By Julie Gardner, Brigham and Women’s patient and employee.
In 2021, the recommended age to begin colorectal screening was lowered from 50 to 45. So, when I had my annual physical with my primary care physician last summer and I was in my late 40s, my doctor reminded me that I was overdue. I decided to stop procrastinating and make the appointment.
The reasons why I didn’t rush to the phone the moment I turned 45 to make this incredibly important appointment were what you may imagine – the frightful stories about the preparation needed for the procedure. It was a tale as old as time…drink a gallon of an overly sweet and ill-tasting substance and then proceed to spend 24 hours in the bathroom.
The preparation requirements may vary from doctor to doctor and depend on a variety of factors, but mine were not nearly as dreadful as I expected. My active imagination made the story in my mind worse than the actual experience.
Here is what it looked like:
As someone who likes to eat and enjoys her food, this part concerned me more than what would come later. But patients are allowed “clear” liquids, including chicken broth, gelatin (no red or purple) and even black coffee (which I opted to forego because what’s coffee without sweetener and milk/cream?) among other things.
No changes to my body noticed, nothing to report here.
I began the prep. I poured a bottle of an over-the-counter liquid laxative into a gallon container mixed with a sports drink (any flavor except those colored red or purple) and drank half the gallon. It actually went down fairly easily. I opted for the lemon/lime flavor which was reminiscent of my high school basketball days when I used to drain “threes.” But I digress. After a bit of time, I did make a few trips to the restroom, but it honestly wasn’t as many as I expected. I went to bed around 10pm and slept contently through the night.
I finished the remaining half gallon of prep mix. Ok, so this is when things got interesting. Yes, the trips to the bathroom were steady and frequent, but nothing I couldn’t handle. My biggest concern was whether I’d be done with those trips before needing to leave the house for the procedure. News flash: I was. No emergency stops at a fast-food restaurant bathroom along the way were required.
My colonoscopy was scheduled at a local suburban endoscopy center affiliated with Brigham and Women’s, which was very convenient to have an option close to home. I was very nervous about what was about to happen, but the nurses and staff were so remarkably kind. I couldn’t have felt better cared for.
I received conscious sedation (which I prefer because anesthesia that puts you to sleep gives me a lot of anxiety) and I didn’t feel any pain. Although I felt “loopy” and sleepy, I was able to participate in conversation with the team performing the colonoscopy. After about eight minutes, I was done. That was it! I couldn’t believe it. I recovered in the post procedure recovery room for about an hour before I was able to go home. My ride was waiting for me (no driving after any anesthesia!) and when I got home about 15 minutes later, I headed straight to the coffee pot for that caffeine I so desperately missed over the last 24 hours.
My colonoscopy came back with no concerning findings but because some immediate family members have a history of polyps, I was instructed to return for another one in five years (instead of the typical 10 years).
If you have delayed your colonoscopy, I’m here to tell you that if this scaredy-cat can do it, so can you. It was honestly a very easy process and procedure. Don’t let colonoscopies continue to get a bad rap. Make that phone call and gather your laxative and clear liquids. Bottoms up!
To schedule a screening colonoscopy, call your primary care physician for a referral or the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Gastroenterology at (617) 732-7426.
For over a century, a leader in patient care, medical education and research, with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery.
About BWH
