Endoscopy was a total train wreck!

HI all,
Endoscopy. Arrived on time 12.30pm and was led off into the waiting area. After a blood pressure check I was put into a bed. I had one lady beside who was very sick and had been in on Monday getting the other end checked. She had a very high temp so they kept her overnight then today she had to have the gastric end as an outpatient. Poor thing looked really pale. When I was leaving they were admitting her again, she wasn't allowed to go home.
On the other side of me was a lovely lady who used to be an intensive care nurse. We chatted on for ages. We were all in our beds at 1pm and we waited and waited and waited and waited. My new friend Meg went in before me, finally around 4.30pm. I thought the sick one would go first but it was Meg then me at 5pm then the other sick lady. It was a very long long day for all of us.

Just a bit of gossip before I get to the nitty gritty...
Meg's daughter is involved in the movie making business and on the Gold Coast we have Warner Brothers Movie Studios. Quite a few movies have been made in the past. Spiderman was one, Kneau Reeves springs to mind (spelling probably wrong but you know who I mean) Can't think of the movie he was in either!
Well, wow! Jodie Foster is here, just down the road from my place making a movie....wow! I had no idea. She has her two children with her. Best not say anything else. It sounds as though the movie will be great. For all you guys in the States and elsewhere....a lot of the tropical rain forest scenery is of our very own "Springbrook" and Cedar Creek which is at Mount Tambourine or the Lamington National Park. Some of the scenery is being filmed on private property, again tropical rain forest and you may see three waterfalls.There might be a bit of touching up as we are in the middle of a terrible drought and there is no spare water anywhere! It is just beautiful and about 30 minutes from my home.

Anyway, back to the ....."Endoscopy"...well it was a total train wreck!
I was under the impression that I was getting the 'full enchilada of anesthetic" but nope, someone forgot to tell me it was just a sedative, if I had of known I would have cancelled. I honestly have the worst gag reflex in the world, just touch the back of my tongue with an orange stick and up she comes and I just choke and choke.
The Doc, who was really lovely, hit me with two lots of sedative and pain killer, the first one did nothing at all, then she hit me again, I was still wide awake at getting more stressed and scared by the second. No sedating me not even sleepy. When they tried to put the scope in I choked and gagged so much they stopped. We had three tries so all up I choked three times and the last time I was pushing them away with my hands, I felt like I was being suffocated. Oh, boy, it was awful.
However this is just me that reacts like this, everyone else there sailed through the ordeal, no problems. I wish I was one of them!
The Doc came out and apologised, she was so caring and really sweet. I felt she didn't need to do that, it was me that wanted to apologise for choking and giving the staff such a hard time. Of course the worst thing is I have to go through it all over again, however next time full anesthetic and she told me to let anyone know in the future, any day procedures for me I must demand "FULL ANESTHETIC!"
Well I certainly won't forget to tell them that one! I don't want to have that happen again.

Hope you guys have a great weekend.....I am still trying to get over what was for me a rather horrible ordeal, and what is worse no answers to my problem. I will keep you posted on the Endoscopy, she did indicate that they will push forward with an early appointment "category 1" which means within 8 weeks.
Hey Rhonda, those kids sure can keep you busy.....so looks like we all are still on the "Limboland Express!

Bye for now
Hugs to all,
Cocoa

Hey Cocoa!

O WOW!! What an ordeal!! I"m so sorry! Sounds like u just had a nightmare. Yes, u must be ASLEEP when they do that. I had one done recently and it was an automatic thing...i was put to sleep and when i awoke i didn't even realize i'd been asleep, much less had it over and done with! When is it rescheduled for?? I hope it's not a long wait. When they do it, u should be able to get some pretty immediate results...i guess that depends on u'r doc too tho. My doc gave me most of the info at the facility...tho i was so groggy i couldn't understand or remember...my family listened for me. Later at follow up i gained much more insight tho..reasons for what they found and such. At any rate, u should get at least a short answer if they can find one during the proceedure. Best wishes and just rest now friend!! My daughter is sooo excited over the 'star envasion' u told us about!! Take care!

Hi Coco
My first endoscopy was exactly like yours....nightmarish! They tried to put the scope through my nose first...but I have deviated septums so naturally started to bleed all over the place. then they sprayed the back of my throat with this god-awful freeze...and told me to swallow....I gagged and threw up...it was dreadful. That is when they were able to diagnose crohns' disease though.
years later, I had to have a second...different hospital....they knocked me out completely ! Yeah! had the best sleep of my life. Turned out the crohn's had started in my esophagus though so was in hospital for some time.
wonder if any of these , just sedate them doctors, have ever been submitted to an encdoscopy while awake and panicking:? Bet you not!!
Mary.

Hey Coco,
Its just me again.That thing with your neuro....been there...done that....know one just like yours. !
Hang in there ....you'll get your answers eventually. I have been told that I probably have MS...that I don't have enough plaques, that they're waiting for another major flare....meantime I can barely walk, get vertigo so bad I fall, have facial pain also....blurred vision....severe spasms...twitching of toes and fingers .etc etc etc. Limboland is hard....but hey we are here to listen....rant all you want! sometimes that's the only thing that gets us through the next day or hour or minute.
Love and prayers'
tired old Mary

Thanks Michelle, no I don't know what the drug was but believe it was a combination of pain relief and sedation. They may as well have not given it to me because nothing happened. Even after they took me to recovery I still felt the same, not groggy, nothing!

That bone marrow biopsy sounds just awful....I am such a whimp when it comes to this sort of thing. I think I work myself up so much that nothing takes effect. My feelings exactly! I will check out thoroughly what anesthesia they mean before I agree to any other tests. I just hated that Spinal Tap.. It was excruciating. I don't understand why they can't give you nitrous oxide (happy gas) Surely if the Dentists can use it and still work on your teeth at the same time the darn Doctors should know how to use it. I have always found the old happy gas great. You just kind of drift off into space and there is virtually no pain at all. You are conscious but calm and relaxed. The drug is easily flushed from your lungs when they have finished and you just walk out and get in the car and drive away. Easy, piece of cake! No after effects just pain when the medication wears off and anyone can cope with that! Thanks for your support, it sounds as though you are going through much worse procedures than me. Take care and I am thinking of you...

Thanks to you Mary also, it is great to have so many new friends here. As I am alone and don't have any family except for my cat and my cockatiels I do miss having human company. I have definitely found it here with all of you, this is just wonderful for me.
Thanks again and may I please bless all of you with happiness, love and peacefulness and the strength to cope with the rough times we all face...

Cocoa