Zim
20-07-15, 10:00
Hi there fellow sufferers :D
I just thought I'd share my experience of the flexible sigmoidoscopy which I had to undergo around 3 weeks ago.
First of all, I have been suffering from more frequent, looser stools for around 6 months. Paying extra attention to them, I noticed large amounts of mucus which were present nearly every time. I also noticed spots of blood after wiping, had excessive gas, bloating and suffered almost unbearable abdominal pain at times.
Naturally, with my HA being at its worst, I was convinced that I had contracted bowel/colon cancer or at the very least, a parasitic worm infestation. :doh:
Due to my age (23), the GP and Gastroenterologist assured me that the chances of having colon cancer was extremely slim but to put my mind at rest, they suggested a flexible sigmoidoscopy. I agreed that this may reduce some of my anxiety and decided to go ahead with it.
A few weeks later, I received my preparation pack which had procedure information booklets, diet instructions and the dreaded Picolax laxatives. :blush:
The low fibre diet was definitely not my idea of a good time. The day before the procedure, I had the suggested two pieces of toast and two poached eggs at midday and was not allowed to eat anything else until after the sigmoidoscopy the next day. This was definitely a minor form of torture. :weep:
The laxatives were definitely the worst part of the entire experience. I was going to the toilet and passing liquid constantly, all day. if I ate or drank anything, it immediately came back out. I suggest that some of you take the advice in the booklet (which I didn't) and administer some cream below to avoid burning and bleeding. I went to the toilet 36 times and it really did sting to wipe. :scared11:
When I arrived in the waiting room, I wasn't particularly anxious. During my pre-assessment with a nurse, I was given the option to have a sedative or Entonox gas. I opted for the gas, knowing that the recovery time is much quicker and I would be able to leave sooner (Not a fan of hospitals).
It's worth noting here that I actually found it extremely difficult to work out how to wear the gown I was given. :wacko: It had a section which you wrap around your front and a section that you wear on your back like a normal gown. For the life of me, I couldn't master it and after attempting for several minutes, I wandered aimlessly around the hospital corridors until a Doctor asked if I was lost. :doh: I explained my situation and she said that this was actually a common occurrence and showed me how to wear the gown properly. I felt like a 2 year old again. :D
It was only after laying on the hospital bed in the operating theatre (on my left side as instructed) that my anxiety levels began to fluctuate a little. I saw all the machinery and had that sudden thought of 'This just got a little too real'. The Doctor and his assistants did a good job of putting my mind at ease by distracting me and asking me personal questions about my job and education etc.
I was told that I would feel a cold sensation below when the doctor administered the initial lubrication. It was at this stage that I noticed the monitor in front of me which was the live camera feed from the sigmoidoscope. :huh:
While distracting me by talking about my surname, the Doctor proceeded to enter the back passage with the sigmoidoscope (about the thickness of an index finger). For the first 20 seconds or so, I was totally calm and the sensation was mild. It was very odd looking at the monitor because I could actually see into my own bowels. :D All of a sudden, I felt the discomfort that is often described. I think if I was being filmed, my face went from :unsure: to :scared15: during this stage. Now, don't let this scare you. It wasn't pain that I was experiencing, I promise. It was simply a very odd sensation, not particularly pleasant. I had a few self administered breaths of Entonox gas throughout the 5 minute (A lot shorter than I had imagined) procedure, no more than 4. I also had 6 random biopsies taken from different areas of the sigmoid colon. This was not painful either but it did feel like a slight tugging sensation and the Doctor explained that this bit was probably the worst for most patients.
I thanked my Doctor as I was wheeled out into the recovery area. After having my heart BPM monitored, I was told to get dressed in my own time. I noticed quite a lot of leaking lubrication from the back passage when I finally stood up. Although embarrassing, this was obviously normal as there were tissue boxes in my curtained area.
After getting dressed, I felt absolutely fine and had no discomfort. I was now looking forward to my first proper meal in 3 days. McDonald's it was. :yahoo:
It was probably the nicest McDonald's I've ever had and I could have set a World record with the short time I required to demolish it. :yesyes:
When I arrived home, I went to the toilet and passed quite a significant amount of blood and mucus. Although this made me extremely panicky and alarmed, I was assured by family members that this was obviously going to happen as I had had biopsies taken. I still thought I might be the 1 in 3000 (the Doctor explained this to me) who experience a tear in the colon after the procedure and closely monitored my stool in the next few days. Smaller amounts of blood and the occasional abdominal ache were present for the next few days but this subsided and is totally gone now.
Nothing remotely suspicious had been spotted during the procedure and I'm still waiting for confirmation about the biopsies but I'm not anxious at all regarding this. I am however, still suffering from severe HA regarding other physical symptoms but I'm not going to go into those here.
If you have read this, I hope it has explained a bit about the procedure and what to expect and in turn, has assured some of you that it is nowhere near as scary or painful as you think it might be. If it will ease your mind even slightly, I suggest going through with the procedure (after consulting your GP/Gastroenterologist). Do not cancel due to fear. I know firsthand, that this is easier said than done but facing your fears will help you, I promise. It positively helped me.
