My Colonoscopy & Endoscopy Experience

Monday

Made the appointment for the procedures. Got told to start low-fibre diet. No fruits and vegetables. No wholemeal bread too. 

Tuesday 

Breakfast (2 scones and flat white). Started clear-fluid diet after that. Water, pulp-free juice (e.g. cold pressed apple juice as opposed to cloudy apple juice), coffee/tea without milk, jelly without fruit pieces (avoid red, purple jelly as they may darken the bowel), chicken broth. 

Felt super hungry. Food looked so yummy yesterday. Food in TV shows, food on the street, all looked so good. I felt like eating them all. There were moments my brain signalled me to go get food, but within a second or two, another signal reminded me that I was not supposed to be eating anything. 

I made a pot of chicken soup, basically just a whole chicken and some salt. Had to pour the soup over a strainer to get rid of the little bits and pieces of chicken skin. 

At 7pm last night, I also started the Moviprep, a laxative made in the UK. It came in sachets of powder which I had to mix with water. It tasted horrible. Salty. Soon after that, my anus started peeing. More like vomiting. If you have tried douching, it's ten times more than that. Liquid just gushed out from my bottom ceaselessly. And by midnight, it seemed as though i was ejecting drinkable water. My bowel had never been so clean. 

Wednesday 

Had a surprisingly good night's sleep. Had some water and isotonic drink followed by the last 500ml of Moviprep. I had to stop drinking altogether 4 hours prior to the procedure. Soon after 'breakfast', I started going to the toilet again. This time though I was passing clear yellowish liquid. I was worried at first that my bowel was not clean enough but upon googling, it seemed the yellowness came from bile juice. 

As I couldn't do much at home, I decided to attend a seminar at uni. Stayed awake throughout the presentation, quite an achievement. 

Arrived at the clinic on time. The clinic has two levels. The ground floor houses the reception, consultation rooms and waiting area for patients. The first floor is for day-surgery/procedures. 

Despite having read some unpleasant stories people shared about their colonoscopies/endoscopies, I managed to stay pretty calm throughout. 

I was told to wait for about 20 minutes upon arrival. After 20 minutes, a guy called my name. He introduced himself as the anaesthetist and asked me some questions about allergy, weight, personal details, etc. He's from Malaysia. I told him that I was quite worried about the sedation part. Would I be knocked unconscious suddenly, etc. And he said yes! I have read that there are different levels of sedation. He seemed to have implied that they would prefer to give patients the highest level of sedation (almost unconscious) as some patients might gag when the tube is inserted into the throat, etc. Basically to make their job easier. 

I had read on the previous night that general anaesthesia is linked to brain damage. Example. As I need a super brain to survive phd, I told him I wanted the lowest level of sedation possible. He said OK. 

I was then brought to the next floor for the procedure. Behind a curtain, I was told to leave my shirt on, remove my pants and place it in a basket, but hang on underwear on a hook. Because, they would put on the underwear for me after the procedure is completed!!! Well, I didn't know how to say no at that moment. I only hoped that they won't judge my choice of underwear. 

I was then told to lie down on the 'bed', on my left. The anaesthetist then inserted a cannula to the back of my hand (a cannula is a thing for them to inject something into you, like an IV drip). He couldn't get it right on my right hand, I think i was bleeding but I didn't want to look at it. He apologised and quickly put a bandage on it. He then successfully inserted one onto the back of my left hand, slightly painful with the poking around. I could feel the needle making its way up my vein...

Oh, a mouth guard was also placed in my mouth, to force open my mouth so I wouldn't bite into the tube that was inserted into me afterwards. 

After the cannula was inserted, he injected (i couldn't feel anything) a bit of sedatives. He told me the gastroenterologist would come to say hello to me, and after that he would inject more sedatives into my body. He assured me that he would give me the minimum dose. I felt relieved hearing that. 

The gastroenterologist asked me a few questions about my tummy since our last appointment. And then, blank. It's nothing like in the movie. I was expecting the gradual blurring out effect. Nothing like that at all. There wasn't even the opportunity, that few seconds for you to panic when you realised you were going to be knocked unconscious. It just happened. There was no blurring out. No fear, because I have no recollection of what happened right after the gastroenterologist spoke to me. 

As I lied on my left side, I was facing the computer screen. The only recollection I have is this vague images of my bowel on the computer screen, and at that same time, I also felt something (the tube) was being pulled out of my hole. And then, someone asked me to pull up my underwear. And I woke up. 

I was escorted to a 'recovery room'. Sat on a sofa, with towel covering my lower body. About fifteen minutes later, I was given a sandwich, a packet of biscuit and a cup of water. Another fifteen mins later, the gastroenterologist gave me a copy of the result. Said nothing abnormal was found. He took some samples from my bowel and sent it for bacterial test- H pylori as stated on the printout. 

I was then told to get dressed. Escorted downstairs. Settled the payment. Ten minutes later, the specialised taxi service arrived to send me home. 

Two things/questions: 

1. Was I really given the minimum dose? 

2. I supposed it's the specialist- gastroenterologist who poked me. But I have no recollection at all, other than the feeling of someone wiping my ass at the end of the procedures. 

I am glad that nothing bad like tumour was found. And it's like a little hill that I have surmounted, with the strength given by God of course.