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I think their concern is that you don't drive home under the influence of the anesthesia, not that someone stays with you in the waiting room. I'm not sure if you go cold turkey on the anesthesia ( don't have any) during your colonoscopy, or other procedures for that matter, they wouldn't be ok with your driving yourself home.
I'm thinking you might be able even to just call a cab ( or Dial-A Ride bus, like we have around here), rather than hire an attendent to drive you home.
None of the three places that my doctors have used would allow a cab driver to pick me up -- for liability reasons (in case I'd be assaulted or cheated financially while I was groggy). One time I paid my yard man to pick me up and the center even gave me some trouble over that, although they finally relented.
And, yes, if you dont have anesthetic, most (if not all) places will let you drive home. A co-worker of mine always had her colonoscopies with no anesthetic and she was always allowed to drive herself home.
When I had out patient surgery (non-colo related) over summer vacation the surgery center insisted on bringing someone. I managed to hire a teen (who was not able to drive due to visual loss) and we got there in a cab. The teen waited for me in the waiting room, then we took a cab home. All because the surgery center had this silly arbitrary rule that there had to be a "companion" to wait in the waiting room. Surgery started late so I told the teen to just go grab himself lunch at a corner sandwich shop as soon as I was wheeled into the operating room. Surgery center didn't even mind that we cabbed in and out. I may be doing my screening colo there too, this fall, but the teen is going to be in school so I guess I ought to find a yard man or something, LOL. Like I said money is not the issue but those rules can be crazy. Or maybe I need to find a more sane surgery center.
No, a relative doesn't have to pick the person up. The first time my husband didn't have any relatives in the state. A coworker brought him, left, and then drove him home.
I brought him the second time but I did not have to spend the entire time in the waiting room. I went to the hospital's cafeteria, ate breakfast, watched TV, and then went outside sitting by the pond. The receptionist took our cell phone numbers and said she would call us when the patient was finished.
They were not allowed to drive themselves home, but he had to stay in the bed until he was awake enough to be able to get out of bed, get dressed, and walk out by himself. That took maybe 30 to 45 minutes. We went down the elevator together and he sat in the lobby until I brought the car around. He wasn't wheeled out of the hospital.
No, a relative doesn't have to pick the person up. The first time my husband didn't have any relatives in the state. A coworker brought him, left, and then drove him home.
I brought him the second time but I did not have to spend the entire time in the waiting room. I went to the hospital's cafeteria, ate breakfast, watched TV, and then went outside sitting by the pond. The receptionist took our cell phone numbers and said she would call us when the patient was finished.
They were not allowed to drive themselves home, but he had to stay in the bed until he was awake enough to be able to get out of bed, get dressed, and walk out by himself. That took maybe 30 to 45 minutes. We went down the elevator together and he sat in the lobby until I brought the car around. He wasn't wheeled out of the hospital.
Travelassie, this was at NCH.
I think that's about standard, I think surgery places want to make sure the patient isn't still under the influence of the anesthesia, and can function before he's released, otherwise he might be a liability to himself, (and more importantly to the place, them) otherwise. I've never seen anyone who came with a patient as their designated "ride" home be required to stay at the center with the patient, from what I've seen (and I've done it myself), people often leave, go shopping, eat, run errands, whatever after they have dropped off the patient and given their own contact information (ie, cell phone number) to the intake staff.
Whether or not the patient is wheeled out, I've seen it both ways. Sometimes they let the patient walk out if he wants to, other times they require every patient to be wheeled to the vehicle.
None of the three places that my doctors have used would allow a cab driver to pick me up -- for liability reasons (in case I'd be assaulted or cheated financially while I was groggy). One time I paid my yard man to pick me up and the center even gave me some trouble over that, although they finally relented.
And, yes, if you dont have anesthetic, most (if not all) places will let you drive home. A co-worker of mine always had her colonoscopies with no anesthetic and she was always allowed to drive herself home.
