It’s been a year since my last colonoscopy and I think I’m becoming an expert! Spoiler alert: I thought my bowel prep was better this round and I completed another unsedated colonoscopy like a champ!
A week before colonoscopy, I started on a low residue diet. Basically, I cut down on food that takes longer to process i.e. high-fiber fruits, uncooked vegetables, chocolate (whyyyy), nuts, wholemeal and sorts.
I don’t think I did this diet the last rounds prior to my colonoscopies. Doctor always said I’m “full of shit” so I thought I should make an effort to make less shit.
I think the diet worked!
Even though I still had to go to the toilet 9 times, I completed the entire process faster. The bowel prep process felt less painful as well. My stomach didn’t churn too bad. It didn’t get too bloated before I managed to go to the toilet. I stopped passing solids much quicker.
Next time, I hope I remember to wear Uniqlo Heattech long john because I was freezing cold after going to the toilet. So cold. I thought my fingernails could turn blue. I was already shivering anyway.
Back to the bowel prep, it was an achievement when doctor didn’t have to say I’m full of shit out of frustration of waiting for me to be ready. In fact, he didn’t even rush the nurse or me! Even better, the nurse happily cleared me for the procedure without feeling pressured. What a stark difference from the last rounds.
When I was pushed into the procedure room for the colonoscopy, I wondered if doctor would remember he kept persuading me to skip sedation the last rounds. I hoped he’d ask me to skip sedation again because I know it’d mean he’s confident it’d be a smooth procedure. And he did 😊.
Never been happier to skip sedation.
Well, until halfway through when the non stop churning of my intestine definitely made me question my own sanity and decision. “Why did I agree to this?”
Regardless, it was still bearable in general. Having a tube up my butt felt like I was pooping but reversed. Having water and air pumped into my colon felt like (mild) diarrhoe. The most painful part was when doctor was removing the tube when he was done. Not sure what he did. He explained but I didn’t register it because I was in pain for like 5 seconds. It’s fine.
Prior to the procedure, I prayed that doctor would do a thorough and accurate scan. During the procedure, I prayed that doctor would not have reason to sedate me. After the procedure, I prayed that doctor would summon me to do this again in two years instead of one. I think all my prayers were answered 😊.
I surely left the procedure room feeling proud as I completed another colonoscopy smoothly without sedation 💪🏻.
For the first time, I broke fast with a late lunch instead of dinner! I was always among the last to leave the ward when everyone was packing up. Felt so great to be able to catch late lunch for once. Yums.
The only hiccup was that my insurance didn’t clear my guarantee letter because they felt the colonoscopy was medically unnecessary since I’m cancer free. Wow. Thanks? I haven’t met any doctor who dare declare a cancer survivor “cancer free” after just two years. As much as I wish to be labeled cancer free, I hope my insurance company consider my cancer risk high and let me claim for my procedure.
Anyway, see you in 2020, Dr Wong!