Have got my appointment to see CRS next month but I have to go next week for a colonoscopy..honestly the last rectal exam I had had me in agony for several hours, the thought of a camera up there is freaking me out.I will only be sedated no general anaesthetic, I really don't think any amount of sedation will make it ok.I am thinking of giving it a miss and just going to my CRS appointment.Does anyone think the camera up bum thing is needed?

Personally I'm feeling the same way. I don't know how old you are or what your symptoms are like, exactly. But I've decided not to get scoped unless/until the CRS recommends it when I see him next month. It seems like if you go to a gastroenterologist for fissures, they will want to do a colonoscopy because that's what they do. I decided I'm not going back to the gastroenterologist if I can avoid it--a colonoscopy may further diagnose the problem, but it's not going to fix it. For that you need a CRS. It's really up to you, because it's your body, keep that in mind.

If it makes you feel any better, I had a colonoscopy while my fissures were at their worst. It was a piece of cake. They gave me conscious sedation and I don't remember a thing. I woke up with gas obviously because they fill your bowel with air to expand it but that's it. I may have been moaning and groaning during the procedure but I honestly don't remember a thing until I woke up in the recovery room. A couple of years before that I'd had a sigmoidoscopy where they gave me NOTHING and that was agony. I was nearly crawling off the stretcher in pain. I dont recommend that, but a colonoscopy was like heaven after that experience!

hi nimitor,
i also had a colonoscopy back in 2008, when i was supposed to do a LIS combo with it.
anyway, my colonoscopy experience was positive as i think it helped me mentally since i was thinking there was something really bad going on down there, which wasn't the case.
having that lifted off of me, i was more relaxed and calm. i think having the colonoscopy also helped me heal my fissure because it was the turnaround time when i entered my silent fissure/healing phase that lasted me almost a good 2.5 years.
i would totally recommend the colonoscopy if you have bleeding and if you are scared there is some other condition present. it allows for peace of mind.
fwiw, as scaredy_butt shares, i had 2 anoscopies (not even a sigmoidoscopy!) last month which led me to booking this LIS in 2011, and i tell you the colonoscopy was a piece of cake compared to that! LOL!
if you have it on the books already, go for it.

See, I like the combo deal that happyass mentions--colonoscopy along with LIS at the same time. If I'm getting all this done, I'd like to get it done at one time so I can wake up and the nightmare will hopefully be over.

Hey Alpine,
that was an option given to me by my CRS. I just asked if I could get the LIS, then heal and get the colonoscopy. I was worried about the bowel prep at the time... I've read others had no problem with it though.

Dawn, I worry about the prep too. I have a pretty sensitive system; I'm pretty sure I have IBS because I've had problems my ENTIRE life, literally. So, I think those prep drugs will be way too strong for me. I'm diarrhea prone as it is, so I picture myself up all night vomiting and suffering with intense gut cramps even after there's nothing left to pass.

everyone talked about how awful the prep would be...
to be honest, the prep was the easiest thing for me to.
it was getting up that morning and facing the music and i wasn't sure what to expect. waiting for my turn was just not my cup of tea.
if i am not mistaken, i think they have evolved now to having an option to prep without taking that fluid (golytely or half-lytely)...as there is a tablet only option now. consult with your CRS if that is an option for you.

Thanks for advice, I am bleeding quite heavily at each BM and did "know for sure" that it must be something fatal before I found this board.I am going to ring my CRS office and see if I can talk to him before I make up my mind for sure.Somewhat reassured though,"piece of cake" and not remembering any of it doesn't sound too scary :o

hi nimitor,
i am assuming you will be under general anesthesia, which from now being under two procedures with general anesthesia - it is also somewhat synonymous with "twilight sedation".
i was spooked doing the colonoscopy because of course you can read other forums where people had negative experiences and some have not. and of course, it is easy to focus on the negative chatter/postings.
there is a lot of work to be done with a colonoscopy as there will be a camera (very small) snaked through a lot of your colon.
i didn't feel a thing.
and when i woke up, i was surprised that there was nothing to it. it also provided reassurance that at that point there was nothing else happening to cause my fissure and bleeding.
i didn't have too much gas to let out post-procedure and i was very hungry.
i did have a couple of days where my memory bank took a little bit longer than usual to recall things but i was able to recall information - ie, not specific to the procedure, but life details before.
apparently i was given the same drug, VERSED, during this LIS procedure, and i didn't have any issues recalling life details this time around.