Living With Crohns Disease

If your doctor wants to get a closer look at what’s going on in your large intestine, you may be prescribed a procedure called a barium enema. This is a radiological test that will most likely be performed in your local radiology lab.

If you’ve been scheduled for this test, I’d like to tell you that it isn’t that bad. But it is. No, seriously. It’s horrible. I had to have one once, and I thank my dear Lord every day that goes by where I don’t have to have another one.

I don’t want to scare you out of it, but let me be honest with you. The test doesn’t hurt at all, it’s just very uncomfortable. Let me think of how I can describe it.

Imagine the most intense feeling of having to go Number 2 that you’ve ever felt before; a time when your guts literally felt as if they were about to burst. Multiply that by three, and you’ve got yourself the lovely sensation you get while you’re undergoing a barium enema.

Sounds pretty bad, huh? Well, the truth is it only lasts for a few moments, and while it’s happening you’ll probably be more worried about the feeling that you’ll crap all over the place than anything else. You’re going to be perfectly fine though; these people perform this test all the time and they’re used to it. They know it sucks for you and it isn’t going to be pleasant for anybody, but it doesn’t take very long to complete.

This is how they do it. First, they’ll insert a tube into your rectum (I know, descriptive), followed by a balloon. Neither of these two implements hurts going in, but the balloon feels really weird. Like, I don’t know how to explain it - it’s kind of a feeling that makes you shudder.

You’ll be lying down on your side when they put these things into you, then they’ll stand you up with a pivoting exam table they use for x-rays, so you won’t have to stand up on your own or anything. The table literally lifts up like a big Frankenstein machine and takes you from a prone position into a standing position, very slowly.

So the first tube injects contrast, which is made up mostly of barium, a radioactive element that makes your insides glow so they show up on the x-ray. The second tube with the balloon will inflate to keep all this wonderful white junk from escaping out of your you-know-where. Some of it probably will, but if it does don’t worry about it. I’m telling you, it’s a common thing during these tests for that to happen.

The reason the test is so uncomfortable is because that first tube can also be used to push air into your bowel. They need to properly inflate your large intestine so they can get a good look at what’s happening in there. So the air blows it up, and the barium coats the lining and highlights your colon for the x-ray machine.

You may be asked to swivel a little bit from side to side so they can take pictures of your stomach from different angles, and the doctor may also use a rubber instrument to press on your stomach so your insides move around and they can get the different views. Other than that you’re just going to be squeezing your sphincter as tight as you can and standing there, gritting your teeth.

In between when the doctor takes each series of pictures, they’ll be able to pull out some of the barium and air to give you a little relief. Those moments aren’t bad at all, they’ll give you a rest for the next go.

The one cool part about the test is that, since the doctor will be standing next to you taking the pictures, you’ll probably get to see yourself on the screen! I don’t know about you, but I think it’s pretty awesome being able to check out your guts on camera.

So my final word to you, friend, is don’t worry. Sure, it’s going to suck and be uncomfortable for a minute or two, but the test will help your doctor and/or surgeon get a much better picture of how you’re doing down there. And it really doesn’t hurt, so you don’t have to worry about pain. If you have any questions about the barium enema or other procedures, just drop me a line.