Big Day on Friday

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xJillx

xJillx

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Joined
Jan 7, 2011
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I have a busy testing day planned on Friday, and I am bit stressed and nervous. I will be having the pill cam and a flex sig. I have never done either of these tests, so I am not sure what to expect. A few other people on the forum have had recent flex sigs, and I learned to ask for sedation. But I am still nervous and worried about the results, of course.

And what a day it will be! Up at 4AM to take the morning enema before leaving my house at 5:30AM, (I never had an enema before, so am I allowing myself too much time for the enema to work or not enough??), arriving at the hospital at 6:30AM to swallow the pill cam, flex sig at 11:30AM, and hang around until 3:30pm to return the pill cam belt. I am going to be exhausted and very hungry!! Do you think I will be able to eat after the flex sig or will I have to wait until after I return the pill cam belt?
 
When I had my pill cam, I was on a strict schedule. This may vary, but this was my experience: Swallow the pill cam with one 8 oz glass of water at 8 AM. At 10 AM, I was allowed one more 8 oz glass of water. At noon I was allowed to eat a light lunch with another glass of water. After my lunch I was allowed to keep drinking water, and I was able to eat dinner after returning the pill cam belt at 4:30. So I would think that they'd let you eat lunch after your flex sig.

Good luck on Friday! Let us know how it goes!
 
Thanks, Cat!

How far along in the digestive tract did your pill cam get? I am crossing my fingers it will make it to the TI aka the money shot! But my GI said sometimes the battery dies before reaching it...
 
Mine got part way through the small bowel.They can't tell where which is a limitation of the test. It was delayed for a couple of hours in a segment of small bowel which with lots of nodules. I think most tend to reach the colon though. i could eat a small meal 2 hours after swallowing the pillcam.
 
I didn't get to see any images from my pill cam, but I was told it made it past my TI. Unfortunately, my pill cam was completely normal and they didn't see any indication of illness, so I'm still undiagnosed. :( Do you have to drink prep beforehand or just do the enema? I had to drink 1/2 prep the night before my pill cam. Yuck!
 
Thanks for the replies. I guess it is pretty safe to say it will reach my TI. That's good news.

Actually, Cat, the enema is for the flex sig. I am a lucky girl getting to do two preps at once! To prep for the pill cam, I can eat breakfast and lunch at noon, but then that's it for the day. At noon, I take two bisacodl tabs. Then, at 4pm, I start drinking my 32 oz. prep (an 8oz. bottle of Miralax mixed with 64 oz. of lemon-lime Gatorade), one cup every ten minutes. Then for my flex sig, I need to use an enema before bed, and one in the morning. I hope all of this prep doesn't send my Crohns into a frenzy!
 
Good luck friday! A pill cam is one test I never had. Why the flex sig over a full colonoscopy? I figure while they are in there, why not check the whole thing out.
 
Thanks, Joe, and good question. I am still wondering why I am not just doing the full colonoscopy, too. My husband and I asked the doctor this, but she said there is always a risk of bleeding and having issues with anesthesia. So, she suggested the pill cam to cover my GI tract up to the TI, and the scope to cover the rectum and descending colon. But, at this point, I think we should have just done the colonoscopy. There are no unanswered questions with a colonoscopy. But I agreed because my doc must know what's best and I thought I'd get a break on having to do prep - but I have to do that anyways for the pill cam! Watch, after all of this, she'll say she needs a better look and will then order a colonoscopy. I will not be a happy camper.
 
Good luck with it all xJillx. . . I had enemas morning and night for two months solid at one stage, it can be tricky enough to actually do.

I agree with you they will probably order the full colonoscopy after all this.

I never had a pill cam, but i am sure you will be fine.

Anyway good luck with it all

Bruscar
 
Aw besta luck for Friday Jill
I've never had a pill cam so can't help there, sorry
but I'm sure you'll be ok, try and chillax
xxxxx
 
It's possible the pill cam will get well past the TI and may even be expelled before the battery runs out, so you may not need a colonoscopy. I know a couple of radiology techs and although neither of them have dealt directly with pill cams, they told me stories they've heard from other techs about how the last images on some pill cams are of people looking down into their toilet! Apparently it's a fairly common thing, especially if you have a "fast transit time" like those of us with d tend to have. So I would imagine that at the very least, they'd make you wait for the pill cam results before deciding on whether or not to order a c-scope.
 
