The endoscopy

Where is time going?   I swear time just seems to go faster and faster each year!!!  I have had plans to sit down and write about my experience with the endoscopy and time just slipped by!   But I’m here now, only two weeks later!  (It could have been worse!  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!!). 

So on June 14th I had my endoscopy!  As I spoke about in my previous post, by the time it was done I had fasted about 24 hours.  And I was hungry!   I made a a few discoveries during that forced fast, which I will delve into in a future post.  ((And I promise to write it SOON!). Anyway, back to the endoscopy!

My in-laws drove me up to my appointment, and my mother in law said she would go in when it was over to hear the report with me, since I would most likely be loopy from the anesthesia.   The fast and the drive were uneventful. The office is efficient and exactly at my appointed time they called me back.  Immediately they got me hooked up to all the machines and gizmos and placed the line for the IV.   The nurse struggled to get an IV.  Three sticks later and she hit gold, or rather she hit blood.  Luckily needles don’t bother me!   At that point, they also made me drink something.  They said it was to break down the gas bubbles in my digestive system.  Thank heavens it didn’t taste bad. Honestly, it was tasteless!   And then I waited for my turn in the procedure room.  The took in my neighbor on the other side of the curtain and the nurse told me ‘he is a colonoscopy and they typically take 20 minutes and then it will be your turn.’   

20 minutes passed, 40 minutes passed, 60 minutes .  I waited an hour and 15 minutes before they came to take me into a procedure room.  

During that time the gal that had come out of the procedure room laid in her bed moaning!  ‘Ouch ouch ouch ouch’. And then more  moans.  Followed by ‘not cool not cool not cool’ then more moans .   The nurses checked on her but never gave her the meds that I am sure she was angling for!  Hahahaha.   Too bad the curtain was pulled, I would have loved to see that drama!

Eventually they came for me.  They apologized and said that the guy in the room took a lot longer than expected.  I , of course said no problem and said ‘not a good sign when they take longer I imagine’.  The nurse grimaced and agreed.   Made me thankful all over again that my colonoscopy in January was quick and they found nothing!!

They finally took me into the room.  I looked at my watch when I went into the room and right before the doctor said hi.  They put this stopper thing in my mouth.   From what I saw it reminded me of a big pacifier that I had to bite down on.  I was focusing heavily because that kind of stuff makes me gag and it was freaking me out a bit in my mind.

The next thing I know I was wondering where the remote control was to turn off the tv!  Yup, the tv i was thinking about turning off, was actually the monitor that the doctor had used during my endoscopy.  My mind was wanting to turn off I guess.  Quickly I realized that I was still in the procedure room.  No worries, I didn’t wake up halfway through the procedure!  I was done!   I remember talking to the nurse but I can’t remember what I said.  I’m sure it was witty and totally coherent!  (Ha). I also looked at my watch and less than 10 minutes had passed. Whew, I hadn’t gone long!

Back in my little recovery/prep area they removed my IV and various monitors.  They alsogave me a drink of water.  (They gave me the smallest  glass of water  for someone that hasn’t had a drink in 8 hours…I was a thirsty girl!!). And I laid there for a few minutes.  The doctor stopped by and gave me the thumbs up.  While my mother in law was supposed to be there for the results, he gave them to me without her.   When the nurse was ‘discharging me’ she asked if I actually remembered what the doctor had said.  I was able to repeat it back to her verbatim.   

They took me and placed me in the care of my parent in-laws and I asked them to take me right away to get a drink!  That Diet Pepsi tasted so dang good!!!  The drive home was uneventful…just lots of chit chat.   

Rather anticlimactic of an experience.  Which is good.

So the results.  The doctor said everything looked good.  They did a biopsy (which I asked if that was normal and they said yes) which of course we will have to wait for the results. The only thing of note was that I have a hiatal hernia.  A very small one apparently. (2 cm). I asked the doctor what we do about that and he immediately answered, “Nothing.”  He went on to say that if it gets bigger and becomes an issue it’s surgery but otherwise nothing.  Ok then.

I see him again in a few weeks (middle of July) and I will get the biopsy results then.  I will talk to him more about the hiatal hernia too.

But you know me, I came home and checked out Doc Google!  Everything I found indicated exactly what he said…except for one thing that I stumbled upon.  That was a doctor of physical therapy.  She does videos (with her dog nearby..how cool) and she had one for hiatal hernia. She makes it sound like certain movements (basically lots of stretching of the torso) will help alleviate symptoms of a hiatal hernia and possibly repair it.  I need to go back and research that some more.  Looking at the comment on her videos people were saying ‘I started this and within weeks the symptoms of the hiatal hernia were gone, and that is after my doctor told me that the only thing to help would be surgery’.  So hmmmmmm.   Ohh and as a side note…hiatal hernia and acid reflux for what I read go hand in hand…more to talk to the doctor about!!!

So that is the scoop…more to come in a few weeks!!!