The dreaded day is here...
#3903 - 03/24/03 04:42 AM
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ecmmbm
Reged: 02/23/03
Posts: 1622
Loc: North Carolina
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I know lots of you have had this done, but I never have, so bear with me as I whine. I get to spend today drinking that lovely liquid I've heard so much about and then, in turn, basically turning myself inside out in the bathroom. FUN!!  Then tomorrow at 7 am I report to the hospital to say, "Please Dr, stick one tube up my behind and another one down my throat, so you can come back later and tell me there is nothing wrong in there and not much you can do to help me feel better?!"  I'm only actually feeling about half as sarcastic as I put on - I'm mostly relieved to finally be getting this done, a teeny bit anxious about the discomfort involved (oddly enough, the tube up the butt doesn't worry me, it's the one down my throat - everything makes me gag/vomit so I really dread that). And then just the news they will have for me, I am praying there is some way that they can #1) find nothing "wrong" with me, but #2) figure out a way to help fix me. That's not too much to ask is it?? I don't mind the occasional bouts of IBS but here lately it's been such a constant, chronic thing that I've been able to focus on little else. That needs to stop! So anyway, thanks for listening once again and I'll be back when I've rejoined the land of the living and unsedated!!! 
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Take care,
Michelle
...the greatest of these is LOVE. (I Cor 13)
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Michelle,
I just went through this a couple of weeks--alone! I didn't have anyone to help me through it--so if you have any questions, concerns, or just want someone to listen, I'm here! Which meds are you taking today? I took Fleet Phospho Soda and Dulcolex. The day before my preperation I went out and bought the Fleet and the Dulcolex. I was SO nervous it took me an hour to pay for the stuff--and then the day I was starting the prep I found out I bought Dulcolex suppositories instead of the laxatives!  My husband got me the laxatives on his way home from work--thank G-d--and it worked out ok in the end. *phew*
I hope everything goes well for you. Whatever you do--if you're taking Fleet Phospho Soda--don't gulp it down! Drink it slow (ginger ale covers the taste best in my experience--I tried tea and power ade as well--no comparison!) Again, I'm here if there's anything I can do!
Take care, and good luck!!!!!!!! 
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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Michelle - don't worry about the tube down your throat--you're pretty much in lalaland so you probably won't even know they're doing that. That goes for the butt one, too! You;ll get through it okay. I'm still waiting to do my colonoscopy!!! Hate those needles/iv's!
Sharon
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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Shandela,
I sent you an e-mail...did you get it?
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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Ruchala - I responded...did you get it???
Shandela
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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First off I'm 2 glasses down now of this foul sulfurous potion from hell, that WHO ON EARTH decided would be a good thing to drink over a gallon of on an already upset empty stomach?!?! If any of you are facing this in your near future I'm sorry for being so negative, but this is some nasty stuff.
QUESTION though... just being practical here, do I need to take anything specific with me to the hospital tomorrow? I know some of you have had this stuff done. Doctors never tell you practical stuff like that. Thanks in advance if you have any ideas.
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Take care,
Michelle
...the greatest of these is LOVE. (I Cor 13)
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Hi Michelle! I just had mine done in January, and I didn't need to take anything extra with me to the hospital.
Good luck with the prep...that actually turned my stomach when I read you were drinking that horrible "stuff". Sorry...I'm sure that doesn't make you feel any better.
Good luck & know that the worst part is almost over!
Mags
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best of luck michelle! i had the camera down my throat but not the colonoscopy yet. the throat one was easy as pie. the worst part was the IV and not being able to have breakfast tha morning(me- my daily cornflakes intake = disaster) lol.youll be fine and now you wont have to worry about the thought of having colitis or chrons
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-Angela
Healed in Jesus' Name 
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i've never had any of this done. why would you want to get a colonoscopy? i thought you didn't need
that until you were over 50 or something to check for colon cancer. if you want to know if you have chron's,
they can check for blood in your stool, that's what they did for me when i first saw my doctor about cramps.
no need for colonoscopy. then i saw a specialist who told me that i had ibs and what i needed to do was
change my diet, excersize more, and find a better way to deal with stress and it would get better and it did.
since being on the diet, hasn't it gotten better for all of you?
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i thought you HAD to have a colonscopy to be diagnosed with ibs, afterally you cant determine colon polyps, cancer, or ibd without one, right?
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-Angela
Healed in Jesus' Name
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Two points. One: Michelle has described symptoms that may or may not be related to IBS and have persisted despite treatment of herself as if she has IBS. That means further tests ARE necessary. Two: As Angela said, a colonoscopy can rule out other, more serious (not that IBS isn't serious, but it won't kill you) illnesses such as IBD, Crohn's, celiac disease, and colon cancer. If you have a textbook case of IBS AND you're young, a colonoscopy might not be necessary (I'm quoting Heather here--and I sure haven't had one done). But better safe than sorry, otherwise.
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Hi - A colonoscopy is not necessary for a diagnosis of IBS in all circumstances. It is indicated if initial blood work comes back with results that indicate something like an inflammatory bowel disease might be present. And a colonoscopy is the gold standard test to rule out colon cancer.
If you are young, if your symptoms don't have any red flags for disorders other than IBS, and if you have initial bloodwork come back negative, you may not need a colonoscopy. I've never had one.
But, TessLouise is right - Michelle has some non-IBS symptoms, she's not responding really well to standard IBS treatments, and a colonoscopy is probably a really reasonable test at this point. If I were in her shoes, I'd want one.
So, this is where there can be some variation in getting a solid diagnosis for IBS. Age in particular can mean a lot (colon cancer, ovarian cancer, diverticulosis, endometriosis, and other disorders just aren't likely suspects for children and teens). Inflammatory bowel diseases and celiac, which can strike young people, can be initially checked for with the blood work.
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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oh i see, thanks heather. You are so much smater than the gastroligist . I mean my mothers gastroligist is giving her one test, and thats a colonscopy. no bloodwork, no upper gi, nothing but that. He also told her to increase her bran itake. i tolf her bran was no good for ibs, but she listens to the gastro...
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-Angela
Healed in Jesus' Name
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Michelle,
You're probably already at the doc's office--but just wanted to wish you luck today! Hope it goes well for you!
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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