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SBFT Rant and a word of reminder!

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Posted 3/11/2008 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
So I went for my SBFT today to see if they could find any reason why I keep having obstructions (oh, had another one over the weekend, that would be #7 in 5 months). Well, it wasn't like any SBFT I've ever had. NO pop rocks, only a few cups of barium, no floroscope, no tipping table, just flat xrays! All together not as bad as some experiences, except that I'm a creature of habit, and I want to know that I didn't drink barium for nothing. I want to know that they did the right test and got the right pictures, and I just don't feel like they did. I've had way too many SBFT to know that this was not the same test. I questioned each thing, but they just blew me off like I was the looney one. Its only been about 18 months since my last SBFT, so I don't think its changed that much. Anyone else with an experience like this?

And also, since this is the hospital I go to for everything, I didn't think to mention that I don't have a transverse colon and that I've had 3 resections. Its all in my records, right there on the computer. Never dawned on me, when they kept sending me out and waiting another 30 minutes to take another picture that they were waiting for the barium to get to the transverse colon. I have a weird system, sometimes things go fast, sometimes slow. Finally one of the techs asks if I've ever had surgery. Well, ya! 3 times, here. Its in your records. So, lesson learned. Treat them like they don't know anything, and tell them everything. They literally have my entire medical history. I was born in this hospital, but they just didn't look!
Posted 3/11/2008 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
In my job I frequently ask the following question ( I ony ask this refering to my staff never my clients)-it seems to fit the medical persone in your situation.
"How do you teach people not to be stupid?"
Sj
Posted 3/11/2008 8:50 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, thank you. I must have seen at least 5 techs. Not one asked me any questions except my name and birth date!
Posted 3/11/2008 9:51 PM (GMT 0)

My daughter just had one done today at the University of Michigan. 

They didn't use the pop rocks either.  But when she had one done last year at our local hospital, they did us the pop rocks, and took a standing up picture before they started.  They didn't use a tipping table either, but they had her turn and move and took pics in various positions.  He also used the balloon paddle, and ice cream scoop, as they called them to separate the bowel loops. 

Posted 3/11/2008 9:58 PM (GMT 0)
See? I just don't get that...about them NOT knowing you'd had 3 surgeries already! And what really irritates me about that, is when people try to be PROactive regarding their health, by asking questions; asking for copies of test that are done, etc, etc, they are often times considered hypochondriacs or just "difficult" patients. YET, if we DON'T be our own advocate of our health, WHO IS?! The techs in the office you were at, Zanne, obviously aren't! ;) Even if you go to the same place for all this stuff, they still never seem to know the things that to me would seem obvious they should know while they're working on you. Well, I'd rather them be irritated with me as a patient than get something wrong just because they didn't bother to look in their records or because I didn't bother to tell them!

They should be more than willing to explain exactly what's going on even WHILE it's going on...it's YOUR body!!! I had an echocardiogram last week and I'm just fascinated by health-stuff like that so I asked the question, "Now, what's that we're looking at on the screen now?" thinking the tech would tell me some fancy ultrasound fact about my heart valves or something but instead her answer was, "Uh, your HEART." I'm almost CERTAIN I heard an internal DUH come from her head...and mine! Yeah, I KNOW that's my heart...ugh. Whatever. :)
Posted 3/11/2008 10:10 PM (GMT 0)

hi,

Sorry your having troubles, what are "pop rocks" ? never heard of that. I have had my share of tests too. I just chug that barium stuff as it's got to go down anyway, I just imagine it's a pina colada. Ha Ha.

Posted 3/11/2008 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
my best SBFT story is this: I was having my 4th, and the tech came in and said "wow, you have lots of staples." now, I have had a few surgeries, but knew I had no staples. however, my diagnosis has been so iffy, and I was so sick at the time, I thought "thank god, the problem is my staples!" a few minutes later he walked in and said "sorry, those were someone else's films. I so believed in those staples!
Posted 3/12/2008 12:22 AM (GMT 0)
The techs kept telling me the barium hadn't moved down far enough and that the radiologist would be doing the floroscope in another room once the barium was where it needed to be. Then all of a sudden, OH you've had surgery, and you have no transverse colon, one more flat xray, its OK, you're done. If I find out they didn't get the answers they needed, I am going to go balistic. I barely made it home before the barium was coming out, so I think they waited a little TOO long and didn't want to tell me.

