Medical Procedures

[Huntn]

Had my second colonoscopy this morning and my first Upper GI Endoscopy for acid reflux. The last colonoscopy was 3 years ago. Last time I had benign polyps. This time I came up clean, hurrah! I woke up feeling great because they used Propofol, the stuff pop stars are not supposed to use as a sleep aid...

Unlike older anesthesias, you don't wake up nauseous or ill, but feeling pretty good. I had a sense of well being after I woke up, walked out of there feeling like I had a couple of drinks (wife drove), and because I was restricted to a liquid diet the day before, I was ready to stuff my face!

Once I get the bill, I'll post that.

 

[MacNut]

So they got you at both ends.

I actually had an upper endo a few months ago to stretch out my esophagus.

 

[snberk103]

Had my second colonoscopy this morning and my first Upper GI Endoscopy for acid reflux. The last colonoscopy was 3 years ago. Last time I had benign polyps. This time I came up clean, hurrah! I woke up feeling great because they used Propofol, the stuff pop stars are not supposed to use as a sleep aid...

Unlike older anesthesias, you don't wake up nauseous or ill, but feeling pretty good. I had a sense of well being after I woke up, walked out of there feeling like I had a couple of drinks (wife drove), and because I was restricted to a liquid diet the day before, I was ready to stuff my face!

Once I get the bill, I'll post that.

Glad it's a clean scan. I was also diagnosed with acid reflux, though my tests were less… um…. intrusive. The best thing I did was some diet changes (minimize the tomato sauce, red wine, and chocolate at late dinners for instance) and more importantly I raised the head of the bed up 4 inches by putting the legs on blocks. I was on Gaviscon for a week or two at night to clear up anything… and after that I've not had any issues.

I realize that my case is probably different than yours… but this may help. Good Luck.

 

[Huntn]

So they got you at both ends.

I actually had an upper endo a few months ago to stretch out my esophagus.

Hah, but I was unconscious fortunately. They did my throat first.

Glad it's a clean scan. I was also diagnosed with acid reflux, though my tests were less… um…. intrusive. The best thing I did was some diet changes (minimize the tomato sauce, red wine, and chocolate at late dinners for instance) and more importantly I raised the head of the bed up 4 inches by putting the legs on blocks. I was on Gaviscon for a week or two at night to clear up anything… and after that I've not had any issues.

I realize that my case is probably different than yours… but this may help. Good Luck.

Thanks! The upper GI endoscopy was an option that I elected to have because I've never had heartburn/acid reflux before and this came on strong all of a sudden. One day not there, the next day there, every day. And I would get it after eating a bowl of cereal in the morning. This really bothered me because I was not eating that much of a neutral food and there it was. It was a peace of mind move to assure me I was dealing with routine acid reflux and not something more serious, and at $200 cost to me, I could afford that.

 

[Aimes]

I had the tube up nose & down throat not pleasant!!

 

[snberk103]

Hah, but I was unconscious fortunately. They did my throat first.



Thanks! The upper GI endoscopy was an option that I elected to have because I've never had heartburn/acid reflux before and this came on strong all of a sudden. One day not there, the next day there, every day. And I would get it after eating a bowl of cereal in the morning. This really bothered me because I was not eating that much of a neutral food and there it was. It was a peace of mind move to assure me I was dealing with routine acid reflux and not something more serious, and at $200 cost to me, I could afford that.

I never had it during the day, and certainly not with a neutral food… your's is exhibiting very differently. If that had been me I'd have wanted to go through the tests too just for my peace of mind. Fingers crossed here for you.

 

[Huntn]

I had the tube up nose & down throat not pleasant!!

Someone else mentioned that to me. I assume you were conscious? I wonder if up the nose allows this to be done with a conscious patient and somehow avoids the gag reflex?

I never had it during the day, and certainly not with a neutral food… your's is exhibiting very differently. If that had been me I'd have wanted to go through the tests too just for my peace of mind. Fingers crossed here for you.

Thanks, everything looks normal, some mild indications of acid reflux. I believe I'm going to be taking Prevacid for a couple of months then reevaluate.

 

[Peace]

I've had three colonscopies over the past 4 years. Borderline polyps keep popping up so I have to have another one each year.

The last time they put me under with that stuff and I woke up fine but I had a blue tube sticking out my nose. Nobody could tell me what it was for.

