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Posted 2/28/2007 8:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all.
I don't post much but do read.
Just wanted to vent a bit about having done the PH test. Yes the tube up the nose and down into the esophagus test. I told my son that even though this is unpleasant. that it is still an experience that I want to remember coz it happened to me and that I learned something--never stick anything up your nose and into your esophagus!!!!! NEVER!! I am so happy it's over with--oh I survived but I was, luckily, babied by hubby and kids. And now I have a cold sore in my nose to remember it by. geesh!
I asked how long it will take for the test results--'my end of the deal will be done before noon then it needs to be interpretted transcribed read, rewritten, sent to the docs, lost by the docs, found by the docs then appts made for weeks from that time but sometimes two weeks' says the nurse (ha ha).
So now I wait and really can't wait for these results . It feels like I may finally get some kind of real answers!

Oh yeah. also if you have this test. try to avoid eating a peanut butter sandwich made with nice fresh bread--that peanut butter stuck to the wire and tried to drag the rest of the slack end down into my stomach--yuck and ouchy!
eyes tongue :-)
Posted 3/1/2007 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
Patty....at least you maintain your sense of humor and I love you're "let's go for it" attitude. I'll take your advice if I have the test....I don't eat peanut butter, so I'm safe.

Sillylilly
Posted 3/1/2007 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
Wow--I didn't realize they even did the PH test that way. I had the PH Bravo test, which is a little thingy put directly on your esphagus during an endoscopy. After a week or so, you pass it. It was so easy and no discomfort at all. Sorry you had to go through that....it sounds so uncomfortable!
Posted 3/2/2007 12:45 AM (GMT 0)
And I never knew they could do that test any other way--Bravo test huh?

My kids delighted in looking into my mouth and seeing the wire in the back of my throat--one son said: 'Cool!".
Posted 3/2/2007 4:04 AM (GMT 0)
Patty,

 The Bravo PH test apparently is a newer and easier (on the patient) way to test the PH of a patient.  I had a little monitor attached to me for 24 hours (I could keep in within a few feet of me when sleeping or showering).  At the end of 24 hours, I mailed it back to the hospital and they read the results.  Much much nicer than a tube down your throat!!!

Posted 3/3/2007 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
Thank G-d the Bravo test is easier.  Because I have to get PH-testing and I think that I'll have the Bravo test.  I have been through way too much and am only 34.  So I don't know that I could handle a painful test now!  I am single and don't have people to take care of me...

Posted 3/3/2007 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
I won't say it was painful, sorry if I gave that impression, but it certainly was uncomfortable.
When I was unhooked I prayed that it took a reading coz I didn't want to have to do it again. And gagging sucks! eyes tongue :-)
Posted 3/3/2007 9:23 PM (GMT 0)

Oh, PattyB, you are not the first to complain about this test.  I heard that it is very uncomfortable!!  Ihave heard better things about the more modern, bravo method...

What about esophageal manometry?  Anyone ever had that?  I have to get that done too...

Posted 3/9/2007 2:05 PM (GMT 0)

Patty,

 I have one in as I write this.   She first poked three times making my nose bled terribly,  Then she stuck it down my windpipe which I couldn't hardly breath.   I am worried about my lungs getting the blood and the goop in she had on the end of the first probe.   I wish I would have read this first and asked for the Bravo if it's easier or if it was available? 

   this one wasn't very nice at all.  I told my husband that I am hoping for some answers.    

Did you have esophageal discomfort with the probe in?  I wasn't sure if it was pain from the food I was eating or the probe or a lung infection of some sort .  I am very anxious to get it out this morning. She told me to be there between 10 & 3:00.  I said I will be there at 10:00.  Funny it made my eyes blurry too. Not to mentioned it making your nose tickly everytime I ate. 

Wow you ate a peanut butter sandwich?   LOL.  Yeah I can see why it would have done what it  did.  Did you have a stuffy nose too?  I know the one side was stuffy because of her poking it the way she did.  She was trying to be gentle. 

But never again.  I will have to be asleep for them to do the test again. It wasn't a crying kicking screaming sort of thing.   But then I have been sick all week and feel just terrible with my stomach and bowls. I had a colonoscopy and endoscope last week and ever since I have had diarrhea and esophageal, stomach pain and liver pain not to mention how it burns under my ribs and goes into my back and burns and hurts since the scopes.  I do not have my gallbladder so it's not that.  I was told that my problems aren't from the oscopies, which I really don't think it true. I didn't feel this bad before them, I didn't feel good, but it made things worse.  I also have heart area pain too since last week.  I was told by the tech though the doctor who is overseeing me, (i went to a new practice)  he likes taking on challenging medical things, he thrives on trying to get to the bottom of the illness,  in other words he likes weird things to handle.  So I guess I am perfect, because no one knows what it going on with me. 

I am anxious to hear your results and hope it's something easily treatable.  I was glad you posted this. I was going to post about it and then saw yours.

   friendlygal. they did the esophageal manometry before they put the probe in. Which is almost an hour of laying with a little fatter probe in while laying down and they give yo sips of water while getting readings then they take that one out and put the probe in you have to go home with.  

I was told I may have to have a bronchial scope, but after this I will not have that done since I had this one go part way into my windpipe, I was told you are awake with the bronchial scope. So that test will definately be out. Just worried about my lungs now with what happened. 

Deb

Posted 3/9/2007 4:35 PM (GMT 0)
I hoped that my little write up would come off more as an adventure tale than a complaint--it's the lengths we need to go through to find answers to our problems and if I can get answers I'll do it without complaint. Lord knows talking about it doesn't give tangible evidence.

