Preparation
Colon cancer, the third leading cause of death from cancer in America, is paradoxically an easily treatable cancer if it is found early. That's why a colonoscopy is recommended starting at the age of 40 and then every 1 to 5 years depending upon the risk factors of the patient in question. The hospital I work at performs between 30 to 50 colonoscopies a day.
To have an adequate colonoscopy, the colon has to be cleared of stool. To accomplish this, patients are instructed to consume a wide variety of laxatives, the most commonly prescribed one being GoLytely.
GoLytely causes massive diarrhea by osmosis. Patients are instructed to drink four liters of this (yes, over a gallon) in a 2 hour period and just sit on the toilet as they "shit their brains out." (Quoted from a patient.) We tell patients that their preparation for their colonoscopy is complete when the fluid leaving their anus is see-through.
Naturally, this colonoscopy and its preparation generates a lot of anxiety and questions for any patient, and I got a call from a patient the other night that went like this:
Patient: [panicking] Doctor, I've followed the instructions on the sheet of paper about the colonoscopy and I've drank all of the GoLytely as instructed, but nothing is happening.
Me: [curious] What do you mean "nothing is happening?"
Patient: Well, I haven't had a single bowel movement yet.
Me: Are you passing any gas?
Patient: Yes. I hear my stomach gurgling, but I don't even have an urge.
Me: Did you mix the GoLytely correctly and drink it all in the 2 hours?
Patient: [panic building in her voice] Yes, Doctor. There's nothing coming out of my rectum. My gas smells a little funny, but there's nothing happening!
Me: Well, ...
Patient: [interrupts] I've even tried jumping up and down! Nothing is coming out!
To have an adequate colonoscopy, the colon has to be cleared of stool. To accomplish this, patients are instructed to consume a wide variety of laxatives, the most commonly prescribed one being GoLytely.
GoLytely causes massive diarrhea by osmosis. Patients are instructed to drink four liters of this (yes, over a gallon) in a 2 hour period and just sit on the toilet as they "shit their brains out." (Quoted from a patient.) We tell patients that their preparation for their colonoscopy is complete when the fluid leaving their anus is see-through.
Naturally, this colonoscopy and its preparation generates a lot of anxiety and questions for any patient, and I got a call from a patient the other night that went like this:
Patient: [panicking] Doctor, I've followed the instructions on the sheet of paper about the colonoscopy and I've drank all of the GoLytely as instructed, but nothing is happening.
Me: [curious] What do you mean "nothing is happening?"
Patient: Well, I haven't had a single bowel movement yet.
Me: Are you passing any gas?
Patient: Yes. I hear my stomach gurgling, but I don't even have an urge.
Me: Did you mix the GoLytely correctly and drink it all in the 2 hours?
Patient: [panic building in her voice] Yes, Doctor. There's nothing coming out of my rectum. My gas smells a little funny, but there's nothing happening!
Me: Well, ...
Patient: [interrupts] I've even tried jumping up and down! Nothing is coming out!
posted by THW at 4:23 PM
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