"ENDOSCOPY DEPARTMENT - COLONOSCOPY PROCEDURE"

I had a colonoscopy on Monday 26 November 2018 at Mayday Hospital.

I had been very anxious about having this procedure for the first time as I didn’t know what to expect. I had collected the pre-procedure medication a few days earlier and one of the nurses had sat with me and explained exactly how it should be taken.

On the day, I was greeted by a friendly receptionist and waited only a few minutes until I was shown into an office. The lovely nurse explained everything that would happen before, during and after the procedure in a very reassuring way.

After changing into a gown and disposable shorts with an opening at the rear in the recovery room, I had a cannula put into my hand, in preparation for pain killer and sedation.

The pain killer was inserted some minutes later. Going through to the procedure room I was greeted by the doctor who I had seen in the clinic a few weeks earlier. As I climbed onto the bed and turned on my side, the nurse inserted the sedation. My next memory is waking up in the recovery room an hour later. I don’t recall turning from side to side so the camera can move along the colon but had been told earlier that the sedation could make me forget. I felt no pain or discomfort at any point and would not be anxious about having another one.

I have written this review firstly to thank the wonderful staff, who were always smiling, helpful and empathetic, and secondly to reassure anyone about to have this procedure for the first time.