Colonoscopy with a Powerchair
Hi folks, I just found out I'm going to need a colonoscopy. I'm a newer powerchair user and I'm ambulatory, so I'm trying to decide if leaving the powerchair at home and getting a porter or the person accompanying me to push me in one of the hospital wheelchairs is a better option, even though it does mean a loss of some independence while there.
My concerns with the powerchair are:
Leaving it alone while I'm undergoing the procedure (I have not been able to get a clear and comprehensive answer from the hospital about where I'd leave it and how it would be kept safe, and I'm not satisfied with the level of accessibility of this particular hospital)
Being too drowsy after the procedure to safely drive it around
If the procedure runs too long, and I miss my booking for the accessible public transit van or alternatively it goes early, and I'm stuck waiting for it with the person who is accompanying me (it's close enough I could roll home with their company, but I don't know if that would be safe or allowed).
For those of you who've had colonoscopies, how drowsy were you when they released you from recovery? How did you keep your powerchair safe and untampered with? Would you have felt safe to roll home a 20 minute roll (which come to think of it will be longer with someone by my side, since I'd have to slow down for them). Would you have left the powerchair (or other wheelchair) at home if that had been an option for you?
I'm also worried about being perceived as not a wheelchair user and being asked to get up and walk distances that might present a problem for me.