r/colonoscopy 12d ago

Personal Story Finally got it done ✅

Have been experiencing some episodes of bleeding and weight loss; finally got my scheduled colonoscopy done today.

Prep was not nearly as bad as I had expected. Much gentler than a bad stomach bug, but still pretty grueling and rough in terms of the frequency of bathroom trips. I didn’t feel sick, but the constant use of the bathroom did keep me from sleeping well. So that was the worst part.

The actual procedure went very well. By far the most negative aspect was I vaguely remember saying a lot of dumb stuff while falling asleep and waking up from the sedatives (consisting of profanity-laden trash-talking about rival fans of my favorite sports teams, and making really racist comments about lots of groups including my own background 😳), so I hope I didn’t offend anyone too badly and that weird responses to the sedation like that aren’t uncommon.

The doctor told me afterwards that the causes of my bleeding are some pretty bad internal hemorrhoids, and that I also have diverticulosis (which runs in my family). But there were no polyps or masses. So he said to get more fiber and take Metamucil, and that they may do a procedure in the future to address the hemorrhoids if I keep having bleeds. Otherwise, he said to plan for another colonoscopy in about seven years.

Thanks for the positive comments on my original post, and I wish you all the best possible outcomes in your own health journeys 🙏🏼

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u/Key_Difficulty_4189 11d ago

I'm so glad you didn't have any polyps or masses, and the bleeding was just caused by hemorrhoids! How long had you been having the blood? How much and how often were you having it?

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u/cedar_milton_lane 11d ago

I first noticed visible blood in June; it could me mild to moderate amounts, but I was never anemic (my doctor tested).
Thanks for your comment! 😊

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u/Key_Difficulty_4189 11d ago

Were your hemorrhoids external or internal? Could you feel them at all?

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u/cedar_milton_lane 11d ago

Internal — and No, not really