Why not just fast for two days or more? I'm not saying it would be medically appropriate for anyone or even for myself but I could do it.

For the food part, one could fast so there's less stuff to clean out. But doing it to avoid taking the prep solution won't fly; there's no way to get cleaned out enough for them to do a colonoscopy. What's coming out the back end has to be clear liquid, maybe tinged with a little yellow.

How long does it take to digest food?

Also...When you go to the procedure area they ask all kinds of questions about when you had your last water, last prep solution, etc. If you tell them you never took the prep solution and just fasted, I'm guessing there's a very good chance they would cancel the procedure on the spot. Around here they charge people $300 for cancelling fewer than three business days before the scheduled colonoscopy. You could be on the hook for a cancellation fee for failure to follow the prep instructions.

I'm due for mine this fall. This thread is great, because misery loves company.

Also also…the prep is very dehydrating. Try to drink extra water/stay hydrated. It makes it easier to find your veins for the IV sedation.

I’ll try harder…next time.

wtg, I'll read your link. Thanks.

I will say bluntly having "the runs" is one of life's most miserable experiences. I took too many laxatives one time (what happened to be way too many) and had them for seven days straight. I won't forget it as long as I live.

Misery loves company. Lol.

Monday is the day. Endoscopy, too.

I'm scared.

The prep protocol including how much the want you to drink and how fast seems unbelievable.

I'm going to Walmart to buy everything this morning including a pack of (TMI alert, beep, beep, beep) a pack of adult diapers because there is no way I'm going to make it from my bed to the bathroom.

I'm sensitive to laxatives. I don't take them and the sheer amount of liquid the want you drink is at a rate I never drink liquid let alone filled with two iirc strong drugs.

I think it's going to be twelve hours of hell and there's no way I'm going to get any sleep.

But anyway, the procedures are scheduled and the paperwork is done.

Good luck, Daniel. I found drinking a clear soda (7-up, Sprite) a bit of a help in dealing with the prep - keeping hydrated and knocking down the taste a bit.

You may well make it through the night but the adult diapers are a good idea, just in case.

Maybe I mentioned it earlier, but I found drinking the prep through a straw made it much easier. The taste of the liquid didn't coat my entire mouth.

And I'm not someone who normally drinks fluids in the quantities they tell you to, but even I didn't find it particularly onerous.

Scheduled for July 31. Got a room next to the hospital to avoid the blocked highway that prevented the procedure last time.
Also scheduled for and endoscopy at the same time. Hope the cameras don't meet.

Thanks, both.

Spent all day driving around town. RM had to be driven to an outpatient procedure and two Walmart and home. I had to go to Walmart, get blood work, and Publix.

I'm exhausted.

On the other hand I didn't know until today when you Google an address and press "directions" it actually gives you a map and a voice tells you where to go. Somehow I just assumed you hit it and were given "paper" directions. Of course I'm in cars all the time with people driving this way. I didn't know how it worked and thought I'd hate. On the contrary I was driving all over town and didn't know where I was and didn't care. It was great.

Good luck, Chas. You've had some bad luck and done a lot to make this happen. I hope everything goes well.

I'm drinking the pitcher of Gatorade. I haven't had this much Gatorade in my life. This will take me hours.

I used my cellphone, Google for conversion charts, a Pyrex measuring cup, my reading glasses, etc. What if I didn't have these tools available to me? It would be impossible.

The changed the time from 6 am to 9 am on a Sunday in an email. Again, I needed my phone and wifi. I had to confirm. I did.

I won't post about until I survive the procedures.

Well, that was easy. Now that I've done I don't think if a person hasn't it's as bad as it might seem.

Board certified surgeon "my doctor", an MD, an RN, and an anesthesiaologist. I liked all three a lot but literally never saw my doctor. Lol.

State of the art operating room. I'll skip to the good part. The MD says she's going to turn down the lights. She does and only the work stations are illuminated. Then I pass out.

The bad news is they found polyps, and the pictures look a mess to me, although of course I don't know what I'm looking at, and am wondering why they gave me these pictures in the first place. I'm not framing them. That's for sure.

So, my muscles and nerves haven't finished waking up from the anesthesia yet. I think it's going to take a few days.

I have more tests and the follow is scheduled for early next month.

I'm trying not to worry (I told my PCP I was worried about perferforation and his response was-- "You worry about everything.").

In spite of my concern and recovery, I'm very glad I did it.

They did an endoscopy. I have no idea what the results will be. I didn't ask any questions about it.

I'm glad the procedures went off successfully. As to the findings, I think you can be certain that they are better than they might have been if you hadn't had them performed.

Big Al