Crohn’s Procedures
* The procedure preparations listed below are just for a guide only and they are from my own personal experience. There are variations to each person’s tests, so make sure you follow your doctor’s instructions exactly *
In my almost 15 years of living with Crohn’s disease, I have had approximately 5 colonoscopy procedures. Although they are not something I look forward to, they are not as bad as some stories you may have heard. In all my colonoscopies, I have been put under a mild anesthesia. It is not a general anesthsia like if you are having surgery, but you do go out and you are not awake during the procedure. I have never woke up during any of my procedures, and I always wake in the recovery room.
The day before the test is the hardest. This is how I have had to prepare, and please keep in mind that although your preperations will be similar to mine, they could differ as well, so follow your doctors instructions exactly.
My day before the colonoscopy goes like this:
- Clear liquid diet all day ( jello, chicken broth, sprite, Gatorade, etc… ) You can not have any red or orange flavors as they can falsely show up as blood.
- Around 3:00 I have to take 2 ducolax tablets every hour for 4 hours.
- Around 6:00 I have to start drinking Trylite ( This is a high powered laxitive. It is about a gallon and you have to drink one 8 ounce glass every 15 minutes)
- Then the fun starts. LOL. You can guess what it is. Just have some good magazines, books and plenty of TP.
- Then after midnight you can have NOTHING to eat or drink until after your colonoscopy.
I have always had my colonoscopies in the morning. Your schedule will be a little different if you are scheduled for an afternoon appointment.
One piece of advice: DO NOT CHEAT!!! Although these tests are not a very fun experience, they are very necessary. If the tests come back false because you did not follow the instructions, then you will have to do it again. So, like they say, it’s better to do it right the first time.
I hope this has been somewhat informative and that maybe if you are reading this in anticipation of your first colonoscopy, then I hope I have eased your mind a little.
Well, this test is not as involved as a colonoscopy, but the preparation is very similar. It is very important to make sure the small bowel and colon are empty before the test. But hey don’t fret, unlike the colonoscopy, you will be able to drink something right before the test. A couple of glasses of nice cold, thick, delicious barium. Yummmmm. ( Does sarcasim stand out on the internet? LOL )
O.k., so maybe it’s not delicious, but it’s not the most horrible thing I have ever drank either. Best thing to do is just hold your nose and try to get it all down as fast as possible.
Then you will be taken to the x-ray room and lay down on a slightly inverted table and they take an x-ray. Then you leave the room and are told to walk the halls or something like that and about 10-15 minutes later you come in and they take another picture. This process keeps up until the barium has completely gone through your system and they have all the x-rays that they need.
It is not painful at all and is a fairly easy test.
CT Scan with or without contrast
Sometimes if you have to go to the ER or even if your doctor wishes, you will have to have a CT scan. Most of the time there is no preperation for this. You are simply taken to an x-ray room and have to lay down on a table. The table will slide through what resembles a massive doughnut. At certain times when they see an area that the x-ray technician wants to take a picture of, they will ask you to hold your breath and lie still for a couple of seconds while the picture is taken.
There is no pain and the test is very easy.
There are times that your doctor may want the CT scan to be taken while you have what they call contrast in your body. This is a dye that is administered via. IV and allows images and certain things that the doctors are looking for to be more visable. The contrast is unlike anything you have probably ever had before. When it goes into your body, you can actually feel it. It does make some people nauseus. It is very warm and your lips and anus get a little warmer than anything else, but it is not painful at all. I have probably had this test done more than any other test in my 15 years with Crohn’s.
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy ( Flexi Sig. )
Now we are going to dive into a couple of the more not so desireable tests. The preperations for this test are about the same as the others as far as making sure your colon and bowels are empty.
The test is not painful, but it can be uncomfortable. You are awake during the procedure. You will be asked to lay down on the table with your exposed rear in the air. The doctor then takes the flexi sig. which is a small tube about the size of your small finger and he buts some lube on it and procedes to enter your anus and view your digestive tract.
Like I said, it is not painful, but it is uncomfortable. In fact, the pressure is so intense that you actually think you are moving your bowels and are going to go to the bathroom during the exam. Trust me, you are not. I have had this test done a couple of times and although it does feel like you are fixing to use the bathroom, it is just the pressure.
The doctor is able to view your digestive tract on a monitor and able to see any problem areas. The good news is that the procedure doesn’t take very long, only usually around 15 minutes or so.