All this for a Colonoscopy!

[StephN]

Hello Everyone -
Just sitting here with a lump in my stomach after seeing that our dear Carol H has earned her wings. But knowing that her family is safe and in good hands helps. She did not give up easily, which is what her children will remember.

Yesderday was my COLONOSCOPY, which I put off from last year due to all my troubles with a very sick father. "Clean scope" was what stuck in my foggy mind. Not even one little, bitty polyp to take out. I did go into bradycardia or lowered heart rate (knew what it was as my dad would do that after his heart surgery) during the procedure and after.

What woke me during the procedure was a nurse pressing hard on my belly and the doctor telling her to "keep pressing." Ow, I said. Being short waisted, the air they have to put in to make room for the scope was pressing on my vagus nerve which affects the heart. So she was trying to press some out!

When I was in the recovery period my belly was still hurting quite a bit, and again my monitor started beeping as my heart rate dropped. They called code on me as the doctor did not immediately answer. I got a shot of Atropine which brought my heart rate back up almost instantaneously. I was pale and clammy and felt woozy before the shot (they kindly used my port for the whole procedure).

They called my hubby in right after that and he sat with me till I could drink something and walk a little without getting dizzy again. They gave me pure Simethecone to put in a little water and drink. This is an ingredient in Gas-Ex, but this worked even better. I took it again last night and slept quite well.

Almost back to normal today and eating little bits at a time. Just thought I would share this. They tried to tell me just before the procedure that the prep was the worst part, but with me you never know!