That's interesting, I always thought their concern was over having a potentially hung over patient drive himself home! Must have been their own policies, but I sure can't understand why they'd be so concerned over someone you chose to drive you home. Just my own opinion, but I don't really think it's the place of surgery center personnel to determine who is appropriate to drive a patient home, and trying to put restrictions on a patient's designated driver could make it a hardship for people who dob't have family or friends close by who can take this responsibility. Obviously, if the designated driver is impaired in some way, it'd be the right thing for them to step in, but just saying it can't be a landscaping/lawn guy, or someone who can stay with and attend to the patient before the surgery, that I just don't understand.
... just saying it can't be a landscaping/lawn guy, or someone who can stay with and attend to the patient before the surgery, that I just don't understand.
Well, in the case of my lawn guy, it was probably the fact that he couldnt speak English. (I had made the pickup arrangements and payment through his son.) But it's pretty hard to pass someone off as a friend when you dont speak the same language.
Well I am leaving for my endoscopy & colonoscopy in about 45 minutes. Surprisingly I'm not hungry but my blood sugar is dropping rapidly and I feel a little faint. I have had hypoglycemia for about 40 years and for me that was the worst part of the prep. I know each doctor does a slightly different prep but mine involved 4 bisocyl tablets and 2 bottles of magnesium citrate. That is some awful tasting stuff. On the positive side I lost one whole pound. :-)
Will update when I return.
Last edited by chiluvr1228; 08-04-2017 at 05:45 AM..
Well I am leaving in about 45 minutes. Surprisingly I'm not hungry but my blood sugar is dropping rapidly and I feel a little faint. I have had hypoglycemia for about 40 years and for me that was the worst part of the prep. I know each doctor does a slightly different prep but mine involved 4 bisocyl tablets and 2 bottles of magnesium citrate. That is some awful tasting stuff. On the positive side I lost one whole pound. :-)
Will update when I return.
Considering some people mix their prep with Gatorade (anything but red/purple colored) I don't see why you can't have some carbs in the form of clear liquid to help with your blood sugar...seems dangerous and unnecessary just for a colonosocopy. The point is to be sure there's no "solid matter" in your colon, not that you have to literally fast and get no calories.
I found this - but many came up in the search: Please use these tips to schedule your examination:
Schedule the appointment for early in the day so that you can eat afterwards and take your
medication as close to the usual time as possible.**
Check your blood glucose level before all meals and at bedtime on the preparation day and on the
day of the procedure.**
Check your blood glucose if at any time you have symptoms of low blood glucose or very high
blood glucose.**
Bring your blood glucose meter, test strips, and a low blood glucose treatment with you on the
day of the procedure.**
Clear liquid food choices for the day before your colonoscopy:
Aim for 45 grams of carbohydrate at meals and 15‐30 grams of carbohydrate for snacks.
Avoid foods that are red or have red dyes (cherry, berry, or grape flavors).
Sample of Clear Liquid Choices with Grams of Carbohydrates:
Apple juice (4 ounces) 15 grams of carbohydrates
White grape juice (4 ounces) 20 15 grams of carbohydrates
Sports drink such as Gatorade (8 ounces) 14 grams of carbohydrates
Gelatin (Jello), regular sweetened (1/2 cup) 15 grams of carbohydrates
Orange popsicles or ice pops (read the label) 15 grams of carbohydrates
Italian ice‐‐not sherbet (read the label) 30 grams of carbohydrates
Sugar (for coffee or tea) (1 teaspoon or packet) 4 grams of carbohydrates etc. etc.
I was supposed to get one Monday but the darn thing was just rescheduled for a different date a few hours earlier. I'm a little irritable and was annoyed with the person who called. I really think the low fiber diet I'm on is making me cranky. I really hope this doesn't get rescheduled again!
I was supposed to get one Monday but the darn thing was just rescheduled for a different date a few hours earlier. I'm a little irritable and was annoyed with the person who called. I really think the low fiber diet I'm on is making me cranky. I really hope this doesn't get rescheduled again!
Wow. I understand the need for re-scheduling occasionally but I'd be a little upset about having gone through the cleaning-out process.
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