Next week Edward is scheduled for an endoscopy/colonoscopy to see if his anemia is related to something intestinal. He’ll be unconscious for it, which is for me the most nerve-wracking part. When Elizabeth had her tonsillectomy a couple of years ago, one of the worst moments was when they put the mask on her face and her eyes went panicky. It’s a mercifully short moment, but it’s challenging to have a calm and soothing parental reaction to panicked child-eyes in an operating room. I might be better at it this time because I am prepared for it to happen—or it might be worse, because I will be anticipating it.
As with Elizabeth’s surgery, my anxiety about Edward’s procedure has found its outlet in shopping-based activities. I took longer than you would think possible in the juice aisle at the grocery store (there is a 3-day prep involving significant juice), selecting sports drinks and juice boxes as if my choices could guide the doctor’s hands. (And really, I think this will go better if the one who went to medical school guides his own hands.)
The recovery time is predicted to be much, much shorter than with a tonsillectomy: a day or two instead of two weeks or more. Still, I wanted to get him a few Prep/Procedure/Recovery Presents.
(photo from Amazon.com)
He recently mentioned a video game we got rid of because it was all scratched up, and I happen to already have a replacement copy of it in the gift cupboard, so that’s going to be one. (Or I might give it to him the day before, when he has to miss school because of the pre-procedure.)
(photo from Amazon.com)
He got an Etch-a-Sketch for Christmas, but it was defective and started leaking grit all over the place. I waited to replace it because I thought the company might do so when I contacted them (they didn’t)—but it’s good I waited, because that’s the perfect toy for someone who is on the couch for a day or two.
(photo from Amazon.com)
We’re also getting him a Webkinz hamster he wanted. Some Webkinz are “basic” Webkinz that just get you access to the Webkinz site; others, such as the hamsters, are special ones that, when added to a basic Webkinz account, give you increased access to particular features/areas of the site.
(photo from Amazon.com)
And we’re getting him the Brain Quest 3rd Grade Workbook. He was very enthusiastic about getting this awhile back, but the kids have had such enthusiasms before and then didn’t actually do anything with the acquired workbooks. A perfect gift for when it might not be a success and it wouldn’t really matter.
Oh dear that stinks, but it’s good to take steps to figure out why!
Sending good thoughts, good vibes, prayers, and whatever you want/need from California.
Many thoughts: I have endometriosis and had a colonoscopy when I was 29 because the endo is in my gut. The prep is definitely the worst – the actual colonoscopy is quick and easy. Having a video game for the prep is an EXCELLENT idea. I would keep the etchasketch in the bathroom – poor guy will be spending a lot of time there. I highly, HIGHLY recommend Clear Ensure or clear Pedialyte with protein – totally safe for before surgery: http://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Clear+ensure It is expensive on amazon but cheaper at CVS. The protein in the clear ensure will make the lack of food easier to tolerate.
A week or so before the prep, a high-fiber diet won’t hurt and can make the official prep easier. Stop all fiber before you start the prep.
I have had many medical procedures because of the endo and endoscopy was by far the easiest. I hope that is reassuring!
I remember reading how you scrubbed the bathroom as soon as you realized you were pregnant with Henry, before the nausea set in. You might want to do that again, because Edward will be spending a lot of time there.
I come out of surgery starving – my favorites are soft-boiled eggs and oatmeal. Let him eat anything he wants. There aren’t dietary restrictions after. He won’t be in any pain after but wil be sleepy.
I was crying before my first ever surgery because I was scared. (I was 29, just diagnosed with endo) The nurse was gently wiping my tears when my doctor came over. He said it was okay to be scared but he was there now and it would all be okay and then he kissed my forehead. They knocked me out at that second, so my last thought was very peaceful and reassuring. He’s a good guy. (And he’s done four more endo surgeries, plus all the IVF!) i can’t imagine how scary it is for you as the mom.
Best of luck. I hope it is all good news.
This is very comforting and helpful. I’m adding clear Ensure/Pedialyte to the list!
Hi Swistle! I just want to hopefully make you feel better about the procedure. I am 35 and started having annual colonoscopies when I was 15, sometimes with two in one year. So I have had more than 20 colonoscopies. It is really just the prep that is awful. And mostly it’s not being able to eat when everyone else is eating. So if you could avoid cooking yummy smelling things while he is on the house that is something that may help him. Have the other kids maybe go out to eat with Paul the night before or something. Or make something he doesn’t like for dinner. The drink tastes bad depending on what they have him drink. Although I think all of the prep drinks are pretty gross. Once that is done though, the procedure is quick. I LOVE the drugs at the hospital…..I look foward to that relaxed feeling right before I drift off. Once it’s over, it’s over. I have never had any pain after, just drowsiness. I always pick a meal I want to eat as the first meal after. I usually decide on the day I am not allowed to eat. I get a craving and then whoever is my caretaker gets that meal for me right when we get home. Good luck!
My son has had several of the same procedures. The first time we mixed the prep med with yellow Gatorade, his favorite at the time. This was 3 or 4 years ago and he still won’t drink yellow Gatorade. It has been the same with other drinks, now he usually just mixes it with water. So maybe don’t use his favorite juice. As the comments above say, the prep is the worst, my son feels fine after and wants to stop and eat on the way home.
Good luck with the endoscopy and recovery. I hope it all goes smoothly and you get some answers.