The ph test I did may not be for getting the results the Bravo test is made for , now that I think of it. The test I did dangles the probe just above the upper stomach valve to see if stomach acides rise above the valve an into my esophagus. If I understand the Bravo test correctly the probe is swallowed into the stomach and takes readings from inside the stomach--a different kind of thing completely. I can see only one way to find out if acid rises into the esophagus and that would be by dangling a probe on a wire. I am on Pantoloc and the doc is testing me to see if I make more acide than the drug can stop production of and if my valve needs to be fixed to close off any leaking upwards. Maybe this is info I should of elaborated on but only after a bit more thought did I deduce that there is more to it than what I wrote--oops.

about the wire discomfort--yeah-made me gag alot. Couldn't talk for very long or at a normal pitch for very long or it would be more uncomfortable. I got a sore nostril and a cold sore after the tube was removed. I had 'ghost' feelings of the wire still in me for a day or two and if I think of it I can still muster up the feeling coz it was so powerful an experience. So try not to dwell on it. Yes my esophagus was sore --I'll bet there was a good bit of friction against the wire and I did have a yucky stomach during and after the wire was out. But they wouldn't do this if they didn't know we could recover from it. Just think of accident victims and what they go through and have complete recoveries with far more tubes and wires in their orifices.

It seems I did have the esophageal manometry test as well, didn't know what the name is--tests the pressures of the esophagus while drinking sips of water. Yeah those sips of water had to replace the tearing and nose blowing I did as, and after, that tube was inserted ha ha. That was like putting an aquarium tube up your nose. The woman said that happens to everyone. The actual probe wire didn't go in all the way the first time and she had to take it out and put a bent in the wire and reinsert. The bend was tight enough that it touched the middle of my tough and with a bit of force she got it to pop back into my esophagus and down it went. I told her it felt like it was curled on the end going down but she was able to see by her instruments that it was ok. Got a bit of bloody taste in my mouth to but that went away pretty quick. So I was already grossed out but hey! you do what you need to do. It was only 24 hours after all and I can laugh at it now. And sleeping with a monitor is real interesting to, but I have had halter monitors in the past so I just made it a nice pillow beside me, laid it on the pillow and off to sleep in one position until I flipped over and repeated the process.

Debimum--it seems that you've been probed to the max this past week--hope you get some answers to. Sounds like you certainly have a thorough doc too--lucky you! I'd like to know how it works out for you too!
The beautiful thing about our bodies is it's ability to adapt and absorb--When these tubes were being inserted I couldn't help but think of all the rice and cereal and pieces of meat and spegetti I've snorted or coughed up the back of my nose or choked into my lungs in the past. who knows what's in those places! At least one nostril is cleared =+)) tho.
All the best.

Patty
Posted 3/9/2007 7:12 PM (GMT 0)

debimum, I hope that your lungs are okay!!!

So was the esophageal manometry test bearable??

I will also have them done on the same day.

Hope everything turns out fine for you.

Posted 3/9/2007 11:05 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks Patty.  Yes it certainly was an experience, one I really don't want to go through again. Truthfully I would rather have my 12 hour labor baby who was postterier and was 10lbs 4 1/2 oz then to go through that again. 

Friendlygal, it was bearable.  The tech said she really didn't know I was in distress with my breathing because I was so calm during the hole thing. 

And yes I know others go though so much more then that test I went through and others loose things, but as my sister in law said one time, it doesn't take away your pain and suffering. It's the struggling for so many years without a dx and I have to be the one to calls doctors to set up appt. and do my own research as a lot have to do too. 

I haven't really had an appt with this new gastro doc.  I only had him for the oscopies last week and now I saw his name on this test too.  The tech said he probably wants to follow though with it himself because of the strange symptoms and a dx hasn't showed up so far. 

And I am sorry my other post got so long, I get too chatty and put too many details into my writings.

Deb 

Posted 3/9/2007 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Both tests are bearable if you stick it out. I had thought about freaking when this was going on and just kept thinking about having the mamometry over with. Just try to relax and maybe ask for a bit of a break between tubes. Funny enough I used a birthing technique of concentrating on one spot to center and calm myself---a technique I could never use in any of my screaming births.
Posted 3/9/2007 11:14 PM (GMT 0)
Debimum
We just posted at the same time! We both used birthing stories Ha ha ha!
Please don't appologise for length I think we all like to know that we can go on to our minds out.
Surely didn't want to diminish everyones discomfort by comparing to other injuries but I kept thinking this myself to stick it through the prodding. For sure, after years of problems and questions the wait for answers and results are going to seem long.

All the best to you Deb
Patty
Posted 3/10/2007 1:36 AM (GMT 0)

Patty I hope you get answers too.  I try to keep a sense of humor, but some days it's hard.  It's hard on the family too when the mother is sick.   I just hope we get answers so we can get on with treatment? 

Amazes me how so many  people can have so many things on healingwell and have so little relief.  

Ahh but it's the journey isn't it that's interesting! 

Deb

Posted 3/10/2007 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
I am very sad to hear that it takes some people years to figure out what is wrong with them with little or no relief.

Because I am in my early 30s and have had to cut out such a huge chunk of my social life due to this debilitating condition.

I, too, have had to do all the research on my own, with little to no help from doctors. 

I want my life back and do not wish for this to continue for even a day!!

Sorry, I so need to vent today because yesterday was the first day for soccer and I couldn't go because of how i'm feeling.  It was to be the first time for me to join a soccer team and now this dream is over.

I so desperately hope to get better!!!

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