Shands Endoscopy Center

When you have to have a colonoscopy and an endoscopy, the last thing you need is to walk into some über-​clinical, super-​sterile-​decorated office that is freezing to wait to have a scope shoved down your throat and up your bum (separate scopes, I was promised).
The week before the surgery, I had a lot of questions about the prep. The prep for a colonoscopy is a rather interesting experience, and not necessarily in a good way. The one good thing about the colonoscopy prep is that you might lose a pound or two. I called the Endo Center and spoke to a nurse and my anesthesiologist and asked as many questions as possible. They were so professional but friendly and gave me tips on how to drink The Impossible Drink (keep a piece of hard candy in your mouth while you drink the Halflytely!) and other tips. Usually, trying to get in touch with a medical office and speak to a person is killer in this town — everything is automated and it takes almost 24 hours to get a nurse to call you back. But here at the Endo Center, they’re just the loveliest people on the phone.
When we walked into the Center the day of the surgery we came into a bright and fresh building with easy parking. Anyone who knows Gainesville knows that parking at any of the hospitals can be a nightmare. The lobby of the Center was peaceful and calming. A large rock wall with a water feature trickling down the rock into some lovely potted greens just made me less and less nervous.
The front desk receptionist could not have been a nicer young woman. She smiled at us and listen to us as if we were the first ever people to walk in that door. Same with the young woman who talked to us about the financial documents.
Once we got back to the prep area I was greeted by a smiling and friendly nurse who brought in other friendly and funny nurses. None of this uptight stuff or talking over the patient. They talked to me, cracked jokes with me and really put me at ease. They even teased me a little since I couldn’t drink all my The Impossible Drink but remembered that since I’m a diarrhea gal I probably had a pretty cleaned out colon anyway.
When Dr. Sunday, the anesthesiologist arrived, she even prayed with us my husband, my pastor and I. She made us all laugh and told us that she gets up early on surgery days to pray for her patients. How cool is that? And yes, that is her real name.
Once we got into the surgery area, everyone was so calm and at ease. My surgery doc was also a woman, all the techs and nurses were women. There was one guy but I didn’t catch his name as he was putting in my bite block just at the time the anesthesiology nurse was sending me off to La-​La Land. Sorry, guy. You were very nice.
After surgery they brought me to recovery where I don’t remember anything except being freezing and the nurses laughing and saying, Poor thing, she’s freezing! and covering me up with a couple of blankets. They gave my husband and I instructions of how to take care of myself the next few days but also included written instructions and a work excuse in a folder to take with me. They know that nervous spouses and woozy patients aren’t going to remember a blessed thing, but this was the first time anyone has sent me home with a nicely organized folder with instructions and contact information if I have any questions later on.
Overall, if I have to do it again, I’m so going to beg the docs to send me back here. If anything I wish I could work with the folks at this clinic, smart, funny, and wonderful to their patients and their families!