Colonoscopy

Monday, Oct 11, 2021, around 5pm:
I returned from a colonoscopy 90 minutes ago. They called Friday morning to remind me and asked me if I've been following the diet since Monday. Oops, diet? So I started fasting at 7 on Friday, so I'll have had almost a 3-day fast.

Tip: The day-before clean-out prep starts working quickly. To be safe, after you start drinking it, don't fart. If you feel you need to, do it on the toilet. 'Nuff said...

I arranged to have the colonoscopy with no sedation. The main motivation was to not participate in making the US health care system more expensive than it needs to be. (I had foot surgery a while back with only novocaine, and it was fine. I figured if I can have a root canal while conscious, novocaine for a food problem should be fine. I was correct.)

I mentioned the "no sedation" to my primary care physician. He thought I was crazy. I told him I thoroughly researched it, but he dismissed that...

I figured if there was discomfort, I could be rational and compartmentalize it. After all, there's no damage to the body in the procedure. And there are lots of stories on the web of it being okay- especially these days- the equipment has gotten better and better.

A bonus was that I got to see the maybe-32-inch monitor the doctor was looking at- an unexpected new experience in introspection!

The doctor had done these before. No sedation was a standard option. Well, not completely standard. They didn't question the request when I made it when I arranged the appointment. But they had to add it in pen to the form I signed.

The doctor still wanted a backup driver named in case I complained and they had to put me under. But I didn't have anyone. She said if it was too bad, they'd have to stop and reschedule. I listened politely.

I figured it couldn't be any worse that a bad case of the runs. And unlike the foot surgery, my body wasn't going to be harmed. There was nothing to fear. There were studies on the web that said people rated the pain about a 2.5 on a 1-10 scale. Another study said that people that have it with no sedation tend to do the same the next time and tend not to delay the next one any more than people who do it unconscious.

The procedure was mostly weird. There was some discomfort. A couple of times when it was snaking around corners, it was worse than the pre-cleansing. I even sweated a couple of times, but just briefly.

My only criticism: For such an intimate 20 minutes together, there could have been more conversation! The doctor was largely silent. She warned me before a couple of the bad turns and gave me notice when there was just a minute or so left.

I got a clean bill of health- no polyps found. I'm 64. The doctor said I should return for another in 10 years.

Dinner tonight was a big salad. I took a Trader Joe's salad, added a bit more chicken, some fresh tomato, half an avocado, and a bit of extra olive oil+vinegar+herb salad dressing. I washed it down with a tangerine+orange kombucha to start a new microbiome. Then I had a bit of rice with chicken and pepper sauce, with a bit of juice and two different kinds of acidophilus.

A half hour later, I realized I overate. Again...