Because I'd read so much here on the night of my prep, I thought I'd pay it back (and forward) and give you my experience. Just to break it down -
1 - MoviPrep was the cleansing agent of my doctors choice. Luckily, I didn't find this board until after downing the 1st liter. After seeing my mom have to do the gallon jug NASTY prep & then next time pills and massive liquid that caused her horrific pain (she has IBS), this "seemed" like a breeze. Pre-empt by saying, "personally I can drink more than a camel", so volume isn't an issue - taste, well, who wants to drink something that isn't refreshing? Gag reflex - don't have a strong one to speak of so it wasn't a problem.
Prep Night - MoviPrepTaste - yes, it is salty and lemon flavored and isn't something I'd ever request at a bar. However, the 1st liter was very drinkable for me. The 1st liter I took without even a chaser (8oz every 15 mins for an hour). Gulp, gulp... 2oz down, 13 minutes left... gulp, gulp, 2 more oz down, 10 mins left... rinse and repeat. I did use a straw, made sure it was very cold and got to where it was a game to get it all down before the 15 mins were up. Was it yummy, no, but was it the worst ever in my life of things, heck no... This was VERY doable. By the 32nd oz, I was welcoming the 16 ounces of "clear beverage" and managed to down 32oz of Lemon Gatorade as my follow up liquid (realize at this point I didn't realize there was such a thing as a chaser or better way to take it, but I survived without any major grumbling/complaining and did mind over matter for it just being not the most tasty thing ever - Honestly, I thought, this isn't too bad for the 1st 32 ozs!). 60 minutes after starting, I felt a little tummy rumble. 75 minutes after starting, I had my 1st successful "cough" anal purge. Yeah, wish my DR told me salad was NOT a good choice for dinner on the 2 previous nights! (thought I'd be helping things along!) After MANY successful trips to the bathroom, by 9pm, things had settled down to once every 20-30 minutes, but the next liter was due to be started. MUST haves - baby wipes and Vaseline or Destin like cream... have external hemmroids and didn't have any problem with the prep (more later).
1st - words of advice, don't read message boards about how horrible it is before starting your 2nd liter (or 1st for that matter)
2nd - ASK your GI/Surgeon what constitutes cleaned out in a bowel movement. I thought I had to be having CLEAR only. By 8pm I was only having pure water works that was medium to light yellow in nature with maybe one tiny lettuce flake in it every other time. Had I known what to be looking for in the prep, I could have saved myself maybe 16-24oz of the 2nd prep!
Now on to the 2nd liter. By this time, I'd read all the boards, thought I should be puking everything up based on what I'd read, was a little apprehensive and thought, I CAN DO THIS, despite my butt telling me, you really don't need to do it again (btw, baby wipes and destin or vaseline is your FRIEND)!
This is where asking your doctor what to see for a good prep is a GREAT question. Had I known what I was looking for, yes, I would have done another 8oz, maybe another 16oz, but NEVER would have finished the 32oz because I was as watery as a whistle with just a yellow color. Needless to say the 2nd liter was a little more mind over matter, holding my breath, adding ice and doing chasers with ginger ale. But I managed to do the whole 2nd liter, even though I probably didn't need but another 8oz of the stuff! I did it because I COULD and wanted to answer, YES, I finished all my bowel prep like a good little girl, now I dare you to tell me it wasn't good enough! The second round was not as eventful as the 1st, but I was in the bathroom until 1am and my anxiety kept me up all night!
NOTE - Worst part for me was no water by mouth after 12pm. I did cheat a little and had a glass of water between 12-2am, since I figured my procedure was at 10:30am and I had the same instructions as someone who would have been at 8:30am... figured I could push it 2 hours. Then, since sleep wasn't an option for me since I was stressed, at 5, 5:30 and 6 I had a TINY sip of water, then by 7am, I HAD to have Ice Chips to melt in my mouth for the next hour because I was dying of thirst. To me, it's not fair to have someone still going between 12-1am and tell them they can't have fluids after midnight. Without this tiny indiscresion, I doubt they could have hit a vein on me the next morning because I would have been too dehydrated!
Overall assessment - Moviprep doesn't taste that great, very salty, but palatable! It was only with the last 16oz that I had to really, REALLY do mind over matter and just FORCE it down. Would definately use it again as a prep, but would make sure when DR. felt I was cleaned out enough and stop there so as not to dehydrate myself unnecessarily.
PROCEDURE DAY!
So, went to register, and while the lady was sweet as can be and sympathetic, she proceded to state she'd had a colonoscopy a few months ago and it was horrible. I'm like CRAP (figuratively, since literally I've got none left)! Then I said I did Movi-Prep and she said she'd done it as well and would never do it again (I know people have different experiences, but, it REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wasn't that bad!) She then did procede to make me feel better by saying I won't know a thing during the procedure (the most focal thing on my mind at that time since I had no clue how they did sedation).
