Bowel Prep

My surgery was scheduled for Thursday, October 10, 2013.  I previously had several pre-op bowel preps plus a colonoscopy that failed.  There is so much stress in knowing that you are going into surgery less than prepared.  In 2006, the emergency colon resection brought my worst fears to light.  Infection!  I had multiple abscesses that had to be drained post-op via CT Scan with a really long needle.  I was going to do anything within my power to avoid that again.

Although my surgeon felt confident after the diagnostic lap in August, I was still not convinced that my endometriosis was as good at he thought it would be.  His office gave me the basic bowel prep.  I decided on my own to make very sure that it would work.

I began a low residue diet on Sunday.  This was very difficult as I spent the day at a picnic, but I made good choices.  Sunday and Monday I ate well-cooked veggies, thin spaghetti with very little sauce, jello and homemade chicken stock.  I planned to use Miralax twice on Sunday but I got a rare case of the squirts and no longer felt the need to be so drastic. 

I began my liquid diet on Monday evening and all day Tuesday.  The bowel prep consisted of the magnesium citrate at 8 a.m. ~ I added Tang and Ginger Ale to help with the taste.  My throat has an aversion to flavors or textures that don't belong, and that drink makes me retch.  I took the tiny laxative pill at noon.  I continued to drink fluids, jello and broth all day until an hour before we had to leave for Baltimore.  Mom gave me some diapers to help with the hour and a half drive to Baltimore.  Thankfully I didn't need them!

I packed a snack of jello for the evening and had some more before I did my nightcap, an enema!  I was running clear for the first time in my life!  It's sad that this is my proudest moment to date.