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Avatar universal

Was this normal after a colonoscopy?

I am a 29 yo female who has been dealing with chronic pelvic pain. On Thursday, Dec. 11, I had bloody, loose stool and went to an urgent care facility. Though I'd had the bloody stool four times prior to checking in, I could not produce a stool sample while at the clinic. I was in severe pain and felt terrible pressure, but the only "sample" I could produce was a small, mucus-like blood clot on the toilet tissue. I was told by the doctor that I might need a colonoscopy, but not "right away". I was also told I was to take only tylenol for pain, even though the pain was unbearable and I could not get up or move unassisted. I was given a stool collection kit and told to come back when I had a sample.
An hour after leaving the clinic, I collected a sample that was so bloody, it looked like mense. My husband drove me immediately back to the clinic, which was closed an hour earlier than the paperwork indicated. We decided to go across the street to the emergency room.
The doctor there gave me a pain shot and said I needed a colonoscopy ASAP, and I was told to prep with the go-lytely and would be called at 7am the next morning by the outpatient center at the hospital. Around 7:30 am, my husband called them to find out what the hold up was as I was in terrible pain and throwing up stomach acid. I was told to come in at 11am that day.
After arriving at the outpaitent center, I was thankfully given an anti-nausea medication, but no pain medication until I was in the procedure room, two and a half hours after arriving. I was completely "out" during the procedure and have no memory of it- that's not my concern....
This is...
I was awakened by the nurse and immediately I felt wet from just below my shoulder blades to my ankles. At first, I thought that I had been sweating. Then I noticed the smell.
I told the nurse I needed a shower and she laughed at me and said, " We don't have any showers here! ".
As she pulled back the blankets, the nurse, my husband and I saw I was marinating in my own waste. The smell was indescribable. She took me to a bathroom with some wash rags and I wiped myself in the sink. It took 12 wash rags.
This was in a hospital and I darn well know there are showers all over the building, but I had to take a ******' bath.
I was told to dress. The doctor that preformed the procedure came into the recovery room and told me I had blood clots that had been removed. That was about all I got out of him and I was far to groggy to pose follow-up questions.
I would like to know if the bowel release after the procedure or the refusal to let me take a shower are standard. I have not read anywhere on the web of either happening to anyone after a colonoscopy.
Any answer from a medical professional would be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and I'm still in terrible pain no matter how many percocet I take. There is now trace amounts of blood in my vomit, but I'm deathly afraid to go back to that hospital and it is the only one in town. I have to wait until Monday for an appointment with my doctor to find out if this is serious.
Thanks for listening.
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Avatar universal
I am so sorry you had such a bad experience. Is there not another hospital in another town you could go to? I don't know how the health care system totally works in your area. Usually with a colonoscopy here they have you do a bowel routine that totally cleans our your bowels before the procedure.
My advice to you would be to try a different hospital if you can not get any results from your doctor.
Again I am really sorry you had such a bad experience...not every hospital is like that. There are people out there that really care! Hope and pray you feel better soon and that you can get some help!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
had a colonoscopy myself on friday and ive got bad pelvic pain myself and cramps and backache, still i think you should have see a different doctor sounds like ypour bowel is inflamed and you do need treatment for it and also animals are treated better than you have been but apart from that the bloody stools and mucus suggest some sort of ibd wherever you have to go,go get treated as soon as you can because it will get worse and then will you know i left myself for 5 weeks like that and i was in hospital for 10 days so please do not leave it
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Avatar universal
Every time I've had a colonoscopy I've had to drink so much go-litely the night before that I was physically ill, but what you're describing is NOT normal.  You'll get better care if you make an appointment with a gastroenterologist who isn't part of the urgent care clinic or emergency room at the hospital.  I'd recommend looking at the physician listings for your area on www.ccfa.org.  It definitely sounds like a problem a GI doc would treat.
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Avatar universal
Thank you everyone for your comments and concern.
I spoke with someone at the hospital over the phone and he sounded sympathetic, so I'll see where that goes...
I live in Oregon, but in the town I live in, there is only ONE hospital. There is another town about 20 minutes away, but it's run by the same people/company ( I really miss Pensacola, Fl where I had 3 hospitals to choose from! ) .
I had to prep with go-violently, too, but I guess the blood clots prevented it from working as well as it should. I will speak to MY GI on the 23rd, but until then, I just have to take it easy.
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