What is an ileoscopy?

My next surgery is looming so prior to this happening I have to have several procedures for them to use during said surgery. Mine is an ileoscope & an MRI. This is to check the current health of my stoma should it need to be refashioned during the surgery.

My ileoscope

An ileoscopy is something that those of us minus a large bowel or rectum may have done. From my own experience, it’s a far easier procedure and doesn’t involve having your bottom hanging out for all to see and is devoid of any Moviprep or CitraFleet. You may have to do a form of bowel preparation 5 days prior leading up to the scope; you may have to stop eating fruits and vegetables, live a beige diet for those 5 days and drink plenty of fluids. The day prior to your scope you may be told to have a light breakfast before 9am and then it’s liquids only.

I woke up rather late that morning so I had fasted for nearly 48 hours prior to my scope, suffice to say I may have been slightly grouchy by 2pm on Friday when they went ahead with my scope.

The ileoscope itself only took 5/10 minutes, I had biopsies taken as I keep getting ulcers on the outside of my stoma. They wouldn’t let me off of the ward until Ben came up to get me, that may well be because I have a habit of wandering off when I have been sedated. One time he lost me on the train.

The scope was unpleasant. I was squiffy after, didn’t feel overly bloated or windy. However once 6pm came around and some food had entered my digestive system, then the fun and games started.

They blow up the bowel with air to get a good picture of what’s going on inside. With an ileostomy we don’t have the option to expel wind at will. Continuous burping and cramps lasted well into Saturday afternoon and the left side lower abdomen is still a little tender. It may have been partly my own fault as I chowed down a fair amount after the procedure…

I used paracetamol, codeine and Buscopan to help me pass what could only be described as going into labour again. I was in bed by 8pm Friday and slept it off with painkillers every 6 hours until I felt better. I am now awaiting the two weeks for biopsy results.

All in all an easy procedure that felt a far less invasive than a colonoscopy.

As always

Many thanks for reading

Louise | @crohnsfighting Xx