Good evening loyal readers!
Today I had one of the rites of passage for turning 50 a little while ago (ok two years almost)! And I don't mean joining AARP-I had my first colonoscopy today. I had put it off upon turning 50, but between a friend recently being diagnosed with colon cancer and my doc getting on to me during my recent physical, I signed up for the test. Like everyone, I have heard the horror stories about colonoscopy preparation. The solution tastes awful. You are stuck in your bathroom all night. You cramp/feel nauseous/throw-up while blowing out your colon etc. etc. etc.
So last week when I picked up my Suprep Colon Cleanse kit and read the instructions, I was a bit concerned to say the least. To top it off, a friend and business partner had a colonoscopy last week and "helpfully" shared her distaste for how the stuff tasted. Now I can eat just about anything once, and some weird stuff that others don't like (Kimchi for one) so I thought at a minimum I can chug it down without too much issue.
Two nights ago because of my schedule I ate dinner really early and didn't snack much afterwards. Tuesday AM I ate a very light amount of breakfast and stuck to light fluids, black coffee and hot tea the rest of the day until 6 PM. PREP TIME! The Suprep colonoscopy prep kit is a two-bottle, split prep system, so one bottle gets mixed with cold water (I used ice water) the night before your colonoscopy and the second about 3 hours before your procedure. It's clear, but has a cough syrup grape-ish flavoring. True to my friend's warning, it has an oily feel more than syrupy, which is a little off-putting. IMHO it's not truly gag-worthy, but again, I've eaten and drunk some weird stuff from my Navy and travel days. Down it went in two long drafts and I waited for....
At about 30 minutes in, and one more cup of water of the two I had to drink down, my gut was telling me I should head to the head in Navy-speak. No massive cramp or pain, just a signal that the Suprep was working. Work it did, as for the next two hours I pretty much expelled everything in me at 20 minute intervals. But I never really had any cramping, bloating or pain-I've had much worse experiences from mild food poisoning or a recent batch of low quality nachos and jalapenos! I had thought things would continue until fatigue set in, but actually everything tapered off at about the 3 hour mark and I pretty much had a routine night of sleep.
This morning it was a bit harder getting the Suprep down mainly due to the consistency more than the taste. Still got all 16 ounces don't without gagging, and within two hours I was cleansed. Again, no cramping or bloating. Also, thankfully, all urges had passed long before the drive to the clinic-I actually felt completely normal if somewhat dehydrated. And, for what it's worth, never was really hungry. Maybe that's cause I've got my "winter diving fat" on year-round now!
Oh, and the colonoscopy? 30 seconds after getting the "twilight sedation" I was completely out. Solid hour or so nap while they checked me out and I'm good to go. No polyps or issues.
So the bottom line is if you need a colonoscopy and have the option or just get the Suprep Kit, it's not too bad, and you'll likely never remember the actual procedure.