Crohnie1985 - The pop rocks are usually given to add air to your digestive system so they can get better pics I guess. I've never had a SBFT without them. That's just what I call them, its just a cup of really fizzy stuff, just like pop rocks. Maybe 1/4 cup total, not much really, but it does the job.
Posted 3/12/2008 12:25 AM (GMT 0)

I am sorry your test went astray and remember you know yourself best so be your own advocate and ask them questions. 

Sj, you posted you ask your staff to say "How do you teach people not to be stupid?"

Perhaps a better approach woulld be to ask your staff "How they can educate their patients?"

I believe that every patient that comes to a hospital setting needs education about their disease process and the tests being administered.  Talk to the patients.  They are a wealth of information.

Just my humble opinion or 2 1/2 cents worth. :)
Respectfully
Kitt

Posted 3/12/2008 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
I agree that patients need to be educated but it sounds like these techs who hadn't even bothered to read a chart also needed to be educated-it was the techs I was refering to as acting stupid.
Sj
Posted 3/12/2008 12:40 AM (GMT 0)

Thanks for the explanation , I am just not fond of using the word stupid.  But I hear you,  I have actually said some people are stupid and then regretted it. Of course that was probably when I was stressing to the max................. yeah

Kitt

Posted 3/12/2008 2:06 AM (GMT 0)
I'm just really frustrated. The last two times I have had to have barium, I ended up in the hospital for several days because my system just couldn't handle it. I tried to get out of having this test, but no luck. I am in so much pain tonight and just hoping that I don't end up having to go to the ER in the next day or so. Especially if I find out that the techs screwed up the test! I'm hoping to get results soon, but usually my doctor only does call backs on Tuesdays, of course. So I may end up having to wait a week. Wasn't there a post recently about real time, and doctor time!
Posted 3/12/2008 9:23 AM (GMT 0)
I had a SBFT & never had pop rocks either... this is the first time I am hearing of it...
Posted 3/12/2008 1:40 PM (GMT 0)
Urg.  Hate the pop rocks.  "Don't belch!  Stop belching!"  I can't (burp!) help it!

Posted 3/12/2008 2:24 PM (GMT 0)
I had the "pop rocks" for the first time a few months ago. They were useless (other than making me very nauseous)and I had no different experience than every other flopping around on the table past SBFT. Zanne...if it helps, your procedures sound like every other past SBFT I had so I dont think they goofed (think the operative word there). I hope everything works out for you

Oh and I tell my 18 year hx every time I see ANY health provider. i just assume none of them read anything....after all most never spend more than 10 minutes with me so I don't expect they did any homework before that. I typed a summary sheet that I bring with me and read aloud to the doc/tech/nurse.
Posted 3/13/2008 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
My daughter has never had "pop rocks" for a SBFT, but I did one time when I had an xray for an ulcer. What they did sounds just like the ones my daughter has had.

She just had an MRI in place of a SBFT because the Dr said she didn't need to drink the barium, and wouldn't you know it when we arrived for the MRI she had to drink 2 cups! The technician said it was fairly new to add the barium but it helped them see things much better. I guess the Dr didn't know! Poor girl!
Posted 3/13/2008 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Suzanne, I just had my SBFT last week. I had the same experience you had. Drank Barium and had films taken every 10 to 15 minutes for 2 hours. But they had me keep walking to help the barium pass. Every tech I saw ask me what are we looking for, even the Dr when I finally saw him. Hope you feel better soon. I had a misserable night after my study as well.  Kay

