Step 1 - Surgery Prep

Ugh. That's all I can say. I'm not sure if it's the excitement from the surgery, or having to do the GoLytely, but my body is in full rejection mode. Typically I've done the Phosphosoda, which can be a little brutal, but only requires two drinks during the day. I got about halfway through the GoLytlely prep before I started to have a short gagging spell. This very quickly escalated to my body giving back the last drink of that blasted juice, to giving back everything it could find in my upper GI.

I had to call the surgeon to see what to do next, as even trying to continue, my mind had sorted out that it was no longer going to allow anymore into this body. So much for mind of matter. Since I had got some down and was already starting to feel the effects of it, they decided to shift towards Magnesium Citrate. It's definitely easier on the stomach, on the mind, and the bowels, but still does the trick. I still battled getting down a bottle of that, but it was enough to keep everything moving and clear out the colon.

It's going to be an early morning tomorrow with being the first surgery of the day.  Unlikely we'll see any sleep, but with the excitement from above and the lack of food, I'm pretty exhausted, so let's see how it goes.


Tips and Tricks for an easy bowel cleansing from two decades of scopes:

• Good toilet paper: You make fine furniture using sandpaper, so leave it in the workshop. If you don't already, splurge on the good stuff.
  
• A*D ointment; There is nothing worse than wiping your butt 20 times in a day. It doesn't like it and neither will you. I find using A&D before the process and after each movement, you don't get the buttburn from all the acid.
• Baby wipes: If they are good enough for a newborn baby, then they are definitely good enough for an old cowboy or cowgirl. Remember, there is no reward for toughing this out.
• Good reading material: Even for water, it can take a while for each emptying, and just when you think this wave is done, there's another one right behind it.  Pull a Dick Dale and ride it out: Don't leave it sit too long, it is acid after all!
• Good clear liquids:  I always gravitated towards Gatorade.  This unfortunately ruined me drinking some of them when I wasn't prepping, as I would smell it and my body would panic that a prep was coming, so use with caution.
• The first meal:  Prepare where you're eating afterward.  Going over 30 hours without eating would be maddening for me, so I would always have a plan where to eat on the way home from the scope.  Remember, you'll be doped up and doped out, so try to avoid thinking too hard that day:  Best to leave a plan with your driver that is easily executed.  [My favorite:  Burger King ... and it was lovely everytime!]