Crazy Question - Colonoscopy Related
Ok, I have what sounds like a crazy question - this year I turned the big 5-0 and with that came a referral from my primary care physician for my first colonoscopy - what a great birthday gift! LOL!
I am familiar w/ the prep and procedure, my DH and some of my friends have already had their colonoscopies. But I started reading up on it a bit more since it is looming in my future and I am wondering - has anyone had a colonoscopy without sedation? From what I have read from various blog posts on the internet, it isn't a painful procedure (most describe mild cramping, a pain level at most of a 3 out of 10) and by avoiding sedation your time in the clinic or hospital is shorter, you don't need someone to drive you (although I would still have my DH drive me, just in case!) and you recover faster as you are not dealing w/ recovering from sedation, too. I also have to admit, that out of all the unpleasantries associated with this procedure from the starvation to the raging diarrhea to the camera up your butt the part that freaks me out the most is the sedation. I just don't like the idea of being knocked out and honestly, I do not tolerate drugs very well at all - I really can't handle much more than a few ibuprofen. I also read that in most countries outside of the U.S. it is done w/out sedation (is that true)?
Anyway - long way around the question - has anyone done it w/out sedation and what are your thoughts about doing it that way?
I have my consult w/ the gastro at the end of March and I plan to ask about it then as well, but thought I'd ask here to see if anyone had first hand experience w/ doing it this way.
Honestly, if I could do it w/out sedation, I'd feel less anxious about it.
Thanks!!
Donna
|