small bowell follow up test?

the whole entire thing. But it's an x-ray, not a visual examination of the lining of the bowel. It can show narrowing and inflammation, but not everything that's possible is going to show up on this test.

Once you've swallowed the barium drink, they can take x-rays of any area along your digestive tract. I've had SBFTs where they took photos all the way from my mouth through my rectum--and ones where they just took photos of my small intestine/terminal ileum. It depends on what your doctor has ordered. The test is non-intrusive and pretty much painless, although you do have to drink large quantities of gross barium. And you have to wait around for it to flow through your system. Bring a book! And bring a sweater or fleece, because medical facilities can be really cold when you're just sitting around in a hospital gown!

Oh I have to second the comment about bringing a book and a sweater or fleece. I've had one SBFT and was smart enough to bring a good book but didn't bring anything to warm me up and it was COLD in that room. The nurse was nice enough to bring me a warm blanket.

Hope it goes well for you and the barium goes down easy.

Don't worry, Jenny. Except for drinking the barium (blech), an SBFT is about the easiest test you can take, especially because it has no prep--which is the worst part of colonoscopies or endoscopies. They're constantly improving the barium drink, but it's still not pleasant. It's pretty thick, so I always try to imagine that I'm drinking a McDonald's shake. Besides the drink, the only real problems are the boredom and the cold. And it will give everybody a very clear picture of your intestines, which will show you whether you have any narrowing. Remember, though, that the x-rays can't determine whether the narrowing comes from inflammation/edema (still treatable) or scar tissue (not treatable). Keep your fingers crossed for inflammation--or, even better, for no strictures at all! I'll be thinking about you and hoping for the best news possible.