Had my colonoscopy

[GemmaH]

So I had my colonoscopy on Friday.

The prep was brutal - it tasted like chalk and salt! Urgh!

My consultant said I was the most needle phobic patient he had seen in 35 years of practice and he is going to refer me for intensive therapy as it will only get worse! Anyway the procure was fine, once they managed to get the needle in!

They said everything looked normal on inspection and I am now awaiting the results of the biopsies. I was a little crestfallen with the normal result as I am still having all the symptoms I was before, the big D was back with a vengeance on Saturday morning despite the massive prep clean out!

So I guess I am waiting now ... again!

 

[fuzzy butterfly]

Hi oh the waiting it's a killer!!. It's the hardest part in all of this. I hope all is sorted out soon. Sometimes a colonoscopy can't get to the ileum and therefore you can have a normal result as did I. Mine was in the ileum and found by a scan. Have you had a fecal calprotectin test as this is a very good indicator of inflammation with out the invasiveness of some tests. I am wishing you all the best of luck with your results.

 

[GemmaH]

Hi Mandy. Yes my GP did the calprotecin test and it came back "elevated" which is when she referred me off for the colonoscopy. Ive seen other people post numbers but I wasn't given a number - just got told elevated and above the normal range. I was pretty lucky to get to see a consultant 2 weeks after that and then a colonoscopy another 2 weeks after that - I know the NHS can take forever sometimes! So I am waiting now (they said 2 - 3 weeks) for my biopsies to come through so I can go back to see the consultant and decide where we go from there. But honestly with all the symptoms I have been having I felt for sure they would see something when they went up there. As I said I am horrendously needle phobic so the thought of more tests is quite worrying for me. I just want to feel normal again!

 

[fuzzy butterfly]

Ah ok chances are that you may have some form of ibd if you have elevated levels. I know waiting for results is annoying. I hope you can get the treatment that helps you find some kind of normality. Though your new normal will be most likely different from the old normal. As we are never quite the same as we were. A lot of the tests don't involve needles so that is a blessing, but some do. I am sorry you suffer from the needle issue, but as I am sure you know they are a necessary evil. . Please let us know how you get on. Take care hun

 

[Lizzie]

Needle phobia is a big problem for anybody with this disease, I know because I've been the same. In fact, I refused blood tests for a couple of years until recently out of sheer terror of needles and that was a big mistake. In hindsight I can see that my Crohns wasn't diagnosed until I had a massive crisis a few months ago and was forced to undergo blood tests, colonoscopy etc. Maybe I'd be in a better state of health if I'd been braver. I can tell you, though, that it does get easier. At one time they could hardly get the needle into me because I was shaking and crying so much, but this morning the phlebotomist did the blood test in no time at all. The way to cope is not to look at any of the equipment - I keep my head firmly turned to the side - and to try to chat to the phlebotomist about anything, the weather, your health, whatever, to act as a distraction. When it comes to cannulation, even worse than a blood test, I have some special anaesthetic cream put on my skin to numb it and I have just about managed to cope with cannula insertion - not easy but I got through it. Unfortunately, as Mandy says, needles are unavoidable with this disease. I only wish I'd come to terms with that sooner, so please don't make the same mistake as me.

 

[old_motters]

I had a colonoscopy a couple of years ago that looked good but the biopsies showed inflamation. Even with a healthy looking bowel there can be inflammation unseen.

 

[littlemissh]

It is very possible that the elevated calprotectin is from problems in your small bowel which is not seen on colonoscopy. Hopefully your consultant will arrange some small bowel imaging.
It might be worth asking what your calprotectin level is. It should be less than 50, 50-100 is borderline. If it was in the many hundreds then your consultant will be more inclined to dig a little deeper.
I'm glad you have got it over with.

 

[JaimeM]

I used to pass out with needles when I was a kid. I've gotten very used to needles now. I did Remicade for 6 years and that's an IV every 8 weeks. Also keep pushing for a diagnosis. I had a CT that showed I had Crohns and then did a colonoscopy, I'm not sure if I misunderstood the Dr or what but he just said I had a tortuous bowel and that was it. I didn't get a diagnosis until a year later when i was very sick. Hindsight I would have pushed it until i got an answer. My now GI dr did a capsule endoscopy and that showed my Crohns pretty easily.