I thought that after having stoma surgery colonoscopies would become a distant memory… oh how I was wrong.
I still have my rectum and although it isn’t in-use, it is still very much there. In order to keep an eye on it, and make sure it isn’t cancerous, I’ve been told I need sigmoidoscopies every 3 years. Lucky for me, it was due this year.
I don’t actually dread the procedure itself, in fact I am grateful to be having it – it makes me feel like I haven’t been forgotten in the system. I know, that sounds totally bizarre – who looks forward to having a camera up their bottom? For me, it’s the fear of the unknown. I’m not scared of the procedure, I’m scared of what the procedure will discover. I know where this fear comes from. In 2021, I went into hospital for a camera test and I left 4 weeks later with a stoma bag.
I learned very quickly after my first camera that sedation is the only way. I remember a camera I had early on after my UC diagnosis – they weren’t able to check my whole colon because I found it too painful. This meant that the procedure was a waste of time and I was booked back at the bottom of the list for another couple of years. Sedation helps me relax, I don’t feel pain and the doctors are able to fully examine what is going on inside.
A sigmoidoscopy is obviously different to a colonoscopy.
For starters – I don’t have a colon, so only my stump needs to be examined – this makes the procedure far shorter.
Also the prep is different. For me, there was no at home prep at all. Obviously nothing is passing through my rectum, so I was allowed to eat and drink before the procedure. I think this is another reason why I didn’t find the procedure itself too bad, because I was able to eat I felt like myself, I wasn’t hangry.
When I arrived at hospital I was given an enema. I thought the same thing, why on earth do I need an enema? But the nurse explained that even though there was no stool to clear from my rectum, it was good to clear the mucus and any blood to give a clearer picture. This was a WEIRD feeling. I haven’t pooped properly for nearly 4 years and now I was running to the toilet with the urge! I used to think I missed this feeling – but honestly, maybe I don’t!
It was once all the prep was done that I began to get emotional. It all dawned on me that they could find something really bad. I was praying that all would be normal and I could walk away care-free. The nurses kept saying ‘don’t worry, please don’t be scared, you won’t feel anything’. When I explained why I was feeling so emotional, the fear of a negative unknown, they talked everything through. We quickly looked at my previous examination, and the surgeon explained she would let me know if it appeared better or worse.
I quickly asked them to write everything down, as I know it takes me quite a while to come around after sedation.
The procedure itself felt quick and easy. It is honestly such a bizarre experience watching the whole thing on a screen – that’s how much I remember anyway. I felt as high as a kite!
From what I have been told so far, my rectum looked the same as it did 3 years ago – which was such a relief. I’m so glad it hasn’t got worse. My consultant believes I have diversion colitis – but can’t be sure until we receive the results of the biopsies. I have everything crossed that all comes back ok and I will keep you all updated when I hear anything!
I hope this has somehow relaxed any of you worried about your next camera test. They are awful, there is no doubt about it. But they are necessary. I always think, after everything I’ve been through, I can get through a camera test. A small camera up my butt is not going to get me down!
You’ve got this!
Love, Poppy
@stoma_scene