Posted 3/19/2008 12:24 PM (GMT 0)
Suzanne
I am so sorry that you were treated this way ..it is very frustrating to say the least
I DO hope you had right tess done and that you do not end up bak in ER.......
Lyn
Posted 3/19/2008 1:03 PM (GMT 0)
I've only had one SBFT and all I had to do was drink the barium and they did flat X-rays. Never heard of the "pop rocks" either.
Posted 3/19/2008 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
I also only had to drink barium for the SBFT I had, and only had to do flat x-rays.  It wasn't too bad but at least now I know they might add pop rocks and do other "fun" stuff if I have to get one again.  I am glad you finally got the more pleasant version of the test :D

I agree that it's important to be your own health advocate because it seems like the nurses and technicians usually aren't paying much attention to your charts.  Unfortunately I also have found that by asking questions so you can understand what's going on, like "What's this stuff do that I'm going to be drinking?" or "How does this test work?" or "Will this medicine make me feel funny or sick?" it does make a lot of medical staffers get mad at you and treat you like you are being "difficult".  It's so worth it when you get someone who understands you are just trying to get an idea of what's going on, usually those people also enjoy explaining that kind of stuff and you learn all sorts of useful things about how your insides work cool

I do so hate it though when you are being attended to by people who are seriously lazy or ignorant... I am allergic to acetaminophen (tylenol) and I can always spot the lazy staffer because they're the ones trying to give me tylenol, or drugs that contain tylenol, even though it says on my chart, in the computer, and on my wristband that I'm allergic to it.  If they had been doing anything to check for drug interactions, anything at all, they wouldn't be there handing me that cup of tylenol!  Funny thing is, about 50% of the time when I tell them I can't eat the stuff because I'm allergic to it, they go "I KNOW THAT" and get all huffy.  Oh, so you're trying to kill me on purpose?  tongue

Posted 3/19/2008 10:55 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry you had to deal with that. It can be so frustrating to feel like you've told the same people the same thing a million times. I guess I'm a little jaded b/c I have moved so much that I take for granted that the people treating me don't know anything about me. When is it going to sink in (I'm as guilty as anyone else) that most people in the health-care industry either don't care or are dolts! We all have to be our own advocates when in these situations. Luckily nothing adverse happened and it was a matter of more time in the hospital, but we hear this all the time where health care workers are f@@@ing up and ultimately we pay the price. I'm done taking my doctor's word for the gospel. I'll give him an audience, but in the end this is on me and only me.
Posted 3/20/2008 1:02 AM (GMT 0)
I finally got the results, and as expected, it showed no narrowing. So now I have to wait for another bowel obstruction to occur and either go to the emergency room, not going to happen, or go for a series of xrays so that they can see if they can figure out what is happening. I'm pretty sure its adhesions causing the obstructions. It shouldn't be too long to wait for another obstruction. Its happening pretty frequently now, except that now that I NEED it to happen, it won't. I've have 5 in the last 4 weeks, so I'm due for another any day now.
Posted 3/20/2008 1:41 PM (GMT 0)
Zanne - can you get a standing order for the tests you need? My doc wanted me blood tested while experiencing a certain pain. He gave me a standing order to keep in my wallet and if I got the pain to go to the nearest hospital w/ the paper and have my blood drawn. I would just be billed for labs not an ER visit b/c the order was already made. So if your doc knows what tests you need while you are experiencing the pain have him/her write you a standing order.

BTW once I had my standing order, I never got the pain again!!! Wouldn't it be great if a standing order was the cure to your obstructions!!!!
Posted 3/20/2008 3:14 PM (GMT 0)

Yes he is sending me a standing order for the tests. But if the obstruction comes back before I get the order or if it happens not during regular business hours, I will have to go to the ER.  For the past 2 days I have had a partial obstruction, or something like that.  Not much is getting through, and something isn't right, but I don't want to go for the xrays until I KNOW that it will show up. Plus I don't have the order yet!  I have a better cable system at home and my computer, I really don't want to go to the ER, it will mean at least 2 days of admission, which means 2 days of no surfing the net!

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