Off Topic/Colonoscopy Prep

I'd go with what your Dr (not the quack Dr. Google) says.  Long story short -that I will not go into - I will never have another colonscopy per Drs orders.   If I need to be checked again it will be with a barium enema.

"When in doubt, don't" seems to apply here. It certainly won't hurt your colonoscopy if you skip the milkshakes during prep. Why not wait and give yourself one for a treat afterwards instead?

I've had two colonoscopies and a mini prep before a hysterectomy. For the colonoscopy  this past summer - I drank 1 gallon - I used Arnold Palmer iced tea - no cal. mixed with the laxative powder and I think I kicked off with a couple of pills. 4 gallons???? are you sure? that is 16 quarts!!!!

I wish!  I had one about 3 mths ago and I was not allowed to do the Dairy Queen thing only clear liquids...hated the prep.

Definitely no milkshakes the day before--you don't want to get through the prep and find that they can't do it. I had colon cancer 15 years ago, and have had lots of colonoscopies, and I would not want to jeopardize that prep. Some of the things that I eat/drink are banana popsicles (no red or orange), ginger ale, chicken broth (the instant is easy and a break from sweeter things), Sprite/etc. Also I find it easier to start the prep earlier than the instructions say (usually start at 4 pm for an early morning scope and drink 8 ounces every 10 minutes--you do not have to do this--it will just make you miserable). I start around noon, and watch movies or something while I drink it through the afternoon. Have it as cold as you can get it and drink it over ice, and alternate with something else to drink to get rid of the salty taste. If I drink it faster it makes me sick, and there is no benefit in terms of the scope itself to doing it faster. 

Good luck! The prep is the worst part--you will be blissfully unaware during the procedure, and then you can wake up and head to Dairy Queen!

FYI,  I had my first colonoscopy today.  Prep was NOT as bad as I thought it was going to be (not fun, however).  Actual procedure was easy/peasy and the doc may have been shocked at all the questions I was asking (hey, drug me a bit and i get chatty).  Just thought I would pipe up and reassure those that haven't had one that they are not bad and the docs/nurses go out of their way to keep you from getting embarrassed.  

@mary625, I think it's very likely you won't remember. I've had more than one colonoscopy and don't remember any of them. I think they used the same sort of drugs ("conscious sedation") for my liver biopsy, and I don't remember a thing about that either (except how freaked out I was beforehand when I mistakenly thought they were only going to give me a local anaesthetic). Also, last year I was in the hospital so sick with pneumonitis that I had to be put on a ventilator for a short time. While talking to my mom last week on the phone last week, she told me that I resisted having the ventilator put in, but thanks to wonder drugs, that was the first I knew about it. I don't remember it at all.

3 yrs does not sound like a "shortest interval" for the next colonoscopy considering that they found polyps.  I don't know about ILC but I know that some types of BC (IBC for one) 'like' to metatise to the colon.   Also you say you have a family history.

But then -  I'm not medical personel so can't really say anything along that line.