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Colonoscopy pain
I had my first one last Thursday....i felt everything...i was bawling on the table...not once did the doc ask if i was ok or the nurse that was in there...i was frozen with fear.... couldn't speak...i feel like my colon was being ripped out...it lasted 45 minutes....im calling them today to get a copy of my chart...they better not give me any trouble over this...i want to know what they used to sedate me. I did file a complaint with the hospital who is suppose to be doing a investigation. I have panic attacks and this has made them so much worse. Will i ever forget this experience? He did remove 4 polyps...but i dont think i will ever have another one. I have lost trust in this test.
omg u made me cry again...i will so try this!!! I'm still waiting for the report on the polyps...and the report of the investigation from the hospital. My doctor is going to call this quack too!!! Good thing i have 3 years to get over this before my next one...and i will find a GI that will use general !!!!!!
NO i couldn't tell them anything...i was frozen with fear..i was bawling on the table..the nurse saw it..but didn't say a word to the doctor or me....she touched my hand once....im just so upset...and have no money for a therapist....i did to go my family doc the next day...she was furious. I have filed a complaint with the hospital...i don't what good that will do but it made me feel better. I will get the results in 7 to 10 days on the polyps. Ty for your kind words...and hopefully in 3 years i can get past this for the next one.
I agree. This is the most accurate test for detecting changes in the colon and having those polyps removed may have been a life saver. But these days nobody should have to feel anything during this test, and I wouldn't see that GI doctor ever again! Since polyps were found, you will need regular screenings so find a good Gastroenterologist and ask him up front if you will be asleep for the test, and explain your last experience because this is not typical! You shouldn't even be awake when they begin the test. As bad as it was, look at the bright side of getting those polyps out because they can become cancerous. It was tough, but you did gain something from it and dwell on that, not the negatives. Take care.
Welcome to the gastroenterology community! First off, did you tell the doctor or the nurse during the test that you were in pain. If yes, then you shouldn't trust this particular doctor. If no, then they had no way to know something was wrong. You will never forget this experience but you can move past it maybe by talking to a therapist. Please don't lose trust in this test, this test could have saved your life. One thing is that next time you need to have another colonoscopy in a couple of years, you can ask for general anesthesia where you won't ever remember or feel anything during the procedure. Some people react differently to different sedation medications.
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So sad this happened to you. Others have come to this forum, the percentage that don't get sedated enough by the drugs, and they wind up with a painful and scary experience. You just didn't know if it was supposed to be that way or not. In time, you will indeed set this aside as one of life's bad experiences.
Most county departments of health will have a more or less "free clinic" to get psychology counseling for a few visits, if indeed this thing gnaws at you rather too much. But I think that was great you went to your family doc the next day, she will lobby for you and can console you. The feelings you have are of being victimized, which pulls out many emotions, anger, fear, embarassment, shock, sadness, even grief.
I also have panic disorder, so I know the paralysis and tremendous anxiety you had to endure, you poor thing. I learned a behavior to help your memories of this whenever this awful thing brings them up, and that is to do deep breathing for a few minutes, you can do it wherever you are: Breathe in very deeply, blow it out, breathe normal a couple times, breathe deeply again, and do this ten times... usually people don't make it to ten because that breathing process lowers the heart rate, and thus the level of anxiety.
I do think the fact that you were crying your eyes out should have alerted the health care professionals in the room that you had a problem. I also know that the doc is so busy concentrating, he may not have been particularly sensitive to your situation. I agree with the others, most definitely forego the "twilight sedation" in favor of general anesthesia next time you have to get one of these procedures. And the one good thing is they got some polyps out, those are the things that over a long period of time may develop into a cancer, which is partly why they do colonoscopies, so you're clear of that particular danger for a long time.
GG