Colonoscopy . . .

OK, well since I've put it all out there leading up to the event, I guess I should give the outcome eh? So starting on Tuesday evening I took Visicol. I've linked that to WebMD that will tell you what Visicol does. Let's just say that it works as advertised. The ritual was 4 tablets (not small!) every 15 minutes starting at 6PM and ending with the 7PM dose. 20 tablets in all. As it messes with kidney function, 8oz of water is recommended with every dose. So that kept me busy most of Tuesday evening. Yesterday morning, starting at 11AM, another 3 doses of Visicol was required. Now keep in mind that I had not eaten since 8AM on Monday. By this time, my stomach had gone way past being hungry. Keeping hydrated really kept me from feeling too bad though. It's amazing how much your body doesn't need food.

So around 1:45, Teri picked me up and we headed for the Tacoma Endoscopy center off 6th Ave. We arrived around 2:30 and I checked in. They immediately took me back and I got one of those cute little robes. You know the ones that show your modesty? They took my BP (REALLY HIGH!, Guess I was nervous) and my temp and put an IV in. The nurse explained that during the procedure, I would be mostly asleep. They call it a twilight sleep. She said most people snore and aren't really aware of what's going on. They can respond to questions, but other than that, don't really have a clue. She also explained that during the procedure, the doctor puts air into your intestine and that it is acceptable and even preferred that when you're in recovery to get as much out as possible. Again, if this is TMI, don't click the more link . . . (more)