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ENDOSCOPY MONDAY- VERY SCARED!

Posted , 6 users are following.

chelsie71723
chelsie71723

Hello everyone. I am in some desperate need of comfort over this weekend as I am having an endoscopy on Monday and I am so anxious. The doctor doing it has had tons of experience, everyone says he is awesome and has done over 4,000 procedures a year but I still am scared. I'm 21 and have been having what I think is acid reflux for about 3 months now.. It's starting to get worse (regurgitating, breathing just a little harder and i don't eat much because of the after effect and abdominal/chest pain that I don't want to endure) although I feel like this goes on all day. I'm miserable, I can't even enjoy a meal. My question to you guys, does this sound like acid reflux? I feel like it's way more intense then acid reflux. Also, I'm having GA but I'm very very very scared to undergo the procedure. I am probably gonna do a lot of crying to the nurse even if I try not to.. Will I be asleep? Will I gag? Will it hurt me? Will it bother with my breathing??? Is this safe? I have so many questions! I would APPRECIATE comforting comments and not comments that are going to scare me please and thank you.

0 likes, 38 replies

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  • Daffs
    Daffs chelsie71723

    Posted

    I gurdd the comfort you will get is knowing what is going on in your bowels and how they eill trat it. Could include a CT scan after the colonoscopy if they can't tell from the camwera. But be grateful you have one and not just fogged off as gastro and then yrs to wait before you get another chance. Good luck, Take care.

    Best wishes, Daffs

    What is it you actually want to know that I can help with.

    • jane97743
      jane97743 Daffs

      Posted

      I think you are getting muddled up  with a colonoscopy as that is for bowels, gastroscopy is for throat etc!
    • Daffs
      Daffs jane97743

      Posted

      Sorry about that Jane, I've only had endoscopy and colonoscopy. Endoscopy was for stomack and lots of acid. It wasn't bad, still down throat and found acid, took samples and diagnosed gastroenteritis, gallbladder, etc. before the colonoscopy and the other diagnoses CANCER. So beware of your diagnoses's others. It's not unusual to diagnose wrong in bowel. Best wishes, Daffs
    • jane97743
      jane97743 Daffs

      Posted

      Did you have a colonoscopy due to any stmptoms and  were you sedated and was it painful?
  • Spindles
    Spindles chelsie71723

    Posted

    Let's hope they don't get the equipment mixed up!

    I had an endoscopy about a year ago and was VERY nervous about it.  I practiced having something down my throat by poking my fingers as far back as they would go as I wanted to try and repress the gag reflex, it helped a bit but not much.  On the day the doctor went through the procedure, sprayed my throat, it tasted horrible, I lay on the bed, a nurse held my hand, the room was darkened and the procedure started.  You have a plastic thing in your mouth to protect your teeth (so they say) but it's more to do with it stopping you from biting the endoscope.  I had read that you have to swallow so I concentrated on being calm and swallowed and it went down a treat.  The doctor went through what he was seeing and it was fascinating to actually see the inside of my throat and the muscle that keeps the stomach closed.  It showed that the muscle didn't close properly, also there were some polyps but they didn't do anything about them.  Took a biopsy then said he was pulling it back out, only lasted five minutes if that, gagged once on way out.  The doctor was so impressed with how I had handled it he said I was a model patient and he should have made a video to show all his nervous patients and me such a worrier!  I'm sure it won't be half as bad as you think it will be and when it's over you'll wonder why you worried so much.

    • lily65668
      lily65668 Spindles

      Posted

      Yeah - I hope they don't get them mixed up too. A colonoscope is about 6ft long!
    • lily65668
      lily65668 jane97743

      Posted

      Oh Jane, I'm sorry. Still, at least you don't have to swallow it!
    • jane97743
      jane97743 lily65668

      Posted

      I will probably end up cancelling, as I'm  dreading it, but  it's because of my family history and my younger sister has stage 4 bowel cancer!
    • chelsie71723
      chelsie71723 lily65668

      Posted

      Lily, one more question.. What about swallowing the endoscope? It looks pretty big.. Also worried about choking on it sad
    • lily65668
      lily65668 chelsie71723

      Posted

      You won't choke on it. That's impossible. And you'll have no memory of having swallowed it anyway. You don't have to do anything yourself, the doctor just slips it down without any effort on your part.

      As Jane said, thousands of people have gastroscopies every day all over the world and the papers aren't full of people choking on endoscopes are they? Stop worrying about it and enjoy your weekend.biggrin

    • Daffs
      Daffs chelsie71723

      Posted

      Hi again, I remember now about the endoscopy and this is not colonoscopy. You can have sedation but not necessary for me. I was too facinated with this thing in my tum. They put a shield in the back of your throat so it slips down anyway so you don't swallow it and won't choke either. When it's all over you will be thinking what was I worried about, but we all do with the unknown. Take care, Daffs
    • Daffs
      Daffs chelsie71723

      Posted

      Hello Jane, Sorry about you sister. How is she doing now. With her so close in family you are not new to this. My colonoscopy was not bad, rather facinating. I hate needles. Good luck and Godbless to you and your sister, Daffs
    • jane97743
      jane97743 Daffs

      Posted

      Thank you, my sister is having a break from chemo (as she has been on it for so long), and looking forward to being able to taste nice food! She keeps very positive and she is amazingly brave!
  • ted41159
    ted41159 chelsie71723

    Posted

    chelsie just want to add to all your other replies and to say the same as they have don't worry you will be fine. My wife has had it done twice without anesthetic and I also had it done without anesthetic more recently.I am not the bravest of men and I felt ok during and after it.

    As I said you will be fine Ted

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