So, they call me back, lots of question, and the lady comes in to do the IV. See, I have a significant fear of needles. Stems from getting stuck 14 times as a 10 year old child while trying to have an oral surgery, and then having a direct palatel shot to numb me because they couldn't ever hit a vein. NEVER should have happened, but it did and now, if you pull a needle out, my reflex is to tense my butt up and say NOOOOOOOOO. So fear/phoebia probably doesn't really describe it. Oh, and I have small wormy veins. So, she was sweet, stuck me, told me to breath, then said I'm right beside the vein (damn rolly veins) and then backed out and hit it (was worried I'd be too dehydrated to hit it... thank god for the ice chips this morning!). Afterwards, she knew how stressed I was and suggested they hit me with Versad ASAP! Had a hit and was happy as a camper... wheeled to the room, asked a few questions, still nervous, they hit me with a 2nd dose of Versad just cause I was that nervous, asked the surgeon for one request, to "be gentle", got a laugh, he said he was ready and the next thing I remember is my family walking into recovery and I'd been talking to the surgeon before they got there. Yes, I can so understand how Michael Jackson got addicted to this drug called Propefal (sp?)!
Passed some silent gas (had some minor cramps for about 15 seconds before passing gas), woke up a little more, got dressed and was on my way home. Had a baked potato, slept from 1-4:30, woke, had some dinner and am now here typing this review! I do have some external hemmriods and they were a little sore today just from the procedure. Took 2 advil and a hot epsom salt bath at 7pm and feeling much better.
RESULTS -
Had to have Colonoscopy done at age 38 due to 6-7 inches of thickening on my right colon on oral contrast CT Scan for a hernia (could be something, could be contraction?). Worried myself sick over what it could be. While I've had some abdominal symptoms, could easily be explained with other explinations as well as what I'd conjured in my mind from my research of this thickening. NO THICKENING observed during colonoscopy. 1 polyp found and removed, waiting on results. Even if pre-cancerous, follow up scan in 3-5 years... if not, have another one at age 50. While not a perfect asshole, a damn good one!
SUMMARY -
Would I do it again next week? If I had to, without a doubt and with less fears!
PREP - MoviPrep for me was VERY tolerable and I'd request it again if I needed to have bowl prep. I didn't have to camp out in bathroom, but claimed the 1/2 bath as mine and went there OFTEN, complete with my baby wipes & cream. Taste wasn't great (very salty), but tolerable - cold prep/ice and chasers (sprite, ginger ale, gatorade) helped. Ask your doctor what is CLEANED and if you can stop early if you show 3-5 movements like those. I had yellow water after the 1st liter. I would have done another 8oz-16oz just to be sure, but it would have saved my the last 16oz of the stuff. After 20 movements of clear yellow fluid, I'd think I could have stoped a few ounces ago? Oh, and I've read other places and will say, I was FREEZING! Apparently this is a side effect? Got in tub to warm up for a few between drinking liters. For me thirst was HORRIBLE (especially since I was up all night anxious and was probably dehydrated). Don't tell me to stop fluids at midnight if I'm still losing them like crazy in the bathroom up until 1am. Ask your doctor about water, how late you can just drink it before procedure, and if you can have tiny sips and ice chips if it becomes unbearable (for me it was and I just did it after researching internet, and it was fine, but I made sure to tell the anesthesiologist exactly what I'd consumed).
PROCEDURE - Find out what you are getting BEFORE HAND! I wasn't sure if I'd have versed and darvacet (kinda awake and I was worried about this!) or Michael Jackson Juice as I've named it (propefol (sp?))... worried about this for 4 days but didn't want to bother the doctor with yet another question. Neddle phobia (due to 14 attempts at IV), but they were GREAT with the IV! I think my ice chips helped because I was so thirsty, dehydrated and have small veins. LUCKILY, my procedure was at the outpatient hospital, I didn't have to ask about Versed because they immediately said, you NEED a shot of VERSED. If you are that anxious, as soon as they get the needle in, tell them you are kinda freaking out and do they have anything to take the edge off? It definately took the edge of the 5 minutes before the procedure. Saw the doctor, told him I was nervous (nurses rushed in with another dose of versed) and managed to say, I just have one request, "be gentle!". They all laughed, he said I'm ready and next thing I knew I was in recovery behind the curtain not knowing what I was talking to Dr. about, but managing to introduce him to my mom and husband.
POST - PROCEDURE - Awake, talking in a haze, but still on my side, asked to stay that way and pass gas. I was FREEZING! Had to get 2 warm blankets and hubbies fleece pull over over my legs. Little did they all know I'd had a few long and silent ones up to that point (had about 5 seconds of cramping before I passed some gas, but quickly went away). They took off the monitor things (ekg, O2 monitor, oxygen, IV), made sure I'd passed gas, then let me get dressed and made me be wheeled out to hubbies car.
POST-POST-PROCEDURE - Got home, had a baked potato with butter and sour cream, fell asleep and slept for 4.5 hours (remember I didn't sleep last night). Woke up, felt a little clearer headed, got homework done with son and took it easy. I have external hemmroids and they were a little "abused" if that is the right word. Took an epsom salt bath and 2 advil and it helped. This discomfort was probably the worst of it all for me and not more than a regular flare (now mentally, I was a basket case, but hope never to be again!). Had Pasta for dinner and am ready for a good meal tomorrow after Weight Watchers weigh in... LOL, does a colostomy help or hurt with weight lose? All the Sodium/salt vs. being clean vs. needing a good meal?