invite you to join us each Thrusday for Project Pinterest where everyone can share what they create by being inspired by something they pinned. I hope you can join us! http://inthehillsofnorthcarolina.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much for this post. I have a colonoscopy scheduled for next week and I’m pretty much beyond terrified of the procedure, and what they might find. It’s reassuring seeing posts like this from other people like yourself. Thanks for all the helpful advice 🙂
important post, I had mine last year. I get to wait 5 years then back again. Thank you for sharing your blog at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop xo
Thanks for sharing this. I was curious about the preparation for a colonoscopy. I found you at Tell Me About it Tuesday.
They say that timing is everything! I am just finishing up my prep day, the big day is tomorrow. At my consultation, the person I spoke with told me that most patients, after all is said and done, say that the prep day is the worst part. I totally agree that the prep solution is horrible. I was told no dairy at all from the time I woke up this morning until the procedure is over, so I was a little jealous that you were able to have it (weird, huh?) I just keep focusing that 24 hours from now I can eat an drink anything I want and I will not be drinking anymore of that nasty prep stuff!
You have some great tips here, I wish I had been able to have something like this to help me know what I was in store for before I had my procedure done earlier this year. THANK YOU for sharing with us on the Friday Frenzy link up, and we hope you’ll join us again this week!
April
I had to use Suprep this time. The 1st bottle I made the mistake of trying to mix it with water and a simple syrup to cut the taste, which was like bad grape soda. The 2nd bottle I mixed with Dr. Pepper, since coke was on my allowed list of clear liquids, and it was MUCH more tolerable. It made the Suprep go down like a charm, highly recommend it. Also, stay close to the bathroom, the Suprep starts to work within the hour.
Good luck to all..
Your description is spot on. I’m doing my prep today and in about an hour I have to start the liquid prep. This is my 5th time so I know exactly what to expec which is why I’m counting down the time. Wish some one would invent a pill.
Wish me luck. Got the movie ready too.
Hi,Thank God I came across your blog.My procedure is tmw and I had a little bit of coffee with some milk.Your msg saying it’s ok to have some milk lessened my anxiety.Thanks for the tips!Wish me luck!