First time getting Dual Poke (Top and Bottom)

[Guppies Onli]

Though I had experienced twice OGD (Oesophago Gastro Duodenoscopy ) at CGH, I've never gone thru a Colonoscopy. But frankly I've avoided the Colonoscopy twice when the CGH specialists asked me to go for one. Most specialists will follow the SOP if one is above 50yrs old.

I avoided and dreaded going for Colonoscopy because not I fear about the scope going into my bottom and all the way up the colon. I fear the days of low residue diet and the fasting and the lao sai preparation days before the colonoscopy. I worried that I can't control the lao sai and lao in the taxi when otw there. I get gastric easily if I dun eat on time each day for the 3 meals, so I can't tahan such low residue diet and fasting the day before the scope.

Now I've experienced it, I think is good to pen it down so that those who are need to go can read and know how it feels. This is my experience that I've finally gone thru and at least if nothing happen, it will be another 10 years before I need to scope again if follow their SOP.

I am glad that I chose SGH for the scope instead of CGH. SGH gives only 3 days low residue diet and as my scope is on the 4th day morning 10am, I still can take my dinner by 5pm and totally no drink from 4am. I have tried CGH twice few years back and they gave 4 days diet, I gave up after 1 day then.

I am glad I can survive thru the 3 days low residue diet. Daily white bread with margarine for breakfast, and fish or chicken porridge for lunch and dinner. No snack, and only buy a packet of hard Vicks honey (not lozenges) sweet for bites and suck. Glad that the last dinner I had fish ball kuay teow soup as it's a good change and eating too much porridge, I get a lot of stomach wind.

Had my dinner on third day at 4.45pm. Keep watch Kdrama to avoid thinking of the dreadful times ahead hehe. I already preapare a one litre water bottle for the mix with 1 packet of Fortrans ( lao sai powder ). Given 2 packets of Fortrans and to mix 1 packet with 1 litre of water. Finish 1 litre of mixture in one hour and continue with the next 1 litre. This is the other dreadful thing that most ppl dun like, make me remember bmt water parade.






I start drinking at 7pm and need to finish 2 litres of mixture by 9pm. So it's 2 one litre bottle. I set a timer every 15mins drink one cup, so about 1hr I drank finish 3 and half cup. I put the water in fridge to let it cool as it will be better to drink instead of not cold (but not too cold as told on internet). I put in about 20 mins before drinking. Luckily the taste of this Fortrans is good, a bit salty and citrus and like those sports drink. I can feel my stomach bloated up but feeling ok as I dun slowly sip it, just gulp it down. No vomiting or nausea feeling. Glad that today I didn't eat until too full.

I finished drinking all 2 litres by 9.15pm and still no lao sai by 9.45pm. I started to worry and think what if no lao sai how? The feeling of having lots of wind in stomach is a bit uneasy but ok. Finally feeling a bit of sharp clamp and pain like those of stomach pain on right and left side of abdomen. You know like your big and small intestine wind up here and there that kind of pain. I wanted to fart as I have that feeling to fart but luckily didn't. I walked to the toilet and sit down, immediately lao sai - all liquid type. I had pass motion twice after dinner and before I take the mixture, normal stool. Glad that I did that. Spent about 15mins in the toilet for the first run. Bring along my handphone to play some Candy Crush game as it won't feel so bore.

Next one was at 10.21pm for 13mins, and the third one at 10.50pm for 8mins. Altogether I had 5 times and after the first 3, each time lasted only about 5 to 7mins and getting lesser and clearer liquid stool. Now I know why adhering to the low residue diet is important and I had fish ball kuay teow for dinner. Had my last one at 11.52pm before I attempt to sleep. Couldn't sleep and watch TV till 12.56pm and had another run. Tried to sleep and didn't sleep at all till 4am as I have problem sleeping if it past my usually sleeping time at 11pm lasting.

Woke up at 6.52am on D day and had my first morning run about 7mins. Still liquid and a bit yellow stool. Had 3 more times before leaving for SGH. I called a Grab to SGH Blk.3 (cost me $24 plus $2.50 ERP) and had a final run after reaching there at 9.58am. Total I had 11 runs and not too bad. All can be controlled and not those that I worried will soil my pants or taxi. In fact, after the night time, the rest of the runs are not that bad and can be controlled easily. Glad my wife registered for me while I having my run. Need an adult to accompany as sedative was given.

Change into those two piece surgery gown with underwear. Went into the waiting lounge and oh so many ppl waiting. Put all my barang barang in the patient bag. Brought my handphone in to continue playing while waiting.



