Petrified
Posted , 4 users are following.
I am due to have my forth Gastroscopy tomorrow...I don't suffer these things well..always opted for sedation. Last one the sedation had not taken effect before they were ramming the tube down my throat...swallow I kept getting told...please tell me how u can swallow a tube the size of your thumb. I am having to have my hiatus hernia measured, god knows what this will en tale. I am so frightened to the extent I want to cancel.
0 likes, 8 replies
leigh21242 jane030757
Posted
Have you considered doing it without sedation? It seems like the only thing sedation does is "make you forget" but it's just confusing patients and giving them false bad memories. The Dr shouldn't have been telling you to swallow repeatedly, especially if you were sedated. The scope is rigid enough to easily be shoved down with no assistance on your part. It's also only about the size of the tip of your index finger. I was unsedated for mine and he told me swallow one time just as a heads up that the scope was going down. He then shoved it down without me needing to do anything. You'll be amazed at how big the esophagus actually is! You'll still be able to breathe completely normal through both your nose and mouth, burp without any hesitation, etc. It's not scary at all when you're conscious and there. I didn't appreciate having several nurses try to scare me into sedation by telling me how violent I would be gagging and that it was such an uncomfortable procedure etc. I didn't gag at all and of course the procedure is "uncomfortable" - it's a procedure! It's not a day at the spa. I encourage everybody now to go without the confusing, scary sedation. It's honestly the easiest medical thing I've ever had done to date. They're only in your stomach for about 2 minutes and the worst part is the taste of the numbing spray. Go into it with a sense of humor, you're going to be fine!
BettyE leigh21242
Posted
My experience mirrors yours. I had every assistance from the nurse and doctor who certainly did not pressure me at all. When told to swallow, I did and as near as I can describe it, it was like swallowing a lump of dry bread.
I do think that what decides the whole experience is how relaxed you can persuade yourself to be. Deep breath in through nose; hold briefly then slowly exhale thorough the mouth. Practise beforehand.
I do own up to being much more scared of being unconscious but, again, skilled staff make all the difference. " Just hold this for me" said the anaesthetist at my hip op. Clever man somehow managed to position it over my face and bingo!
leigh21242 BettyE
Posted
Exactly! I love stories of supportive medical staff. The world definitely needs more of those kind souls. And I agree about trying to relax and being conscious of yourself. I understand it's scary and nobody really knows what to expect from it but if you go into it freaked out, crying, out of control of your body and muscles then you're just going to have a bad time no matter what happens (sedation or no sedation). I truly believe that a good amount of the "endoscope horror stories" are from people that were in full blown panic mode and opted for sedatives that blurred their reality. If you're in and out of sleep there's just no telling how your mind will play tricks on you. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be to wake up midprocedure not knowing the scope was down and feeling like you can't breathe just to pass out again 😰 No thank you lol no sedation for me. 2 minutes and I go on with my happy day.
SammiiD29 leigh21242
Posted
Waffalobill leigh21242
Posted
BettyE Waffalobill
Posted
Without sedation you get to have a guided tour of your gut ( or, at least, I was offered and accepted. ) No waiting for results. To each his own.
Waffalobill BettyE
Posted
Gotta wait for the lab results on biopsies anyways. That's the important stuff.
SammiiD29 jane030757
Posted
So go win sedation is my advice.