Good luck. :)
I just thought I'd share my experience of the flexible sigmoidoscopy which I had to undergo around 3 weeks ago.
First of all, I have been suffering from more frequent, looser stools for around 6 months. Paying extra attention to them, I noticed large amounts of mucus which were present nearly every time. I also noticed spots of blood after wiping, had excessive gas, bloating and suffered almost unbearable abdominal pain at times.
Naturally, with my HA being at its worst, I was convinced that I had contracted bowel/colon cancer or at the very least, a parasitic worm infestation. :doh:
Due to my age (23), the GP and Gastroenterologist assured me that the chances of having colon cancer was extremely slim but to put my mind at rest, they suggested a flexible sigmoidoscopy. I agreed that this may reduce some of my anxiety and decided to go ahead with it.
A few weeks later, I received my preparation pack which had procedure information booklets, diet instructions and the dreaded Picolax laxatives. :blush:
The low fibre diet was definitely not my idea of a good time. The day before the procedure, I had the suggested two pieces of toast and two poached eggs at midday and was not allowed to eat anything else until after the sigmoidoscopy the next day. This was definitely a minor form of torture. :weep:
The laxatives were definitely the worst part of the entire experience. I was going to the toilet and passing liquid constantly, all day. if I ate or drank anything, it immediately came back out. I suggest that some of you take the advice in the booklet (which I didn't) and administer some cream below to avoid burning and bleeding. I went to the toilet 36 times and it really did sting to wipe. :scared11:
When I arrived in the waiting room, I wasn't particularly anxious. During my pre-assessment with a nurse, I was given the option to have a sedative or Entonox gas. I opted for the gas, knowing that the recovery time is much quicker and I would be able to leave sooner (Not a fan of hospitals).
It's worth noting here that I actually found it extremely difficult to work out how to wear the gown I was given. :wacko: It had a section which you wrap around your front and a section that you wear on your back like a normal gown. For the life of me, I couldn't master it and after attempting for several minutes, I wandered aimlessly around the hospital corridors until a Doctor asked if I was lost. :doh: I explained my situation and she said that this was actually a common occurrence and showed me how to wear the gown properly. I felt like a 2 year old again. :D
It was only after laying on the hospital bed in the operating theatre (on my left side as instructed) that my anxiety levels began to fluctuate a little. I saw all the machinery and had that sudden thought of 'This just got a little too real'. The Doctor and his assistants did a good job of putting my mind at ease by distracting me and asking me personal questions about my job and education etc.
I was told that I would feel a cold sensation below when the doctor administered the initial lubrication. It was at this stage that I noticed the monitor in front of me which was the live camera feed from the sigmoidoscope. :huh:
While distracting me by talking about my surname, the Doctor proceeded to enter the back passage with the sigmoidoscope (about the thickness of an index finger). For the first 20 seconds or so, I was totally calm and the sensation was mild. It was very odd looking at the monitor because I could actually see into my own bowels. :D All of a sudden, I felt the discomfort that is often described. I think if I was being filmed, my face went from :unsure: to :scared15: during this stage. Now, don't let this scare you. It wasn't pain that I was experiencing, I promise. It was simply a very odd sensation, not particularly pleasant. I had a few self administered breaths of Entonox gas throughout the 5 minute (A lot shorter than I had imagined) procedure, no more than 4. I also had 6 random biopsies taken from different areas of the sigmoid colon. This was not painful either but it did feel like a slight tugging sensation and the Doctor explained that this bit was probably the worst for most patients.
I thanked my Doctor as I was wheeled out into the recovery area. After having my heart BPM monitored, I was told to get dressed in my own time. I noticed quite a lot of leaking lubrication from the back passage when I finally stood up. Although embarrassing, this was obviously normal as there were tissue boxes in my curtained area.
After getting dressed, I felt absolutely fine and had no discomfort. I was now looking forward to my first proper meal in 3 days. McDonald's it was. :yahoo:
It was probably the nicest McDonald's I've ever had and I could have set a World record with the short time I required to demolish it. :yesyes:
When I arrived home, I went to the toilet and passed quite a significant amount of blood and mucus. Although this made me extremely panicky and alarmed, I was assured by family members that this was obviously going to happen as I had had biopsies taken. I still thought I might be the 1 in 3000 (the Doctor explained this to me) who experience a tear in the colon after the procedure and closely monitored my stool in the next few days. Smaller amounts of blood and the occasional abdominal ache were present for the next few days but this subsided and is totally gone now.
Nothing remotely suspicious had been spotted during the procedure and I'm still waiting for confirmation about the biopsies but I'm not anxious at all regarding this. I am however, still suffering from severe HA regarding other physical symptoms but I'm not going to go into those here.
If you have read this, I hope it has explained a bit about the procedure and what to expect and in turn, has assured some of you that it is nowhere near as scary or painful as you think it might be. If it will ease your mind even slightly, I suggest going through with the procedure (after consulting your GP/Gastroenterologist). Do not cancel due to fear. I know firsthand, that this is easier said than done but facing your fears will help you, I promise. It positively helped me.
Good luck. :)