Diagnosed with Long Colon after colonoscopy

Yes, you are too young to have to live like that for the rest of your life. I am 76 and don 't want to live like this for the rest of my life and my life is probably way shorter than yours. Wish there were some answers.

Having stool inside me despite doing the colon cleanse pre colonscopy was a surprise to the doc who did the procedure. They had to flush me out before they could do this. I was going all liquid for #2 6-7 hours before this and could not have imagined anything solid left in me. My next appointment is with a motility specialist here in Minneapolis, but my thinking is that I need to get a referral to Mayo since it is close, and their reputation in the GI sector. Perseverance is hard to keep up at times, but I have to see this through because as you said, I am too young to have to deal with this for another 15-20 years.

Hope you can get some answers. If I lived in the U.S. I would certainly be leaning towards Mayo Clinic but I live in Canada.

Best I can tell from my redundant (long) colon is that it is not a problem when I am successfully tackling my IBS-C, which I do 100% now with my own "take" on using IBGuard, slippery elm (inner bark) tea, only a limited range of foods that don't cause problems including some Monash University App "green-light only" foods, a kiwi a night (you can find the study on stubborn constipation and kiwis), dietary enzymes for food intolerances (Intoleran brand) and pancreas enzymes, as well as both magnesium supplements and cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety that stemmed from a trauma and was out of control.

And when I do the above, my rectocele doesn't bother me either.

Your path will of course be different. If a drug works well for you, so much the easier, yes? But I didn't want to try a prescription medication unless food and lifestyle changes worked. Also, I don't have Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic in easy reach, travel-wise. My local Gastros are not confidence-inspiring and don't seem to focus on food or lifestyle changes, and I am definitely biased toward experimenting on my own and with food and what I deem (from experience/reading) as gentle supplements.

I also get up earlier in the morning so that I have enough bathroom time (sluggish colon still, but the kiwi is a game changer) to have a rather ordinary (good) day.

The slippery elm bark I can find is rather expensive. What brand do you buy? How much do you consume?

I use 1/2 teaspoon in the morning, before I eat or drink anything else. I put it into a mug and whisk in hot water from my tea kettle. I buy Frontier brand. iherb.com sells a lb for $36.00.

BUT, I have good luck with etsy and someone there sells 4 oz for $13. Maybe better to buy less to try it out.

I just finished the colonoscopy prep. I had to finish at midnight and I started at 4. How do you know if you’re cleaned out?

Do you have a redundant colon?
If so, your dr knows this and prescribed the best pre-colonoscopy clean out for you.
We have to trust something. Or call your dr’s office and ask this question.

When everything flows out totally liquid and yellowish and then you stop needing to go, usually. At least that's how it's worked for me and it was what the doctors told me.

Yes you’re right. That’s exactly what happened. Thanks for your reply!