Neverthesame
MyPTSD Pro
Last year I had to go for a colonoscopy, just a screening. I spoke of it here in the forums briefly, but didn't go into a lot of detail.
I have scoured the internet searching for the answer to this, but I can't find any definitive answer.
A quick outline of what happened:
- Prep a day prior, lots of laxatives. As in, a literal gallon.
- no food, or liquids containing certain dyes.
- Day of, offered sedatives for the procedure, I said no as sedatives can cause me to have a panic attack.
- They suggested running an IV line, without any meds going through it. As the sedatives can be given at anytime, just in case. I agreed, sounded like good sense.
- I was still taking Effexor at this time, took dose as per hospital instructions. Which was the normal time for me anyway, so no med related wierdnes.
-I did take an alieve? :Spelling: (NSAID over the counter headache tablet. Napproxen sodium) the day of prep. I informed the nursing staff, they didn't think it would be a problem. (small chance of extra bleeding, should bleeding occur).
- Elevated blood pressure going in, mildly tachycardic. 135/93 110bpm. Hypertension was from the Effexor. That was my normal resting while on that drug. The tachycardia, well... I was about to have a 6 foot endoscope shoved up my ass, while wide awake and sober. Lol. I thought I was pretty calm considering.
I was wheeled into the room, met the doctor and nurse (she was really cute, figures.)
The doctor did something I wasn't overly fond of, but I let it go right after. As soon as he heard I was doing this without sedatives, he said. "hmm, well let's see if your relaxed enough without meds. Then promptly stuck in a lubricated finger. (As I said I wasn't keen on that.) I understand why he did it, if I was going to freak out about the procedure, that would have done it. I don't agree with it, but I understand that he is very busy with a massive case load. Having to go real slow and easy on some guy who is likely trying to prove how tough he is by waving off the drugs is just going to screw up his patient schedule for the day. I let it go. This was also the only thing that bothered me about the doctor, everything else was totally above board.
Anyway, so I am rather enjoying watching this on the big monitor, it's not every day one gets a chance to really see inside themselves. Pun intended.
For anyone who is wondering, the inside of a large intestine is basically a long pink tube with muscular rings, looks quite similar to a dryer exhaust tube. After a gallon of laxatives there is remarkably little poo. If you are interested I highly recommend looking up colonoscopy on YouTube. Quite a few videos, some of healthy bowels, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis and what I was being screened for, colorectal cancer (which I don't have, thank God). I believe there is also one of what happens when you go into a colonoscopy without following the prep instructions. (not for the faint of stomach, it's pretty shitty. Again pun intended)
To the point:
As the endoscope was being pushed past the second curve leading into the ascending colon, I began experiencing a lot of pain, I mean a lot of pain. It was like being kicked in the stomach from the inside. The doctor had to pause, readjust and try again. Same thing. Here's where it all went downhill. The nurse asked if I would be willing to take the sedatives, I said yes, should have said no.
She plugs the syringe into the IV line, bam! Instant panic attack. Poor girl had to fight like hell to keep me from pulling myself off the end of the gurney, and dragging the endoscope and probably her with me onto the floor. Meanwhile the doctor is trying to pull 4 feet of camera out of my butt as fast as he could. Not fun. I don't remember being wheeled back to recovery, I don't think I lost much time. The sedatives as least were short term, I felt awake again in about an hour. Can't remember what the specific drug was.
I was kicking myself pretty good after that. The fact that I managed to get the panic under control so quickly, made it feel worse. Especially since this was probably the first time in years that I actually felt like the staff were competent and caring. (mind you this was not the ER). They were all very good with me. Even the one I wrestled with had nothing but concern and compassion on her face after.
As a testament to how on the ball they were. After I had gotten dressed, I grabbed a wipe from a dispenser on the table, and was about wipe the thing on my face, when a loud voice came through the closed curtain, "Don't use that on your skin, it's for disinfecting counter tops!" oops. Sure enough, said so right on the container I didn't bother to read.
