If 2020 Were a Beverage, It Would be Colonoscopy Prep

Ahhhh colonoscopies, the ever dreaded and not discussed procedure that absolutely everyone hates. I feel ya! I thought I had another 20 years or so before I had to get on the regularly scheduled colonoscopy train, but that train pulled up much quicker than anticipated and gave me a front seat. Colonoscopies are now part of my LFS screening protocol.

I think what terrified me most about the colonoscopy was not the procedure itself but the prep beforehand. I had done the prep once before for a different procedure, and let me tell you, it did not go well. They provided me with a gallon jug and some sort of powder to mix in it with water. It looked like lemonade, but it did not taste like lemonade. I tried mixing it with blue Gatorade, plugging my nose, even whipped out a shot glass to take it like the true college kid I was. All attempts failed, and I managed to drink only about a quarter of it.

Thankfully, I don’t think I needed to be as “cleaned out” for that procedure as you do for a colonoscopy. So, this time around, I was terrified. I read stories of people not finishing the prep, going in for the procedure, and having to redo it because they were not cleaned out enough. I was not going to accept defeat this time around. Heck no was I was going to do two rounds of this s***.

So, after scouring the internet and talking to a friend of mine that’s a nurse, I found out about an alternative prep method – MiraLAX mixed with Gatorade. Genius, it’s tasteless! I called my doctor and they agreed to this method.

Why is this not standard protocol?! Why was I originally prescribed MoviPrep!? I mixed 14 doses of miralax with a 64 ounce yellow Gatorade and drank. All. The. Prep. I repeat, I drank it all! A true miracle really. And honestly, the effects of drinking that much miralax were not as terrifying as you may imagine they would be (I’ll spare you the details though).

My procedure went great and I am good to go for two years now. I also have way less anxiety about the procedure in the future now that I know about this little prep trick. So, if you ever need a colonoscopy, remember the MiraLAX and Gatorade prep. Be sure to consult with your doctor beforehand, as this may not be the right option for everyone – but it’s certainly worth asking!