VA hospital..Who knows.. lol

 

[Jimbo47]

I also had an upper endoscopy when I was like 16. I'm 21 now, and have had Acid Reflux since I went in for the endoscopy. It started out with me not being able to swallow solid foods. I would gag and choke with every swallow, so I would have to wash them down with water. As long as I take Prilosec (I have a prescription, but I might just start buying OTC because I have to keep going back to the Dr to get the prescription renewed, and the co-pays keep adding up), I don't really have to watch what I eat.

 

[maflynn]

I'm getting to the age where I'll be getting a root-rooter examine. Not looking forward to the experience but its a necessary experience.

Glad to hear that no further polyps were found

 

[Trvlngnrs]

I work at a hospital. I know the people who work in the Endo clinic.

When I woke up I had stick-on tattoos all over me

What are friends for!

 

[rick snagwell]

Had my second colonoscopy this morning and my first Upper GI Endoscopy for acid reflux. The last colonoscopy was 3 years ago. Last time I had benign polyps. This time I came up clean, hurrah! I woke up feeling great because they used Propofol, the stuff pop stars are not supposed to use as a sleep aid...

Unlike older anesthesias, you don't wake up nauseous or ill, but feeling pretty good. I had a sense of well being after I woke up, walked out of there feeling like I had a couple of drinks (wife drove), and because I was restricted to a liquid diet the day before, I was ready to stuff my face!

Once I get the bill, I'll post that.

share your age?

im 37 in 7 days and think im getting to this point in life.

 

[Huntn]

share your age?

im 37 in 7 days and think im getting to this point in life.

I'm 61. I've had 2 sigmoidostomies and 2 colostomies. If you have "polyps" running in your family they start you out early, but you'd have to ask the Doc, I want to say 50. If I have not mentioned, I believe sigmoidostomies that check the lower bowel are out of fashion. The problem is that some cancers start in the upper areas that it does not cover. For 2 sigmoids, nothing was found, but on my first colostomy, pre-cancerous polyps were found. 3 years later, none were found, so I'm back to a 5 year cycle.

----------

I work at a hospital. I know the people who work in the Endo clinic.

When I woke up I had stick-on tattoos all over me

What are friends for!

That's funny! At least they did not paint your fingernails.

 

[Tilpots]

I actually had an upper endo a few months ago to stretch out my esophagus.

I'm going in for my second stretching at 10am later this am. They weren't very aggressive last go round about two years ago. I'd been ok since then, only a few times getting food stuck, but the last couple of weeks have been miserable. I can't get much of anything down. Tried to see if it would go away on its own, but no dice. Luckily I was able to get an appt fairly quickly. Ready to start eating normally again. A new BBQ place opened and I need to dig in.

 

[jonbravo77]

I'm 36 and had a colonoscopy due to some bleeding I had. They found 6 benign polyps that are a little concerning due to my age. Have to do another one in a year. They gave me the twilight meds (not propofol) but stuff that put me out and made me feel a little drunk when I woke up. The prep is the worse had to drink MoviPrep, and when they tell you to stay close to the bathroom they ain't kidding...

 

[Huntn]

I'm 36 and had a colonoscopy due to some bleeding I had. They found 6 benign polyps that are a little concerning due to my age. Have to do another one in a year. They gave me the twilight meds (not propofol) but stuff that put me out and made me feel a little drunk when I woke up. The prep is the worse had to drink MoviPrep, and when they tell you to stay close to the bathroom they ain't kidding...

The good thing about MoviPrep is that you are only drinking 2 liters versus what used to be a gallon of the foul tasting crap- 8 oz every 15 minutes (4 doses), then take a 3 hr break, and 4 more doses. I found that for the first liter I drank it all down before it hit me. The taste is hard to explain. You add a sweetener to it when it's prepared. It's not foul in a familiar way, unless you've had it before. It has a disagreeable quality to it. It's suggested that it be refrigerated and drink it with a straw as fast as you can then prepare to squirt, especially for the second liter.

 

[MacNut]

The good thing about MoviPrep is that you are only drinking 2 liters versus what used to be a gallon of the foul tasting crap- 8 oz every 15 minutes (4 doses), then take a 3 hr break, and 4 more doses. I found that for the first liter I drank it all down before it hit me. The taste is hard to explain. You add a sweetener to it when it's prepared. It's not foul in a familiar way, unless you've had it before. It has a disagreeable quality to it. It's suggested that it be refrigerated and drink it with a straw as fast as you can then prepare to squirt.

