bowel prep

Hi all
Well, I have been reading forums and taking it all in until my pre-op hospital visit and doctors' consult with DH. Everything was very informative and they pretty much re-stated what all the Sisters have said on the site. I do get to keep my ovaries as DR says if they ain't broke don't fix them....I get to do the bowel prep..yippee and my question is this, I planned on working thru Monday nite, as my surgery is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. check in at the hospital...DR said to take the lovely potion at noon on monday, should I be at home for this instead of at work...he has me on clear liquids for 48 hours...so shouldnt I be pretty much cleaned out by Monday anyways???
Any thoughts would be appreciated.. Surgery is the 24th I am still very frightened..They have also given me 3 options for pain medication.....spinal, pac, and shots...any thoughts there????? DR says spinal has the side effects of itching terribly, but you get 24 hours of rest as the morphine is more intense..
thanks to all of you, you have really been such a help thru all of this.

Hi;

I would try do be home once you start the bowel prep....you never know how your body is going to react and I would much rather be home, just in case....
I had the epidural (spinal), and it was great for me...I did have a very itchy nose while in recovery, but the nurses gave me benadryl and that took care of it..but I was painfree for the first 24 hours, which was AWESOME!!
I will be praing for Gods guidance in your decision making.... this is the hardest part...the waiting....have faith that all will go well and see you on the post op side

I personally would be home for the bowel prep. Well....depending on how late you work on Monday. He told me to take it at ten in the morning but I worked until 3 on Sunday afternoon and surgery was Monday at 8. The nurse said to take it as soon as I got home. The bowel prep kicked in in about 40 minutes. I wouldn't have been able to keep running to the bathroom at work. I was also on clear liquids, but it found stuff somewhere. As far as meds, I had a spinal and was pretty much pain free until they took it out on Wed. and I was only on percocet. Good luck in your decisions.

Hi Onlyhisangel,
I had a 2 days clear liquid diet and Fleet Prep kit#1. First day only took 2 tiny
pills. Next day two more pills and shot and half of salty yucky tasting stuff. Within 45 minutes of downing that sea water, I was running to the bathroom. Like every 10-15 minutes. This lasted until the next morning around 5:00am. Think I did that salty drink around 6:00pm. Also had to due the suppository about 1.5 before I left for the hospital which was like around 5am. I lost about 5 or more pounds. I was not that big to begin with (under 95# with clothes/shoes/coat/phone). I had TAH, with prolapse repairs (mesh), and a TVT sling. I could not use any pain medicine in the hospital it lowered my blood pressure too much (scared the doctors and nurses) and I have difficulties swallowing pills. But my pain wasn't too bad.


The very worst part (I couldn't believe this either before my surgery) was those
days of starvation (liquid diet) and that yucky prep.


Good luck with your surgery. My thoughts and prayers will be with you.

You definitely want to be at home when you do the bowl prep. Even though you'll be on a liquid diet, you'd be surprised how much you have to go once you take the laxatives. I had to drink a bottle of magnesium citrate and started feeling the effects about an hour later. Then I was back and forth to the bathroom for the next 5 hours.

I just started my bowel prep for surgery tomorrow. Was to drink 3 ounces of the Fleet Phospho-Soda at 11:00 a.m. It was AWFUL! It tasted nasty - like drinking straight salt with just enough water in it to liquify it. I downed it quickly (2 1.5 ounce bottles) but began to feel extremely nauseous almost immediately. I began drinking water at took some anti-nausea meds, but nothing worked. Finally at just about noon I could no longer keep it down and vomited repeatedly. Fortunately (I think) enough of the stuff made it through that it took effect. The cramps were awful and made me nauseous all over again, but by 12:15, I had results and spent a solid 30 minutes in the bathroom, back 10 minutes later, and probably not done yet. Ugh.

So... I would definitely be home when you begin.

Thank you everyone for your help...Good luck sisternow on your surgery..my thoughts and payers are with you. Just visited with the boss, without being graphic ( :-) ) I dissucssed another 1/2 day off...yippee..I know it can't be helped, but I just hate putting my boss in this predicament. After all your messages..I really don't want an episode at work. I am leaning towards the spinal shot also, hoping that no side effects are gonna happen.
Thank you again everyone.