I go in for an endoscope tomorrow

Good luck hun!

Lots of vibes coming your way hun!

Sending from here, too. I hope everything goes OK and the doctor can find out what's wrong. Good luck!

Hope the procedure is fast and the problem can be solved.

Thinking of you! I hear the endo (no prep) is WAY better than the colonoscopy (the prep was HORRID!)

Let us know...

Lots of vibes coming your way!!

I guess my post from my phone never went through..

Originally Posted by threecatowner



Thinking of you! I hear the endo (no prep) is WAY better than the colonoscopy (the prep was HORRID!)

Let us know...

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Actually considering that I have no gallbladder and IBS type issues, too, that wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary for me.


They were ahead today and got me in barely 30 minutes after I was admitted . My last conscious thought in the OR, though, was "They allow the nurses to text on the job... from the OR?!" I woke up pretty quickly after and was fairly alert, hiccups sort of have that affect.

Surprisingly my esophagus looks good. I guess trying to make sure I eat early (before evening) and drinking a lot of water helps. He did see some slight already mostly healed gastritis. Before two weeks ago I was taking naproxen a few times a week so that might have been part of that. Nothing anatomically could be found to explain why food sits so I'll see him in a couple weeks and we'll discuss what to do next - likely an emptying test.

Hmm. Well I guess that's one of those things where you think "Good, they didn't find anything bad. But they didn't find.. anything, really." So it's still a mystery. Best wishes for you on this whole thing, whatever it turns out to be...

I'm glad they found nothing serious at this time. Hope the next test will go well also.

You've not had gastric emptying tests done before? Or it was a while ago, and they want to see if anything's changed?

I'm glad there were no surprises (as you expected), but better safe than sorry (I know I said that before ) - but I am sorry in that weird way that they didn't find anything that could have explained what's up and been easily fixable, you know?

Originally Posted by NorthernGlow

They sedate you or give you something for that!? I had one done less than 2 years ago, fully awake, no medication used. Luckily it was a short time, 15-20 mins.
Now I'm more pissed off again..

I heard people get sedation or anesthesia for other endoscopies as well over there, I've never gotten anything and I've been through several different endoscopies...Unfair an inhumane, I've been cheated!

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One of the differences between government health care and for-profit health care. For-profits want their customer happy and not in pain.

Originally Posted by LDG

You've not had gastric emptying tests done before? Or it was a while ago, and they want to see if anything's changed?

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No, I haven't before. That will likely be next on the list. I'm still needing to take a zofran every 2-3 days to keep some meals down - I need to ask the doc for a few refills on that as it really makes a difference (its action on the vagus nerve has a neat side effect of lowering my heart rate down to normal levels, too). So far the problem meals seem to be high fiber veggies and beef - such as the small portion of steak and two tablespoons of plain broccoli yesterday.

If anyone has had a gastric emptying test (thats around to comment), how long did it last? Any stomach cramping from it? Was it eggs? (Eww eggs on an empty stomach, that just sounds unpleasant as it is) What sort of results came from it - hours to empty?

I'm sure the doc will probably do an ultrasound and what he can to check out my biliary system, too. If for no other reason than to see how his work has held up ( he removed my gallbladder). If the root cause of this lies in there it needs to be repaired/corrected as that could potentially kill me (mess up my liver/cause acute pancreatitis).

I'll be thinking of you. I have GI problems and was even hospitalized for nine days, yet I've never had an endoscopy. Puzzling. Anyway, I wish you the best.

Originally Posted by nurseangel

I'll be thinking of you. I have GI problems and was even hospitalized for nine days, yet I've never had an endoscopy. Puzzling. Anyway, I wish you the best.

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That's odd! That's usually pretty basic and if a GI surgeon is around they'll jump at the chance to do one. (scope happy, as I said before ) Did you find out what caused your GI issues? Infection? Or are you still having quite a bit of problems? I hope not. I'm pretty tough, or maybe just really stubborn, but I wouldn't wish the type of pain and discomfort I go through on anyone else.

Gary was GOING to have a gastric emptying test, but never did. My understanding was that they were going to feed him eggs, and that it would take 2 - 6 hours. Some places they make you like there without moving while they take pictures (can take 2 - 4 hours if I remember correctly) - others they make you come back every 1/2 hour for the pictures for up to 6 hours.

You have to stop taking any meds that may affect digestion like 72 hours beforehand (esp stuff like reglan). And... you may want to bring a book, or some tunes or something.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

That's odd! That's usually pretty basic and if a GI surgeon is around they'll jump at the chance to do one. (scope happy, as I said before

) Did you find out what caused your GI issues? Infection? Or are you still having quite a bit of problems? I hope not. I'm pretty tough, or maybe just really stubborn, but I wouldn't wish the type of pain and discomfort I go through on anyone else.

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They brought in the surgeon who was on call...a plastic surgeon. This is a small town, lol. He was afraid to do a colonoscopy at the time because he was afraid of perforating. Though I did not care for this doctor, I am grateful for this. After I got out of the hospital, I saw a GI doctor in the city, who did a colonoscopy and found a tear. He told me it might take three years to recover. There was no tear on the last colonoscopy, but I am still having problems. No one has ever mentioned an endoscopy to me; DH keeps telling me I need to have one. I agree, I just don't have the time to take off work right now.