There's another bit to this, thanks to anyone who has managed to read through all of this so far.
A few days later I had to do another prep for a different procedure to finish the exam I freaked out during. This was a virtual colonoscopy, it involved a different laxative (a way better tasting one I might add. The first one tasted like a mixture of sugar and burning plastic)
I also had to drink a small glass of radio dye, as well as a half litre of barium (the dye was pretty gross, but it was only a mouthful, and the barium was actually kind of good, sort of a Pepto-Bismol flavour but a bit more chalky.)
First thing the next morning, different area of same hospital. I had my vitals done again, this was also the second day of taking the Prazosin. Almost got admitted. Blood pressure was 110/80 tachycardic again, 140bpm. Wasn't even nervous about this procedure. Was asked several times if I was having chest pain, I honestly wasn't. I felt fine.
I was delayed going in the CT scanner as an emergency case took priority, after that I was given a drug that would slow the motion of the large intestine to allow a clear picture. Then and here is where it starts going downhill again, a tube was inserted into my backside to inflate the large intestine. Not long after that was in there I started to feel awful. The pain was back, add to that I started getting dizzy, nauseated, broke into a cold sweat and started seeing stars. I had to get off the table, I was again being wrestled down by a nurse. I told them to pull the bloody thing out of me. They half listened, she turned the air off.
Instant relief. I asked if they could keep the pressure lower, they said yes. Problem solved. They asked if I was just feeling uncomfortable from the pressure. They looked genuinely surprised when I said "no, that was chuffing agony."
After all was done I was sitting in a chair looking at my vitals, drinking the orange juice they gave me, again being asked if I was having chest pain, lol.
What I want to know is, why does pressure in my large intestine do that too me? Apparently according to the tests I took, there is nothing at all wrong with me. But why was that so painful?
As far as I am aware I have never had anything go wrong with that part of my anatomy, for any reason. I have never had a lower GI injury, I was never sexually abused. I am a prudish Catholic, but I was actually not that embarrassed by any of that. I can't figure it out. Anyone have a theory? My doctor doesn't have a clue either.
I have scoured the internet searching for the answer to this, but I can't find any definitive answer.
A quick outline of what happened:
- Prep a day prior, lots of laxatives. As in, a literal gallon.
- no food, or liquids containing certain dyes.
- Day of, offered sedatives for the procedure, I said no as sedatives can cause me to have a panic attack.
- They suggested running an IV line, without any meds going through it. As the sedatives can be given at anytime, just in case. I agreed, sounded like good sense.
- I was still taking Effexor at this time, took dose as per hospital instructions. Which was the normal time for me anyway, so no med related wierdnes.
-I did take an alieve? :Spelling: (NSAID over the counter headache tablet. Napproxen sodium) the day of prep. I informed the nursing staff, they didn't think it would be a problem. (small chance of extra bleeding, should bleeding occur).
- Elevated blood pressure going in, mildly tachycardic. 135/93 110bpm. Hypertension was from the Effexor. That was my normal resting while on that drug. The tachycardia, well... I was about to have a 6 foot endoscope shoved up my ass, while wide awake and sober. Lol. I thought I was pretty calm considering.
I was wheeled into the room, met the doctor and nurse (she was really cute, figures.)
The doctor did something I wasn't overly fond of, but I let it go right after. As soon as he heard I was doing this without sedatives, he said. "hmm, well let's see if your relaxed enough without meds. Then promptly stuck in a lubricated finger. (As I said I wasn't keen on that.) I understand why he did it, if I was going to freak out about the procedure, that would have done it. I don't agree with it, but I understand that he is very busy with a massive case load. Having to go real slow and easy on some guy who is likely trying to prove how tough he is by waving off the drugs is just going to screw up his patient schedule for the day. I let it go. This was also the only thing that bothered me about the doctor, everything else was totally above board.
Anyway, so I am rather enjoying watching this on the big monitor, it's not every day one gets a chance to really see inside themselves. Pun intended.
