Prep for prep

Here we are at last, on the eve of Colonoscopy Eve.  Everyone tells me that the preparation for the procedure is worse than the procedure itself, so my efforts at mental fortitude are focused more on tomorrow than on Tuesday.  Then of course my efforts will shift to Friday, which is results day.

Tomorrow I am allowed to have a light breakfast, such as cereal or toast, and then I am to drink only clear liquids all day.  Jello and apple juice are allowed, but dairy and liquids with pulp are not allowed.  At the end of the day I drink 2 cups of laxative mixed with 64 ounces of a clear liquid of my choice.  This should effectively clear me out pretty rapidly.  But in case it doesn't, I am also to drink 10 ounces of bonus laxative in the morning.  Procedure doesn't start until 12:30.  Boo.

So what am I doing today, to prep for the prep?  Ian and I went out to brunch (thanks, dad and Barbara!) to the best restaurant in town.  I had quiche and fruit and salad and toast and potatoes.  And oh my goodness, it was the best brunch I've had since we moved from Madison (shout out to Cafe Continental, which sadly only exists in our memories).

Then we went to the store to buy the various laxatives and clear liquids.  We're not much of a juice family, as we prefer to eat our fruit rather than drink it, so we were truly in need of supplies.  When we got home, I decided to refrigerate some beverages but to keep some at room temperature.  I've been warned that drinking 64 ounces of laxative + cold liquids can make a person quite chilly, so I want to be sure that I have a range of temperature options.

With tomorrow's supplies ominously lined up on the kitchen counter, I decided to pre-medicate against tomorrow's liquid-diet weakness with a bike ride.  It is a glorious February day, with bright sunshine, sticky snow, and dry concrete.  I biked along the river, taking the same route that my family and I walked on New Year's Day.  I paused at a place where the river babbled over some rocks, listening to the crescendo of the wind as it gathered muster in the treetops.  This natural orchestra resonated with me as a metaphor for my first two months of 2012:  the constant bubbling of everyday life overlaid with occasional personal and professional uproars.  It was soothing and grounding--an empowering soundtrack that I will play in my head during the next week.