"What a priceless and wonderful bunch of people"

I have undergone several procedures over the last decade & therefore feel well qualified to make some heartfelt comments regarding my latest experience during a colonoscopy.

I am in my 70s & in recent weeks I had received & sent back a testing kit sent out bi-annually known as a FIT kit. Previous tests over recent years resulted in no further action but this time the test found blood traces & ultimately I was advised that I should attend hospital for a colonoscopy to ascertain if bowel cancer might be present.

I was somewhat nervous about this as I have had 4 major procedures in recent years, including having a permanent nephrostomy put in place due to kidney disease & the fact that my kidney was slightly damaged during a cystectomy.

An online appointment was arranged for a pre-procedure consultation & I was kept well informed during this as to the advantages & why it was important to go ahead. The consulting nurse was very kind, informative & reassuring & I accepted the appointment for the procedure at Lincoln Endoscopy Suite.

I was received at the endoscopy suite in Lincoln & during the initial preparation with a nurse I was treated kindly & courteously & she alleviated my nervousness by answering my numerous questions & fully explained my options; e.g. to accept or decline sedation / the use of Entonox if required & fully explained the process. She took pains to ensure I was to speak up at any time if I became too uncomfortable or if any pain was becoming intolerable, although pointed out that this is unusual for the great majority of patients & because people have differing pain threshold. This was useful to take in as I have known 4 people who have had colonoscopies & they were not too happy with the experience plus read about other patients' experiences. 

Many people seem to opt for sedation but this means a longer recovery time & you cannot drive for 24 hours following sedation + require someone to be with you for several hours after going home. As my wife does not drive & has vascular dementia, sedation was not an option I wanted plus there was no one available I could call on to get me home on this occasion.

I was then taken through to the waiting area to get ready for the procedure & everyone involved was friendly & really tried to alleviate my nervousness - with some success!

After a short wait I was taken through to the endoscopy theatre & was introduced to the staff & the consultant, Mr. Norman.

He informed me I could watch the process on screen if I wished but not obliged to, but said it was often found interesting by patients who could see exactly what was happening.

He reiterated the process & was happy to answer a few more questions before commencing & also reiterated that he would stop the process at any time if I was in pain or too uncomfortable. He also explained I might be asked to change position a few times depending on how things were going as the bowel has twists & turns that can make the procedure tricky.

I elected to watch the screen & it is indeed fascinating & probably not as bizarre as one might imagine. Staff & Dr. Norman talked to me through the whole process so I knew exactly what was happening plus were making jokes & talking about a whole range of topics to keep me engaged & calm as possible.

As happens there was some difficulty as my bowel was not cooperating due to some tight twists & turns & it became quite a challenge. However Dr. Norman persevered & said he would attempt using injected water into the bowel, rather than air, as it might just make life easier for both of us. I have to admit that apart from one or two slightly painful episodes, by no means unbearable, & being a bit uncomfortable the addition of water seemed to help as he was able negotiate the rest of the bowel & both us were somewhat relieved. Dr. Norman I have to say is a master of his profession & by completing a difficult process negated the need for a further appointment or an alternative process.

I was amazed that the whole process, even with the encountered difficulties, was nothing like the ordeal I had been expecting & all the staff were excellent in their kindness & patience. The procedure over-ran my estimated time slot but Dr. Norman's perseverance, expertise & kindness & his team ensured I was sorted out satisfactorily.

They found 3 polyps which were removed as standard procedure & sent for a biopsy report but there was no indication that they were cancerous at this stage & I have been removed from the cancer pathway in regard to bowel cancer - obviously a great relief.

I really cannot praise Dr. Norman & his team enough. This is a very useful, or even an essential procedure for checking for bowel cancer & probably viewed with trepidation by many, but if my experience at Lincoln's Endoscopy Suite is anything to go by, anyone awaiting such a procedure are unlikely to find cause for complaint at this suite. 

Afterwards i was monitored by the recovery team who were also most kind & solicitous & was offered lovely ice cold water and / or a hot drink. The staff also looked after my wife who was in the waiting room ensuring she was kept up to date & re-assured that all was well with me. This was also a priceless service as she can become flustered  and bewildered when I am not with her.

I won't go so far as to say it was a pleasure as it would sound a bit weird but I came away very thankful to the NHS & the wonderful consultant & team - what a priceless & wonderful bunch of people Lincoln Hospital Endoscopy Suite has. Thank you so very much.