Good luck Jill,
When i had the pillcam done a couple weeks ago, i wasnt able to eat at all the day before the test(clear liquid diet) and then I had to take the prep the night before! And then i couldnt have anything at all after midnight, not even clear liquids. The i swallowed the pill at 9 am with some water which tasted gross cuz it had mylicon gas drops in it to prevent bubbles from being around the pillcam! Then i could not have anything for 2 hours, then i could resume clear liquids, 4 hours after i took the pill i was able to have a light lunch( i was starving) but they included examples of light lunch! i was still able to have clear liquids and then after 8 hrs i was back at the doctors and right on the dot, the flashing blue light turned orange and the battery was dead. I was instructed to not have any coffee or tea becasue they are too dark! So i hope all goes well for you and that you get some more explanations as to what is going on with you!
As for me well i am just completely frustrated, i finally got a call from my doctors office today, it was the secretary and she said that they finally got the report from my pillcam, and that it showed no explanation of my anemia....so i aske if it showed anything? and were they looking for anything else? Of course i have 50 million questions to ask about the results. She said the doctor would call me, and of course he did not! I just dont know what to do anymore! i am so frustrated and i just dont understand what is wrong with me. UGH!! I am sorry for venting on your thread Jill, i am just upset! :( I just reallly hpe that you get some answers1 Pkease keep us posted!
 
Good luck Jill and I hope the day goes okay ! You have a lot to deal with so sort out your treats and resting viewing for later :thumright:

What/where is the TI? Thanks

I'm sorry but this did make me laugh " the last images on some pill cams are of people looking down into their toilet! " :D
 
Thank you so much to everyone for your support. I don't know why I am really stressing about the day so much?!


Bruscar - I really hope they don't order a full colonoscopy next. All of this testing is getting to me. I pray that the pill cam, plus the flex sig will give my doc all she needs to see.

Sherry - I am so sorry your pill cam didn't give you the answers you wanted. These tests can be so frustrating. I swear, this will be the last imaging test I do if I can help it (I know this isn't realistic, though). They always come back showing "normal", when that clearly isn't the case. I think they are only helpful when things are really bad. I hope your docs figure out what is going on with you and soon so you can start feeling better.

Jet - the TI is the terminal ileum which is the very end of the small intestine. This is my effected area (along with my rectum), which is quite common.
 
Thanks Jill :)

Mine is UC so just in the colon, hopefully. I say hopefully because I know they didn't get far with the colonoscopy as it was agony for me, presumably because I was inflamed. I sometimes wonder with the range of the pain :rolleyes:

I think you are quite right to feel a bit apprehensive, it's a lot to do in one day !!
Mind you, I'm sure they'll be on your case telling what to do next so try to relax if you can. Take a good book, crosswords/puzzles, DVD/MP3 player whatever you need to make the day as comfortable as possible :)
 
Sherry, so sorry to hear that your pill cam results came back normal. I am in the same boat as you are, I am also undiagnosed and my pill cam results came back normal. It is really frustrating to get so many normal test results. I feel for you! I'm going to be undergoing more tests later this year and I'm trying not to even think about them because I can already guess what the results will be... hm, normal! :(

Jill, please try not to stress out too much. I haven't had a flex sig myself, but the pill cam is one of the easiest tests I've done (okay, the prep sucked, but the test itself was easy). I agree with Jet that you should bring things to distract yourself. Whenever I go in for testing, I usually bring a book and my ipod and my Nintendo DS. A portable DVD player or laptop computer would be a good idea too.

Good luck with prep tomorrow! What flavor of jell-o are you going to have? ;)
 
You said it, Cat. I think the prep is adding to my stress. I am stocked up on broth, and the hubby will be getting me lime jello today. Not my favorite, but that is the only flavor they allow.

And you guys are right, I'll should bring my Kindle with me, but I will have my husband with me to keep me company, too.
 
Jill
The only test that was able to give me the end result of all of my symptoms a few years ago was the pill cam. It is a test that I am actually waiting for the insurance company to authorize right now for me to have to find out what is going on.

I went into the office, they gave me a large pill that looked like a big vitamin. It has a camera on the end of it. You swallow the pill and every 6 seconds as it travels down your digestive track, it takes a picture. After swallowing the pill and getting hooked up to like a monitor belt, I left the office and came back about 8 hrs later, they took the belt off and the pill passes out normally. Really was about the easiest test I ever had. Hope it helps the tension a little bit. Good luck on Friday and please keep us posted.
 
First round of prep of Miralax and Gatorade is done. It was a breeze compared to Halflytely for my colonoscopy! I will drink the second 32oz. dose at 8pm. Then, enema before bed and one in the AM. I think getting up at 4am is going to be the biggest challenge! I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for all of the support. Love you guys!
 
