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My sweet lord...

Posted , 10 users are following.

RHGB
RHGB

Am I bricking it. I'm feeling doubly sorry for myself today, I've had to swap one medication for another, because of side effects and this one is bedding in and it always makes me feel grotty and it has its own side effects.

But the reason I'm panicking is, I have had my appt. letter come through for my endoscopy come through for a month's time. I had one before when I was in hospital, but that was under GA. This time I will be conscious. For those wondering what it is, it a fibfre optic tube down your throat with a camera on the end and sometimes tiny cutters that can remove tissue for biopsy.

I have a gag reflex and it isn't going to like this at all. I have oesophageal varices, which is what this is for. So I decided to start looking at what it is like, there is actually a forum on patient info for it. Here's some little snippets of posts.

"Ok, you are definitely having an endoscopy now. Thats it, you are in. You are having it done , you will survive and this will help.Dont bother asking them any questions. The questions you want to ask, they will avoid and distract you. Everything happens very quickly.

All of a sudden your throat feels like its constricted, exactly like you have a golf ball stuck in your throat. DONT PANIC. You can breath. Your throat is numb and your brain has stopped receiving signals tricking your body into thinking you cant breathe. Breathe. Its normal.

On a bed, lying down on your side. Forefinger in a pulse reader.

Ok , here we go . Its just a little wire with a tiny camera on the end. Going to have a good look. No. Its not a tiny wire with a camera on the end. It should be a tiny wire with a camera on the end. Its 2013, we're into nano technology and space exploration. Its a pipe. So stop thinking kettle flex and start thinking hose pipe.

How you deal with these 10 minutes is up to you. I was convulsing and choking for most of the time but kept brave. The nurse kept telling me to breath but since I had a pipe down my thoat I found it a little difficult."

--------------------------

"I had a Gastroscopy today and have to agree with extreme it was horrendous!!!!!!!iThey also told me the camera was no thicker than a pen, A pen my a** it was just like a hosepipe as described earlier! I gagged and choked that much! my eyes were crying!I was belching like nobodies business!it really was horrible!"

--------------------------------

"I can only describe the experience as feeling as if the sedation had switched off my higher centres, which might have induced cooperation, leaving the limbic system (kill, kill, kill!) in the driving seat. I felt like a terrified animal. It took six people to hold me down and I'd have cheerfully gouged out the nurse's eyes if she hadn't been kneeling on one of my arms. I remained not only wide awake but completely "wired" for the next 20 hours. I'm still having flashbacks now, two months later."

1 like, 30 replies

30 Replies

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  • h1954
    h1954 RHGB

    Posted

    So you were scared about it, you researched it and now you're even more scared about it. A little knowledge really can be a dangerous thing. The local anaesthetic spray on your throat will I habit your gag reflex, but it will also make you feel like your throat is swelling up and you can't breathe. But it is not swelling and you can breathe. It's like how your face/jaw feels swollen with an injection at the dentist but it's just a temporary loss of normal sensation.

    The suggestion of a letter from your doc sonds good.

    I hope it all goes much better than you fear

    • RHGB
      RHGB h1954

      Posted

      'So you were scared about it, you researched it and now you're even more scared about it. A little knowledge really can be a dangerous thing'

      Not a dangerous thing. Have you looked at the pipe they put down your throat. Have a look at it and imagine what it has been like if you had spent most of your life not even being able to swallow a pill.

      There are quite a number of people who have damaged their throat/internals from pulling the tube out, that is exactly the sort of thing I would do. Also there are quite a few instances of nurses trying to hold the patient down, or sit on their arm to stop them flailing. I'm 6'2" and built like a bull, if I decide to get up, no one is going to restrain me.

      Sod the spray, I am already booked for the sedation, but if I get agitated, that will have no effect.

    • tess33005
      tess33005 RHGB

      Posted

      You are absolutely right, RH.

      You might even assault the nurses who were trying to hold you down...................

      Take control of this. And to anyone else reading this, especially women, would you go to give birth in a hospital which doesn't provide pain relief in labour?

      I rest my case.

    • JackDM
      JackDM RHGB

      Posted

      A general anaesthetic always carries a risk. Granted today that risk is well managed. I hope you can find the help that you are seeking and that you are able with help to tolerate the endoscopy without a general anaesthetic. There is a greater recovery time, a greater risk, more expense and more time in a hospital bed with a GA.

      Im not dismissing your fear, I sincerely hope you can manage it and get adequate sedation to make this short lasting procedure tolerable.

    • Misssy2
      Misssy2 h1954

      Posted

      OMG...h1954...I do this to myself all the time.  And by the end of my session of looking up a condition or a procedure I am a wreck. 

      ​I have gotten so tired of making myself a wreck that I have stopped OR TRIED to stop looking stuff up....because whatever will be WILL BE.

      ​However, I'm going to look up liver flank pain right NOW....but I will limit my search to 10 minutes...usually I will search for hours!

  • PaulJTurner1964
    PaulJTurner1964 RHGB

    Posted

    I've had one without a GA. They gave decent sedation and all I remember is the tube going in (slight gag) and coming out. The period in between, while the tube was down, I don't remember. It certainly wasn't a horrible experience
    • RHGB
      RHGB PaulJTurner1964

      Posted

      Hello stranger, nice to see you back.

      One small difference though. Have you spent most of your life gagging on swallowing a small pill. Even now I really struggle each night trying to swallow my medication. It takes several goes, as it keeps getting trapped in my throat and coming back up into my mouth.

      I know it's illogical, my throat is easily big enough to let them all go down with a drink of water, but it just won't happen. There aren't many things I just can't deal wit mentallly and a bit of mind over matter, but this one always beats me.

    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 RHGB

      Posted

      No, I haven't. But my point was that I was sedated so well that I only vaguely remember the tube going in and coming out and nothing in between smile
    • nicole36330
      nicole36330 RHGB

      Posted

      I have 2 sons and the eldest can't swallow a pill without cutting it in half but the youngest can swallow very big pills easily
  • Paper_fairy
    Paper_fairy RHGB

    Posted

    Have you thought about trying that meditation class at ARC or hypnotherapy ? They help me when I'm at the dentist and I fear going, even for a check up, never mind fillings, crowns etc..

    Just joking I know you wouldn't consider that !!!

    Hope it all goes well as I'm sure it will 😀

  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 RHGB

    Posted

    As long as the panic from now until then does not make you drink...than you win!

    Maybe it won't be as bad as you think...think positive....

    ​And when it is completed...if it isn't bad...maybe you can calm some of the people in the forum for the conditions that require this test.

    ​You didn't say when the procedure was...but good luck!

  • Maple
    Maple RHGB

    Posted

    I have not gone through this but my 10 year old did. I was promised it would not be bad or hurt him much.

    Well it was horrible so bad I had to leave the room. The screaming crying was horrendous. He was fine when it was done , but if I had know this , I would of never let them do it awake. Not trying to scare you but you should know what your in for . I wish I had know. Stay strong.

    • RHGB
      RHGB Maple

      Posted

      Thank you for the kind words.
    • tess33005
      tess33005 RHGB

      Posted

      I've had so many of these over the years.

      I can only reiterate - get a General Anaesthetic arranged, and if it's necessary to go to a different hospital to obtain this, then so be it.

      It's your body and your choice. All de best.

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