Colonoscopy

 I was 18 when I got my first colonoscopy. Just a few weeks shy of my 19th birthday. Shortly after I had gone to the doctor after getting fired from my babysitter job, I was referred to a gastroenterologist. At first, they thought I may have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), but they told me I should get a colonoscopy to be certain. So, they sent me home with the lovely colon cleanser kit. I had to go one full day without eating and drink the strong laxative the night before the procedure and the morning of. Luckily, my dad was kind enough to pay for the nicer laxative, so it didn't taste too bad. 

For colonoscopy prepping, I would recommend getting the bathroom situated and comfortable before drinking the laxative, because you will be in there for a while. It takes about 10 minutes for it to really start working. Get your laptop or phone, some sort of entertainment, while you wait for it to go through your system. I personally had my laptop and watched The Lord of the Rings. 

I was in the bathroom for about 2 to 3 hours each time. When I got to the place to get the procedure done, they put an IV in my wrist. This was the only time I've had a doctor put one in my wrist, but it was by far the most painful spot so far. A little while after the colonoscopy, I went back to the GI doctor and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The pictures showed a little inflammation in my colon, but not too bad. The doctors said they almost missed it, but after double-checking, they found some inflammation. 

They put me on what they said was a mild medicine for combating the small amount of inflammation I had. After about two weeks of taking this new medicine, I went into my first flare. I felt much worse than I ever had before the colonoscopy. Anything I ate made my stomach hurt, I had that sense of urgency to run to the bathroom every few minutes, there was blood in my stool, I was throwing up, and I had low fevers every day. It was miserable. I was wishing I was feeling like how I felt the summer before I had gone to the GI doctor with cramping just in the mornings. 

I ended up going to the hospital, but I didn't get admitted because they said I seemed well enough. Which was a bit frustrating, admittedly. During my flares, my diet usually consists of very bland soup, eggs, fish, and other grilled meat. No veggies or fruit unless it's very, very soft. I found that honey and raw sugar is best for sweeteners as well even if I am not in a flare. This first flare was the start of me taking prednisone, which is a type of steroid. I was not truly able to get off of that medicine until just two months ago.