Hello! This blog post is all about how to give yourself an enema in preparation for having an endoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, etc. Just like my
last blog post, the stuff I talk about here is true for my local hospital here in England and might not be exactly the same for you.
The reason I wanted to write this blog post is because when I found out I had to give myself an enema at home in preparation for my
sigmoidoscopy, I freaked out. I’ve been having sigmoidoscopies ever since my internal pouch was formed, and I knew I didn’t have to have the horrible drink prep because that could be dangerous / dehydrating / overkill for my special plumbing. So I would get an enema sent to me in the post instead, but every year I would call the hospital and say I don’t think I have to do this because I only have an internal pouch. And that was fine, until my appointment in 2015,
where the camera guy said it was a bit difficult to see in my pouch so I should probably have to have an enema next time. Damn my pouch for working so well!
Feeling Weird About Having An Enema
So because of that, I was really dreading my next appointment, which I had last Friday. However, I really was worrying over nothing, and I’m writing this because if anyone is reading and also freaking out, I want to reassure you that there’s no need. I was worried about doing it and then needing to go to the toilet on the way to the hospital, which turned out not to be an issue. But the main thing was that it just sounded so degrading to me. The thing I tried to remember (and did a little google about) is that people don’t just have enemas because they have to for medical reasons. Some people have them regularly to give their colon a nice spring clean. I don’t know about you, but I’m perfectly happy knowing my colon is full of filth, but
I guess other people like to have a bit of a power flush every once in a while. Some people do this because they want to, not because they have to. Hopefully that makes it slightly easier to think about.
How To Give Yourself The Enema
So, onto the process itself. My letter from the hospital said to use the enema one or two hours before I left the house. My appointment was at 9:45am and I wanted to leave around an hour before that, so at 7.30am I got up and made a start. The enema I was sent was a Cleen enema, and I think that’s the same as a Fleet enema. I went to the toilet first, to give myself a bit of a head start, I guess. You need to lie on your left side to do the enema, so I put a towel down on the bathroom floor and did it there because my partner was still in bed and I didn’t want to make him move or do it in front of him. So now there you are lying down on your left side wherever you’re comfortable, and your knees are bent. Pull the cap off the enema, and, well, put it up there. Point it towards your navel, and squeeze the enema. You might have to squeeze a bit hard – I took it out at one point because I wasn’t sure how much was left, but it turned out it was still about three quarters full, so I put it back in. There should be a bit left at the end though, so don’t feel like you have to do it until the bottle is completely empty – it contains more than you need.
After Your Enema
All done? Stay in that position and within 2-5 minutes you’ll be ready to go. Try to wait as long as you can, until you’re really ready to go. It’s a bit like playing chicken with your guts. Then when you’ve
gotta go, expect it to be watery. And don’t expect to only need to go once – there’s a reason why the leaflet says to do it an hour or two before you leave the house! I went a few times, and it did sting a bit because, well, internal pouch = more acid in my output.
And there you go! So in conclusion, the enema is really easy to use, it’s nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about (though if you do
feel that way, your feelings are totally valid), and it’s a million times
better than drinking that disgusting Kleen Prep, Moviprep, or whatever. Once you’ve done it one time, hopefully you’ll feel better about doing it again another time, and hopefully this blog post will have made you feel a bit better about it, too. Any questions or extra tips, put them in the comments!
P.S. Always Read The Label!
Oh, and another quick note – always read your appointment letter, any leaflets that come with your appointment letter, the enema box, the leaflet inside the enema box, etc! Advice here is just from my perspective and you may have different experiences. If you need proper medical advice, get in touch with your doctor or consultant. I’m not a medical professional! And if you’re having a check-up anytime soon, I wish you the very best of luck and hope you get the best possible results. <3
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