Failed colonoscopy, don't understand what Dr. was telling me

Posted by meningone @meningone, Oct 30, 2019

Hi. I'm 52 and had my 1st colonoscopy a couple wks ago due to 4 months of diarrhea and significant weight loss. Over the years I have normally had a lot of problems with terrible constipation, so having diarrhea was/is definately a new thing for me. When i went for my consult regarding the results he told me he couldn't finish the procedure without the risk of perforating my colon. He said I had the colon of an 80 year old. He didn't use any specific terms/conditions. He said something about it being stretched and loose and that it didn't get that way overnight. That I have had some type of IBS for a long time and I need to have a barium enema. I don't know what any of this means. I do know for the barium enema I have to go on a clear liquid diet for 2 days and that will be hard because I'm already down to 87 lbs and get weak and dizzy easy and also haave other chronic pain problems that flare with not enough rest and not eating right. But mostly I'd like to understand what he was telling me about my colon. Thanks.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

@meningone

Thank you all for your replies. I had to go to the town today where my colonoscopy ws performed. (An hour away & it's a small hospital, we don't have a hospital in my county). Anyway, I stopped by the Dr.'s office hoping he might be available. He wasn't but his nurse was. She said he was able to get part way up my colon but couldn't get around the loop at the top because it was so stretched. She explained I had severe diverticulosis. That it's a common condition but the advancement of mine is usually only seen in the elderly, typically around 80 yrs old. There were lots of inflammed protruding pockets. He just wants to be able to see my whole colon to be sure there are no other problems. So, that's the better explination I received. And I spelled colonoscopy wrong in an earlier paragraph. I said colostomy and didn't mean to. No, he doesn't want o do that. As far as we know there's nothing serious wrong with me. Just can't complete the procedure and I couldn't understand why. As for the pain, I've always had it and as far as I know there's nothing that can be done for it. I've just learned to live with it. It comes and goes to a certain extent.

Jump to this post

@meningone – That’s great that you got some answers. It makes more sense now. Get well wishes!

REPLY
@astaingegerdm

@meningone – I understand that this new GI problem is overwhelming. I don’t mean to push you to make decisions- I just get passionate! All of us here in this group have gone through many different ordeals with our GI tract and like you have not always understood what’s happening.
I think I can try to explain what the doctor means by saying you have a colon of an 80 year old. You say that you have had severe constipation most of your life. When that happens the colon stretches more and more- like a pantyhose. It will also affect the ability to contract and move the stool forward. That is probably why the doctor talks about doing a colostomy- you would have a colostomy bag where the stool from small intestine empties. The colon would not have any function.
It would be good for you to have him or a nurse explain your problem in detail.
We are always here to listen!

Jump to this post

Since the 80 year old colon is difficult (I'm 82) and you are on My Chart that usually means your clinic hospital is using Epic for medical records..Ayo is on Epic.. you should be able to go to Mayo Emergency to get help.. I t is always better to get a referral from your local doc, but at your weight, you are walking a fine edge with little room for error.. good luck

REPLY

I have all your problems & I totally understand your situation. I had serious issues with diverticulitis Every time I had an attack I had to have a scan & go on antibiotics which almost killed me. i lost 25 pounds. So I had a colon resection. They removed the part of my colon which was the most diseased & re-attached it. I do not have a bag & I am doing quite well with the right diet which is why I suggested to you to see a Nutritionniste. You need fiber in your diet but just the right amount
When our colon gets inflamed can be because we react to certain food or even because of stress it causes scar tissue which means your colon can be narrowed in certain places; it is called a stricture or stenosis. Which is why your doctor cannot pass with a scope even a small pediatric scope (child scope) By the way my gastro wanted me to do a short colonoscopy (rectal only) to assess my situation & because my colon is narrowed like yours I got in trouble with the prep…it could not go down.. so I started to vomit it ended up with a partial blockage in agony at the ER! They had to in-tube me to get the prep out! A barium enema or hydro soluble enema where the put a contrast in your rectum & take pictures has helped me.
Try to avoid a full colonoscopy prep just eat very lightly 3 days prior the procedure & use 2 fleet enemas the 2 days prior your barium enema.
1 at night & 1 in the morning. Best of luck 🍀🍀🍀 keep us posted.

