Sigmoidoscopy-Q about prep

Help! I have my first sigmoidoscopy tomorrow. I am out of the country and there is a language barrier. As I understand it, I'm supposed to take 1 fleet enema 4 hours before the procedure and then another 1 an hour later? Is there a certain time I have to stop eating? Or certain foods I should avoid the morning of? Is it really necessary to take 2 enemas?! Can I be out after taking them or do I need to be near the bathroom for awhile?

Also, I most likely won't be getting sedation b/c I am pregnant. Anyone know if they will still need to hook me up to an IV? And do you think they would allow my husband to be in the room with me?

Thanks so much!!!

Here is a couple of links for info about it. It might be more than you're looking for, but I hope it helps. I'm not sure if they will let your husband come in during the procedure or not. But, do make sure to let them know that he will keep you calm and they might. I know that when I was 16 I told them that I wanted my dad in for one of my tests and they did let him. He ended up being a help to calm me at one point. Good luck and please keep us posted!

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-inf...ible-sigmoidoscopy/Pages/diagnostic-test.aspx

http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/flexible-sigmoidoscopy

I forgot a couple of things.

1. We have info on this in our wiki section. http://www.crohnsforum.com/wiki/Flexible-Sigmoidoscopy

2. Here are the directions for the Flexible Sig. http://www.gatewaygi.com/pdf/stjohns/Flex_Sig.pdf

I would not reccomended going out after or between the enemas. Usually it is over pretty fast in a couple trips to the washroom but sometimes it's a delayed effect.

2 enemas is pretty normal though my GI usually only requires 1 unless it is known you won't be clear. If you aren't getting sedation you might be able to get away with no IV.

Thanks for your replies. So, I did it and survived without sedation. It was actually fine, but I did have a lot of gas afterwards. I did not need an IV. I actually had to wait over 2 hours to go in, so by that time, my husband had to leave to pick up the kids, so not sure if he would have been allowed to stay in the room. I suspect I did not do the prep correctly because I had a humiliating thing happen to me. I took the 2 enemas. I think I was supposed to keep them in for 20 minutes, but only lasted about 1-2 minutes each time. I ate cereal for breakfast (7am) and nothing afterwards and the procedure ended up being around 3pm. I actually went out for a couple hours before the procedure and was fine. Afterwards, I was starving, and I literally had 1 bite of a sandwich in the waiting room and then had explosive diarrhea where I couldn't make it to the bathroom and it got EVERYWHERE. The only good thing was that it was so late in the day, there weren't many people still around.

Everything they saw was inflamed, so it confirmed I'm in a flair.

Thank goodness it's done!!! Sorry to hear the troubles you went through. I hope they were able to give you a plan to go for your flare with. Take care.

Glad the scope went well by that is sucky about the accident.

Though I must say they expected you to hold an enema 20 minutes? Whoa. I only hold mine for a minute (and that's hard). The directions (made for people with normal digestive systems) say to hold for as long as you can before feeling a strong urge usually 2-5 minutes.

Unless it was a different kind of enema 20 seems crazy. I don't think you followed the prep wrong at all.