Finally called my number and I had to check my blood pressure and gave me another small cup of dunno what mixture of water to drink. Poke my right hand and put in an "adapter" for the sedative to put in during scope. Came out for a short while and abt 10.40am, my turn to go in Suite 7 for my dual scope.

[Guppies Onli]

Went inside and saw about 4 nurses and 1 doc inside. The nurse prepare me while I was on the bed. Hate to bite that mouth piece for the OGD (I've done that twice before at CGH) as I can't swallow saliva. Before that the nurse sprayed some LA into my mouth and asked me to swallow twice. This is really effective as I dun remember when they start putting in the endoscope and didn't even know they finish the top scope already. But experience in CGH was not so good as there was some slight pain but this doc in SGH probably is good. Dr. Emile John Tan associate consultant, and didn't even see his face at all throughout the scope. I didn't open my eyes at all during the OGD haha.

When they start my colonoscopy, I opened my eyes a while to stare at the TV monitors of my colon. Suddenly I felt a bit of pain and the doc said relax, if I dun they can't carry on. So tried as I might, you know it's difficult to control and one will auto strain your buttock if being poke. Somehow like fall asleep and didn't have any feeling till they wake me up and tell me game over. Haha, probably they increased the sedative.

Finished in less than 20mins I think and they push me to a resting corner. I waited till 11.45am and the nurse gave me my first breakfast, 3pcs of biscuits and cup of hot Milo. Went out to the waiting area for my results and next appointment with my gastro specialist in end Mar.

Results are good for colonoscopy -nothing except piles. For OGD I had stomach inflammation at the small end and they took some biopsy sample to check if it's H. pylori bacteria.

Finally had both my scope done and glad I didn't give up. Relief that the colonoscopy result is good and just worried about the OGD.

My colon inside;


My stomach and GI Tract;


So for those that still hesitating to go, try your best and go for the scope especially the colonoscopy. It's ok and lao sai is not that bad at all still bearable. Only 3 days of tasteless diet.

Sorry for the long post.

[elimmel]

Need referral or can request at hospitals? Cost?

[bedoklist]

Wow bro good for you. When I think of this also afraid to go but somehow will still need a go for this. The lao sai part is the worst. Got a colleague went for this and he just sit in the toilet most of the time.

[Guppies Onli]

Originally Posted by elimmel

Need referral or can request at hospitals? Cost?

I went to polyclinic for my piles and my usual doc ask me to go for scope. I said SGH, I dun want CGH. Luckily I chose SGH.

Est. total bill $3,021 and after gov subsidy medisave pay $1,026 and I pay cash $240. But on that day, the staff said I got NTUC Ins, so no cash.

[Guppies Onli]

Originally Posted by bedoklist

Wow bro good for you. When I think of this also afraid to go but somehow will still need a go for this. The lao sai part is the worst. Got a colleague went for this and he just sit in the toilet most of the time.

I cannot dun go as the piles bleeding getting worst and the SGH gastro specialist said better to scope and check. Since I also getting frequent gastric, he said do both top and bottom scope. So I can't put it off anymore.

I siam for few years for colonoscopy because of worried about lao sao. Scare wait lao sao otw to there paisei leh, but now after going thru, I find that usually after so many times at night, there usually not much left and usually very liquid. Just a lot of stomach wind. So the clear liquid and low residue diet is very useful.

But last night I saw one kdrama saying that Borrmann type 4 gastric cancer cannot be detected by endoscope, dunno true or not. So I must ask my doc in the next appt.

Last night I had a bad gastric pain probably due to the early dinner previous day and delay lunch.

[Ong88]

Good informative account.

Did mine years back without sedation, watched journey thru the whole colon.
Saved anesthetic charges
And after procedure just go off, no need observation ward.

[elimmel]

Originally Posted by Guppies Onli

I went to polyclinic for my piles and my usual doc ask me to go for scope. I said SGH, I dun want CGH. Luckily I chose SGH.

Est. total bill $3,021 and after gov subsidy medisave pay $1,026 and I pay cash $240. But on that day, the staff said I got NTUC Ins, so no cash.

Ok thanks.
Speedy recovery too

[streetsmart73]

Bro guppies, thank you for the narrative, detailed & graphic

Glad that everything is clear too.

[Guppies Onli]

Originally Posted by Ong88

Good informative account.

Did mine years back without sedation, watched journey thru the whole colon.
Saved anesthetic charges
And after procedure just go off, no need observation ward.

Thanks doc. Wah I dun think I will go thru without sedation. Actually because of the test piles poke that make me think colonoscopy will be worst but not.