Hey guys! I made it through yesterday, though it was grueling. First off, the prep didn’t take effect until 10:30pm, so I was basically up all night in the bathroom. Therefore, waking up at 4:00am wasn’t a problem being that I never really got to sleep! I got to the hospital at 6:30am, and swallowed the pill cam and got all wired up with the belt.

Then I waited around until 10:30am when I was taken back for the flex sig. I requested sedation, which I thought would make my life easier, but no one could find a vein for the IV. I had several nurses stabbing at me and I’ve got the bruises to prove it! But, finally, one nurse was successful, and I was ready to go…but my doctor wasn’t. Her daughter got sick, so I sat waiting until about 1:30pm. But the procedure went well and only mild inflammation was found higher up in the rectum. She took biopsies, and prescribed a nightly liquid mesalamine enema saying the Canasa isn’t reaching the affected area. However, she only went 12cm up my descending colon. I had wished she got a better look. Actually, I wish she had just done a whole colonoscopy being I did the needed prep already for the pill cam and there would be no unanswered questions. But too late now.

At 3:30pm I went to return the pill cam belt, but when they hooked my belt up to the monitor, the pill cam seemed to still be in the small intestine, but it was difficult to tell because it was in a mass of yuck. So, I am not expecting my images to be able to reveal that much. This really made me aggravated that my doctor hadn’t just done the full colonoscopy, because it is unlikely the pill cam captured decent images of the TI. But, anyways, I waited about another hour until it looked like it reached the colon and got all unhooked.

So it was a tough day, and I am not sure what I’ll get out of it. I am glad that I’ll try something new to address the rectal inflammation, because it has been making me very uncomfortable. And I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what the pill cam finds. But, for now, I am going to just try to catch up on some sleep!

Thanks, again, guys for all your support and advice!
 
What a tough couple of days. One thing that is always sure to bring down my spirits is repeated needle stabs.
I've had those enemas and they can sometimes be tricky to "hold" long enough. Then I was told to hold it all night. It seems that once getting past 30min the feeling went away and I could hold it.

I hope the pill cam works out.
 
Hi Jill - Sorry I missed this thread before. Glad yesterday is all done and over with and you have a plan of attack for dealing with the rectal stuff. I used those mesalamine enemas when I had UC for everyone of my flares and they always did the trick. At that time, I usually didn't have a problem retaining them thru the night.

What was the reason for the doc not doing the full colonoscopy?? Was s/he expecting to see enough from the flex sig and the pill cam?

Keep us posted on those results!!

- Amy
 
I just picked up the enemas from the store. Joe, you said it, I think it is going to be difficult to try to keep it in. Isn't it going to give me the feeling like I need to go? And to remain in the same position for 30mins after...this is not going to be easy. Hopefully, this isn't long term. Amy, how long would you need to stay on them for your flares?

Yeah, my doc thought between the pill cam and flex sig, she'd get everything covered - hopes of the pill cam getting through most of the colon with the flex sig covering the rest. My husband and I suggested we just do the full colonoscopy, and she gave the lines, "well there is always a slight chance of complications with a colonoscopy...blah blah blah" I am really upset with myself that I didn't push harder. I am hoping the pill cam got clear images in the small intestine, but I don't have high hopes for the TI and colon based on the final images I saw. I just hope it wasn't all done in vain.

And, boy, is my entire abdomen achy today! It seems muscular due to it being worse with movement. Think it is due to the prep?
 
Hi Jill,

I'm glad you got through the days okay, despite having to hang around.
Thanks you for posting and please do update us :smile:

I hope they got all the info they need and you don't have to go through it again, for a while at least, and good luck with the rectal inflammation and the enemas. I hope you feel 'healed' soon :)
 
Jill,
How did your flex sig go? Did they get the answers that they needed. The prep for the flex sig was awful wasn't it? I'm glad that it is over and I'm sure you are too. Hope you are feeling better after your tests and you have the answers that you needed.
 
It was a tough day, Meggielynn. On page one of this thread, I wrote a much too detailed post of the day's events. The flex sig showed some inflammation in the rectum (on nightly enemas now :( ) , but my GI didn't go much further past. I am hoping I get more results with the pill cam.
 
Yeah Jill, you made it through a horrible day. Sure hope that you can get some answers now. Keep us posted and hope you feel better real soon

Big Hug
 
Well, sure enough, my GI wants a full colonoscopy now! Results from the tests were very inconclusive. Biopsies came back normal, and pill cam "seemed" to show mild inflammation at the end of the small intestine and in colon (I am not sure specifically where). I am so frustrated! I went on a bit of a vent here: http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=17104
 

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