My Experience

I have a family history of colon cancer and I have been having rectal bleeding. I’m 54 and was supposed to have a colonoscopy at 40. A friend had a bad experience from sedation so I decided to have the exam unsedated. Several doctors told me “no way” until I found a friendly young woman gastroenterologist who said no problem with no sedation. She did tell me it was unusual and it may be a little uncomfortable. She also told me she had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and received colonoscopies unsedated.

I did the 1 gallon of GoLYTELY liquid the day before; I added Crystal Lite Lemonade to it and it wasn’t too bad to drink. I started at 2 pm and was done with the bathroom trips well before bedtime.

I arrived (I drove myself, which you can’t do going back if you get sedation) and changed into a gown. A nurse took my vitals and asked if I felt dehydrated to see if I needed an IV, which she said was a good idea so she started one. The doctor came in, we chatted briefly and she took me into the endoscopy suite. She reassured me that the exam wasn’t a big deal, did a rectal exam, checked my prostate and slipped the scope in. I watched the progress on the screen and she explained everything including the biopsies and polyps. I had no pain except for a few minor gas pains. The exam took about 30 minutes total; it was longer than I expected but it was interesting. As soon as she removed the scope, the nurse took me into the recovery room, took my vitals and I got dressed immediately. The doctor came over and explained the results to me; she said she would call with the pathology results, but it looked like I would need pretty frequent exams for awhile. I drove myself home immediately after the procedure.