REPLY
@oceanone

I have all your problems & I totally understand your situation. I had serious issues with diverticulitis Every time I had an attack I had to have a scan & go on antibiotics which almost killed me. i lost 25 pounds. So I had a colon resection. They removed the part of my colon which was the most diseased & re-attached it. I do not have a bag & I am doing quite well with the right diet which is why I suggested to you to see a Nutritionniste. You need fiber in your diet but just the right amount
When our colon gets inflamed can be because we react to certain food or even because of stress it causes scar tissue which means your colon can be narrowed in certain places; it is called a stricture or stenosis. Which is why your doctor cannot pass with a scope even a small pediatric scope (child scope) By the way my gastro wanted me to do a short colonoscopy (rectal only) to assess my situation & because my colon is narrowed like yours I got in trouble with the prep…it could not go down.. so I started to vomit it ended up with a partial blockage in agony at the ER! They had to in-tube me to get the prep out! A barium enema or hydro soluble enema where the put a contrast in your rectum & take pictures has helped me.
Try to avoid a full colonoscopy prep just eat very lightly 3 days prior the procedure & use 2 fleet enemas the 2 days prior your barium enema.
1 at night & 1 in the morning. Best of luck 🍀🍀🍀 keep us posted.

Jump to this post

I have Diverticulosis not Diverculitis is what the nurse said. Diverculitis is when you have infection, and I don't, just inflammation. I had no problem with the prep for my initial colonoscopy except it was unpleasant. My colon isn't narrowed, it is very stretched out from having previous episodes of constipation building up in my colon expanding my colon. It stretched it like filling a water balloon then when you let it out it's stretched out of shape and floppy. That's how she explained it. And it's also been left with many irritated pouches which should hopefully be ok, but is at a higher risk of peforating my bowel because of the number of them and the severity of the inflammation. She said the damage is already done, and there's probably not much that can be done now to undo it, but they still need to see all my colon because everyone needs a screening for colon cancer, and he also wants to see what if any damage is in the loop and on the other side of my bowelthat he couldn't get to. I didn't understand ANY of this before yesterday, and it's still very new to me, but at least I know it's nothing serious and nothing to worry about.

REPLY
@meningone

I have Diverticulosis not Diverculitis is what the nurse said. Diverculitis is when you have infection, and I don't, just inflammation. I had no problem with the prep for my initial colonoscopy except it was unpleasant. My colon isn't narrowed, it is very stretched out from having previous episodes of constipation building up in my colon expanding my colon. It stretched it like filling a water balloon then when you let it out it's stretched out of shape and floppy. That's how she explained it. And it's also been left with many irritated pouches which should hopefully be ok, but is at a higher risk of peforating my bowel because of the number of them and the severity of the inflammation. She said the damage is already done, and there's probably not much that can be done now to undo it, but they still need to see all my colon because everyone needs a screening for colon cancer, and he also wants to see what if any damage is in the loop and on the other side of my bowelthat he couldn't get to. I didn't understand ANY of this before yesterday, and it's still very new to me, but at least I know it's nothing serious and nothing to worry about.

Jump to this post

I have a twisted colon from my C-section. Evidently the lady substitute doctor instead of leaving my intestines in place pulled them out put them on the table took the baby out put intestines ,colon back in. As old as I an with a twisted colon, I have not had one colonoscopy. I only had one poop test. The colonoscopy doc, told me. I can't do a colonoscopy. It was a Y2K baby it's possible she was just mad or jealous I don't know cuz that's what women are sometimes. So New Year's 2000 she had to come to work, probably after celebrating the 100 year anniversary of New Year's, so maybe she had a hangover. Meantime my life is ruined sort of. All difficult I'm 64. Maybe she was mad because I timed it to be Jan 1, 2000. I know my educated doctor would never have done that. I think there's a lot of women out there that didn't have their husbands seeing what they were doing and maybe had a C-section and maybe (docs don't want to call out them so may have hidden that fact, if had surgery there, ask ) had the same thing happen to them where it got twisted and they don't realize it's the C-section. It even took her a couple hours to take the baby out and he was standing up! Feet first! PAST time err plus infection from hsp, water balloon tummy I said something wrong with this, but had me discharged anyway. Err a week later they called me back …so incompetent.
Anybody want to discuss this lifelong injury give me an email as those kind of doctors should have some kind of repercussions I think. eDutyNow on g mail help yourself by not eating any meat at all, no animal at all no dairy no cheese you'll have a better outcome as far as if there is some kind of action done as a class. When you're in law school that's the first thing they teach you all about is the medical field. It bothers me when people don't realize it's because of their stomach surgery C-section or something else that they have a twisted colon. Good luck

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.