Monday, September 22, 2014

A Colonoscopy


I have been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease since I was 19 years old.
It started out with bad stomach pains, weight loss, no appetite, diarrhea, and then it got worse. I was working a full-time job and I was going to college in the evenings. I went to the doctor and since my twin sister had been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease since she was 9 years old, they went ahead and scheduled me for my first colonoscopy. After the colonoscopy, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Now I have colonoscopies every 2 years (since I was 26 years old) because the chance of colon cancer goes up each year. I’m 31 years old and I have had 4 colonoscopies.

The Prep:

(Every doctor does the prep differently and even though I have had the same doctor every prep has been different.)

Monday:

This time, I had to start prepping the day before the colonoscopy which meant I couldn’t have anything to eat besides clear liquids (jello, popsicles, Gatorade, water, broth, etc but nothing red) and at 6pm I had to start drinking a mixture of Miralax and Gatorade. When I woke up I was already really hungry so by lunchtime I was one moody little spoonie. I had 2 bowls of chicken broth, 2 cups of orange jello, a grape Popsicle and a lot of water and Gatorade. I also tried to space it out as much as possible, but it seemed like when I drank the broth it didn’t help my hunger at all, it made me hungrier! 





I distracted myself with movies, and crocheting (I’m working on a slouch hat with Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable Yarn in candied. I love the colors, it's so much fun watching the color changes as I crochet! I’ve already made one in parrot and I plan on making a couple of minor changes. I should have the pattern available very soon.)




At 5pm, we mixed the 238g of Miralax with 64oz of orange Gatorade and put it in the refrigerator. I now hate orange Gatorade. It wound up filling 5 solo cups, and I had to drink a cup every 15 minutes until it was all gone.

I decided to pull up Fresh Stitches latest vlog about the behind the scenes of the kit club she offers. She was a pretty good distraction to help me drink my cups. She's really sweet and a little bit funny too.


So, at 6pm, I started drinking the cups every 15 minutes.

Cup #1



The first cup wasn’t that bad, it was so cold I got chills, but I got it down pretty quickly and without a lot of trouble. I didn’t notice much of a texture. It was incredibly sweet though. 

Cup #2



The second cup was a little bit harder to drink and it made me way more chilled. I got into bed because I was so cold and kept watching Coffee With Stacey

Cup #3



The third cup was awful! All of a sudden I could really notice an overpowering texture and the sweetness was even more sweet. Ugh!! I choked it down. 

Cup #4



The fourth cup was even harder to drink and I gagged a couple of times.

Cup #5



The last cup was really hard for me to get down and the only way I got it down was because I knew it was the last one. Yuck! But done!!!

Sometime, between cups 3 and 4, cups 1 and 2 started working so I changed rooms, and took my book with me, Under The Dome, and started it. What a surprise, so much different than the show! Wow! A pretty great distraction too! 


Some things that are helpful during this time are wet wipes, distractions like a book or a handheld game, butt cream and plenty of toilet paper.

Tuesday:  

I tried to rest as much as I could. I was exhausted!!!  At 10 o’clock I got up and took a really quick shower and my dad picked me up at 11:30 am to drive me to the appointment.

The Colonoscopy: 

I arrived at my doctor’s office about 12 o’clock. I filled out a few papers and then I was taken back to change into a gown and get the IV going.


My dad distracted me and kept me company while we waited, for about an hour. I love when my dad takes me to things like this. He is a wonderful distraction and so funny! The anesthesiologist and my doctor talked to me during this time and went over the procedure and the risks. Then they wheeled me back. I wasn’t as nervous as I had been (my dad is really great at joking and talking while waiting on a procedure) as in the past, but all I could think about was my son, food, and wanting this to be over. The nurses and my doctor were all really nice and reassuring. The anesthesiologist gave me some kind of white looking medicine through my IV and I became really sleepy and dozed off. 

Recovery:

The next thing I know I was awake talking a mile a minute to my dad in recovery. The colonoscopy went great!


I do not remember a lot from this time except I felt like I had woke up from a wonderful nap. My dad says that I was trying to take pictures with my heart monitor and I was confused because I couldn’t look at the pictures I was taking. After about 30 minutes, my dad was able to bring me home. I rested in bed and ate some of the best pizza ever!!! I could barely move or lift my arms but I managed to eat several pieces of pizza. The next couple of days were hard on me, my body was very sore and I was really exhausted, but by Thursday evening I was able to get dressed and go yarn shopping! I went to my local yarn shop, Chix With Stix, and I love it there! This beautiful yarn that I picked out is Lang Yarns: Mille Colori Baby #50.