And so it begins

4:00 I take four Dulcolax tablets as prescribed. I have my toilet and bedside stations set up. Two more hours before starting the prep, and a projected three-four hours before the toilet party.

5:30 I’m feeling queasy. Not nauseated but the type of queasy feeling you get when you are anxious. I read somewhere that sea sickness bands work for colonoscopy prep, so I get the ones from my travel bag. It worked. I can’t rule out a placebo effect, but I was pleased.

5:45 The queasiness is back. It’s an early bubble guts sensation- the kind I get before a big event. Surely the laxative that said it works in 6-12 hours couldn’t be working, so I decided that my anxiety must be kicking in.

5:50 Whether it was the anxiety, the laxative pills, or a combination of both, something has started the process. I although everything was set up, I was caught a little off guard and hadn’t filled the travel bidet with warm water yet.

6:00 My first 8 ounces. Surprisingly, the taste is not bad. I didn’t add the lemon/lime flavor packet because artificial fruity flavors make me feel ill. I gulp the first glass down easily and start to believe that maybe I can do this after all.

6:15 The second dose doesn’t go down as quickly. Not because of the taste but because I’m already feeling kind of full. I tried to consume plenty of liquids earlier in the day so I wouldn’t get dehydrated and to stave off hunger. After a few sips, I decided to drink from the glass instead of the straw because I thought the glass would be faster. I returned to the straw because drinking from the glass highlighted the fact that the texture was thicker than I thought. It made me think of all the patients I used to put on thickened liquids back in the day. This is their revenge, perhaps.