I just wanted to let you know that my daughter had the same procedure when she was 10. As other commenters have said, the day before is not much fun but she coped with it better than most adults do. She is quite picky so I thought she would refuse to drink the prep. We kept it very cold and she took it no problem. The day of the procedure was ok. I was upset when they put her under, but she was fine. Recovery was very quick. They said to expect drowsiness afterwards but she was perky. Requested chicken nuggets immediately after waking up and then watched movies all day in her new pjs that we let her pick out from Justice as a treat. The worst part was definitely waiting for the biopsy results, which were thankfully negative. I will be sending many positive thoughts that your experience goes as well as ours.
Adding another voice to the chorus of “The prep is the worst part.” It really is–the procedure itself is nothing. I also found the prep drink to be more tolerable when very cold. When he wakes up post-procedure, he may be a little drowsy/groggy, but will otherwise be his old self very quickly. It’s really an easy procedure, in terms of how it affects the body. Good luck to you both!
I wish I had something helpful to add, but I will just say best wishes with the entire experience. It is wonderful to have a mother think about all of the comfort items needed to make the days before and after a bit more pleasant.
I concur with the suggestion that the prep fluid be cold, the colder the better. Orange gatorade is palatable with the miralax.
I would add a couple of funny bathroom books to the prep-day presents. Calvin and Hobbes, perhaps?
I’ve had a fair few colonoscopies. Echoing other commenters, the great news is that the actual colonoscopy is a breeze. I’ve had two different kinds of anesthesia: the kind where I was completely unconscious, and one where I was awake but on some kind of drug that made it so I didn’t remember anything from the procedure. Both were fine but I preferred being unconscious because that type of anesthesia wears off a lot faster. I’ve never had any discomfort after a colonoscopy, and being able to eat some food afterward is the best part because I am always ravenously hungry. I have felt a little weird for a day or two afterwards, simply because my intestines are not used to being all empty/clean, but it’s not uncomfortable or painful or anything, just different than normal.
I hate the prep though. It’s important for me to approach it as a game of endurance, and have some reward system for checking off ounces drunk, or tallying them somehow so I can see progress and visually see how much further I have to go. If I approach it already dreading it then it just makes it a lot worse. Hopefully you can find a way to warn him “this experience is probably going to be a bit gross because it will make you go to the bathroom a lot”. If he likes typical “boy” humor he might think the whole thing is funny. Leaving the etch-a-sketch into the bathroom is a good idea. If he likes reading maybe there could be a new “bathroom book” in there. For me, drinking the stuff is worse than the constant bathroom trips. Towards the end for me there is always a bit of gagging (maybe a little vomit), because I feel like I’ve reached my saturation point for the stuff. Just wait a few minutes and try again, a little at a time, and don’t worry about it unless he pukes an entire glass’s worth.
I will say that the at-home prep is a lot easier and faster than inpatient prep, so you have that going for you. He might start feeling a little raw around the bum by the end of the prep, but probably nothing more than the discomfort you’d feel from eating food that was too spicy.
Oh, and it never fails – whenever I do the prep there’s ONE TIME when I think I just have gas and it’s actually fluid. So maybe have a pad or two on hand or warn him ahead of time that it probably isn’t gas and he should go to the toilet to be on the safe side. ;-)
Good luck!
I don’t know if the procedure has already happened yet, but I also wanted to leave a note of encouragement. When my son was 13 or 14 he had to have a colonoscopy + similar procedure from the other end (esophagogastroduodenoscopy). The prep was tough, and I had no idea how tough because I had not yet had to do this kind of prep myself. I remember being perplexed at how the instructions said to not drink/eat certain colors of juice or jello.
He came through fine, but for about a day after the procedure he was rather forgetful and disorganized. 24 hours after his procedure he went on a scout trip. He forgot to pack half the stuff he needed and it didn’t occur to me until afterwards that it might have been related to the anesthesia.
I would also recommend being ready with soft bland food for afterwards, just in case. When I had my procedure (a few years after my son had his), my innards were NOT immediately back to normal until at least 2 days later.
I hope everything goes well or went well.
Jumping on the “the prep is the worst part!’ bandwagon, and I’m not sure if I’m too late. But in case I’m not too late, I thought I’d mention a few things I didn’t read in comments.
I had an awful time drinking the prep. I was terrified about the colonoscopy, and I was starving. Drinking that prep was more than I could handle. It was nasty, and being already emotionally so frazzled from being nervous, I broke down. I cried with every sip I took. I think my biggest error was that I had been eating lemon jello all day long, and then the prep was lemon flavored, and that was just Too. Much. Lemon.
So if you can find out what flavor his prep is, try to avoid that flavor for the earlier part of the day.
Also, all the trips to the potty can make for a sore tush. You might want to have flushable wipes on hand to try to avoid him getting a raw bottom from all that wiping with toilet paper.
Good luck! The prep will be hard on him, and the procedure will be hard on you! I hope it all goes smoothly!
Oh yes! I forgot about the sore bum….it hasn’t happened to me in a few years, I am not sure why. But putting a generous amount of vaseline on the area after each trip to the bathroom will help a lot! The kind of drink he has to take will really be key. If he has to do Fleet, it’s pretty awful. It’s just really gross and thick and salty….but worse than that even because there is no other taste like it. I gagged it down every time with tears as an adult. If it’s miralax it will be much easier. For the past few years my doctor has had me take “half litely” which is not that bad, but still not yummy. The half litely comes with various flavor packets so you can choose which flavor. With miralax or Fleet you have to mix it with something of your choosing. I always mixed the Fleet with ginger ale and then I had a chaser of apple juice ready to go because the after taste is worse. Plugging my nose while chugging as much as I could helped too.
He’s on the Miralax method. It’s nice that it doesn’t taste like anything.
Why has nobody commented on the fact that the Etch A Sketch wasn’t replaced? I mean, really! If it was defective/broken upon receipt.. what the heck?