Letter arrived regarding an endoscope!!!

Endoscope does not show gall bladder. I had one which was very uncomfortable but you can take the sedation which might be easier so long as you have someone with you.an ultrasound scan showed multiple gall stones in my case so I am awaiting an op. Re the endoscope you must not panic. It is not life threatening or painful,just unpleasant. I was fine afterwards.the sedation does not put you to sleep. In my case it showed no problems or inflammation of anything which means I had been misdiagnosed with GERD and been taking the wrong medication.

Dear Vonnie,

I concur with everything Christine has said here. 

I had 2 on the same day, one after the other, one down the throat to the stomach, and one up the bum.  The key is to relax.  I know it's easier said that done.  But being as relaxed as you can helps the Doctor do it quicker and easier.  I just had throat spray no sedation.  As has been said if you have sedation you need to stay in the hospital for a couple of house and have an escort after.  When they say biopsys, don't be scared, all it is is literally a scrapping from the walls.  They are not taking chunks of anything out. 

Please do not overthink it.  Try and relax ok.

Good luck

Hiya,

Is it the endoscopy you are worrying about?  if so don't worry.

I have had quite a few in my time.  I do not know whether they can see gallbladder from this procedure.  I went and they discovered I had a hiatus hernia and gastritis.

The procedure takes about 15 minutes.  You are asked if you wish to be sedated or not.  I have sedation everytime!!!

You are obviously Nil by mouth before the procedure.  From my experience - you meet the doctor or consultant who will peform the procedure approx 15 mintues before you have it done.  You tell this person your concerns i.e. with me burning pain after some foods.  You I assume will tell him about your pain in gall bladder and that after tests you have enlarged gallbladder walls with shadows.

They take you in a room where you lie down on theatre bed.  You lie on you left side.  If sedation is used you will have a canula put in your hand. A small piece of equipment is placed in your mouth where the tube is placed for the examination.  I always keep my eyes closed. They place sedative in your canula and will start to feel quite woozy.  I am quite relaxed by now.  

Do you ever try meditation.  I have been taught deep breathing and meditation through YOGA - this has helped me no end I can tell you.

You wake up in Recovery.  An allocated nurse will be looking after you.  You will be asked if you would like a cuppa tea and piece of toast.  This will be like manner from heaven as you will be thirst and starving.

After that when you feel ready get up and dressed and maybe a nurse will tell you the results (I suppose it depends on the Day Stay Unit you go to).

Thats it.  No after effects.  (sorry for essay).

Viv.

 

Hi Vonnie

As the others here have said, do not worry unduly about gastroscopy - I am usually OK about tests but this one had me really worried, about both the procedure and what they might find. I have gallstone probs (bad symptoms/chronic) but have had other gastro probs and they thought may be stomach related. I had no sedation as I wanted to get home asap and hate being  "out of it" but it is a choice only you can make and many prefer the sedation. As others said, it is not pleasant as the tube felt larger than I had thought ( I had a transnasal tube looking at my larynx once and that was MUCH smaller and easier altogether). I did retch a lot, but it was soon done (I had no biopsies) and the Dr said immediately that all looked normal which was a relief. I had raised blood pressure after so had to sit a while till it came down. I was not given any food or drink as the sedated people are. On the way home I coughed up a bit of blood but it stopped in a minute so no problem, just a bruised, sore throat after. I took spoonfuls of Manuka honey which soothed my throat and next day it was all OK.

It is good they tell you findings right away unlike many other tests, which keep you hanging on and wondering. So don't worry too much, although it is natural to be anxious. Even though I asked for no sedation, the nurse said if I did not cope unsedated they could keep me longer and sedate me, so the option is there. Good luck x

Thanks guys....the last time i was in hospital was when i was giving birth ....and hate hospitals and hate taking medication of any sort.......just incase i get bad side effects ect crazy phobia i have!

I might have to get sedated but hate feeling or losing control and feeling sick afterwards

Do you think i will have to wait for resuts then?? or can they pretty much tell me straight away? xxx

Hiya - out of interest when is your procedure booked for ?

Yes I wore a hospital gown because I was sedated.

Take care x

OK - a couple of weeks to go.  Put letter away - and forget it !!!!

Enjoy your weekend!  Put it to the back of your mind - don't give it another thought. Enjoy your life and family. x

I had this done. My sedation was just to settle you not sleep. Was nothing too it. And does show gallbladder stones. I had blocked bile duct and ct scan showed no stones. Then had this done to unblock bile duct and it showed multiple stones and at a later date had gallbladder removed. You will be fine no worries at this at all.

Don't worry about the Endoscope - I didn't know anything about it as the sedation they gave me (whatever it is) just knocked me out - just remember coming to for a couple of seconds and then I was gone again - next thing I knew I was back in the hospital bed.   Don't worry about it, I'm sure you will not think it a bad experience.   I stayed in overnight after it and had to wait for blood tests next day before they would let me go (due to risk of Pancreatitus following this procedure I believe)  They removed a stone from my bile duct as I had already had my gallbladder removed 3 weeks earlier.

Dear Vonnie please don't worry, I was scared when I went for mine ,but, they put me at ease and it sure helped. They sprayed the back of my throat and put a black thing in my mouth with a hole in the middle which was for the camera etc to be down, they gave me a tranquilliser and that was it , it was all over and I never knew a thing,it's really not scary just relax and you will be fine. I was told I would have to stay overnight,but, I was ok and they sent me home in the afternoon. They removed the stone from my pancreas which had caused all my trouble and touch wood I have been ok. Have to go back to the clinic when they send for me. Please Vonnie don't be scared it's honestly just fine, I found the MRI scan much more harrowing. Are you in the UK xxx

I have had 3 endoscopies - one around 20 yrs ago, one 12 yrs ago, and one last year. Like you, I got very anxious about the first procedure, but  I felt less anxious for the following ones because I knew that I was fine as long as I had the throat spray and the sedation.

Unfortunately last year a horrible nurse who I saw just beforehand tried her hardest to talk me out of having the sedation and make me feel guilty for asking for it. I stood my ground, and insisted on having both the throat spray and the sedation, and once again I was fine.

Really as long as you have the sedation you don't have any problems from my experience and you dont' remember much. Also the sedation is light, so you should not have any problems with sickness afterwards, it's not like a full on anaesthetic.

You do need to have someone with you for it though, and need to have someone at home afterwards for a bit, but I would definitely recommend having the sedation if you are anxious.