For anyone who is wondering, the inside of a large intestine is basically a long pink tube with muscular rings, looks quite similar to a dryer exhaust tube. After a gallon of laxatives there is remarkably little poo. If you are interested I highly recommend looking up colonoscopy on YouTube. Quite a few videos, some of healthy bowels, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis and what I was being screened for, colorectal cancer (which I don't have, thank God). I believe there is also one of what happens when you go into a colonoscopy without following the prep instructions. (not for the faint of stomach, it's pretty shitty. Again pun intended)
To the point:
As the endoscope was being pushed past the second curve leading into the ascending colon, I began experiencing a lot of pain, I mean a lot of pain. It was like being kicked in the stomach from the inside. The doctor had to pause, readjust and try again. Same thing. Here's where it all went downhill. The nurse asked if I would be willing to take the sedatives, I said yes, should have said no.
She plugs the syringe into the IV line, bam! Instant panic attack. Poor girl had to fight like hell to keep me from pulling myself off the end of the gurney, and dragging the endoscope and probably her with me onto the floor. Meanwhile the doctor is trying to pull 4 feet of camera out of my butt as fast as he could. Not fun. I don't remember being wheeled back to recovery, I don't think I lost much time. The sedatives as least were short term, I felt awake again in about an hour. Can't remember what the specific drug was.
I was kicking myself pretty good after that. The fact that I managed to get the panic under control so quickly, made it feel worse. Especially since this was probably the first time in years that I actually felt like the staff were competent and caring. (mind you this was not the ER). They were all very good with me. Even the one I wrestled with had nothing but concern and compassion on her face after.
As a testament to how on the ball they were. After I had gotten dressed, I grabbed a wipe from a dispenser on the table, and was about wipe the thing on my face, when a loud voice came through the closed curtain, "Don't use that on your skin, it's for disinfecting counter tops!" oops. Sure enough, said so right on the container I didn't bother to read.
There's another bit to this, thanks to anyone who has managed to read through all of this so far.
A few days later I had to do another prep for a different procedure to finish the exam I freaked out during. This was a virtual colonoscopy, it involved a different laxative (a way better tasting one I might add. The first one tasted like a mixture of sugar and burning plastic)
I also had to drink a small glass of radio dye, as well as a half litre of barium (the dye was pretty gross, but it was only a mouthful, and the barium was actually kind of good, sort of a Pepto-Bismol flavour but a bit more chalky.)
First thing the next morning, different area of same hospital. I had my vitals done again, this was also the second day of taking the Prazosin. Almost got admitted. Blood pressure was 110/80 tachycardic again, 140bpm. Wasn't even nervous about this procedure. Was asked several times if I was having chest pain, I honestly wasn't. I felt fine.
I was delayed going in the CT scanner as an emergency case took priority, after that I was given a drug that would slow the motion of the large intestine to allow a clear picture. Then and here is where it starts going downhill again, a tube was inserted into my backside to inflate the large intestine. Not long after that was in there I started to feel awful. The pain was back, add to that I started getting dizzy, nauseated, broke into a cold sweat and started seeing stars. I had to get off the table, I was again being wrestled down by a nurse. I told them to pull the bloody thing out of me. They half listened, she turned the air off.
Instant relief. I asked if they could keep the pressure lower, they said yes. Problem solved. They asked if I was just feeling uncomfortable from the pressure. They looked genuinely surprised when I said "no, that was chuffing agony."
After all was done I was sitting in a chair looking at my vitals, drinking the orange juice they gave me, again being asked if I was having chest pain, lol.
What I want to know is, why does pressure in my large intestine do that too me? Apparently according to the tests I took, there is nothing at all wrong with me. But why was that so painful?
As far as I am aware I have never had anything go wrong with that part of my anatomy, for any reason. I have never had a lower GI injury, I was never sexually abused. I am a prudish Catholic, but I was actually not that embarrassed by any of that. I can't figure it out. Anyone have a theory? My doctor doesn't have a clue either.