I always wanted to do a joke where I mixed a teaspoon of that colon blow. Amazing how fast that stuff works. I don't know what was worse before I had a lower GI. Drinking the crap juice or the procedure itself.

 

[Huntn]

I always wanted to do a joke where I mixed a teaspoon of that colon blow. Amazing how fast that stuff works. I don't know what was worse before I had a lower GI. Drinking the crap juice or the procedure itself.

Drinking it is worse than the procedure imo.

 

[jonbravo77]

Drinking it is worse than the procedure imo.

Yes it was. I got down to a small amount left on the second dose and just couldn't drink it anymore.

 

[Huntn]

So they got you at both ends.

I actually had an upper endo a few months ago to stretch out my esophagus.

I'm going in for my second stretching at 10am later this am. They weren't very aggressive last go round about two years ago. I'd been ok since then, only a few times getting food stuck, but the last couple of weeks have been miserable. I can't get much of anything down. Tried to see if it would go away on its own, but no dice. Luckily I was able to get an appt fairly quickly. Ready to start eating normally again. A new BBQ place opened and I need to dig in.

What is this about stretching your esophagus- what do they do and how long does it take?

 

[MacNut]

What is this about stretching your esophagus- what do they do and how long does it take?

I had it done 2 months ago, they send the scope down , knock you out first. and stretch the muscle. Took 20 mins. Plus 2 hours prep time.

This is what I had, Dysphagia.

 

[Tilpots]

What is this about stretching your esophagus- what do they do and how long does it take?

I had it done 2 months ago, they send the scope down , knock you out first. and stretch the muscle. Took 20 mins. Plus 2 hours prep time.

Yeah, it takes only about an hour from sign in to wheelchair out. They stretch your esophagus to make swallowing easier. I'd get a bunch of food stuck in there for hours. Some folks can't even get liquid down. SO the doc goes in with a tool and stretches it out. This time, I've been prescribed omeprazole to prevent acid reflux which he thinks is causing it. I have my doubts though, because I typically do not experience reflux symptoms. I'm starting to believe my issue may be caused by a food allergy, so I'm going to go get tested for that possibility. Either way, the hole needed to get bigger.

 

[MacNut]

Yeah, it takes only about an hour from sign in to wheelchair out. They stretch your esophagus to make swallowing easier. I'd get a bunch of food stuck in there for hours. Some folks can't even get liquid down. SO the doc goes in with a tool and stretches it out. This time, I've been prescribed omeprazole to prevent acid reflux which he thinks is causing it. I have my doubts though, because I typically do not experience reflux symptoms. I'm starting to believe my issue may be caused by a food allergy, so I'm going to go get tested for that possibility. Either way, the hole needed to get bigger.

I could not enjoy steak without fear of choking on it. When I could not even take a pill I knew I had to get it looked at. They did a upper GI first that didn't show anything but I forced the Doc to look further. That is when they sent me for a Endoscope.

 

[Huntn]

Yeah, it takes only about an hour from sign in to wheelchair out. They stretch your esophagus to make swallowing easier. I'd get a bunch of food stuck in there for hours. Some folks can't even get liquid down. SO the doc goes in with a tool and stretches it out. This time, I've been prescribed omeprazole to prevent acid reflux which he thinks is causing it. I have my doubts though, because I typically do not experience reflux symptoms. I'm starting to believe my issue may be caused by a food allergy, so I'm going to go get tested for that possibility. Either way, the hole needed to get bigger.

I could not enjoy steak without fear of choking on it. When I could not even take a pill I knew I had to get it looked at. They did a upper GI first that didn't show anything but I forced the Doc to look further. That is when they sent me for a Endoscope.

I have never heard of this. It sounds miserable. When food gets stuck, can you cough it back up? When they stretch the muscle, I assume that should take care of the issue for a couple of months or longer ideally?

 

[MacNut]

I have never heard of this. It sounds miserable. When they stretch the muscle, I assume that should take care of the issue for a couple of months or longer ideally?

I was dealing with this off and on for 15 years. Kinda like playing russian roulette with eating. My father had this same problem years before so I think it was hereditary, They also say it could be caused by allergies or reflux. Some people only need it done once while others need to have it re-stretched every few years. The doctor told me the tissues were inflamed and think it was from an allergy.