Anyone ever have a scope put down your throat

[OhMari]

Sorry, I can't remember the correct name for it.

After stressing for over a year, I made an appointment over a month ago.

I've been on Nexium for almost a year, and my Nurse Practioner, (bless her heart) would not renew until I saw a specialist.

She said I needed a scope to be put down my throat to see if there is any damage. (Damage?)

I had heartburn with every pregnancy (how did I know I was pregnant, drink kool-aid - instant heartburn).

After my last child was born 14 years ago, I experienced heartburn the minute I laid my head down to go to sleep. (Tums has been my friend every night).


Well, last year I was eating Chinese Food with my husband and youngest daughter and I couldn't swallow. I had tears coming out of my eyes and I couldn't catch my breath. I got up and went to the bathroom, cause I knew it would soon pass. This wasn't the first time this happened to me. I experienced it a couple of other times.

I knew something was wrong. I had to make the scope appointment.

My scope thing down my throat was this past Wednesday. After hearing many horror stories how people woke up choking in the middle of this procedure, I was a nervous wreck.

My sister went with me to the hospital. I calmly got to the 4th floor without incident. But, when the student nurse came in and started asking me questions, I was so scared, tears were forming in my eyes. My temp was 99.4 and she said my heart is racing, (ya think). But my blood pressure was good.

After a while the surgical nurse came in and asked me what is bothering me, 1. The IV-No, 2. the procedure-ya think!

She told me not to worry-the will put the IV in and when they are ready, they will give me a sedation that won't let you remember.
Isn't that what Maggie said on "Hook" "this place lets you forget Jack" where was I going to Neverland.

The nurse told me she will give me the strongest sedation that will be legally the safest for me to handle. The tears were really starting to flow now.

I heard a funny sound, (was that me) memory wiped out,
I heard someone burb, (that couldn't have been me), way to embarassing -and soon that memory was wiped out.

I opened my eyes and looked at the nurse and said, "Am I done" and she said, "yup". I said, "are you done choking me," and she said, "We didn't choke you, you did fine. She then said, "I am going to take this IV out of your arm and take you back to your recover room."

Next thing I knew I was in another room and there was my sister. I looked at my arm and no watch, I am such a stickler for time. I asked my sister what time it was and I don't know what she said, (because remember I am still coming off the medicine that don't let you remember.) The nurse told me to get dressed and I asked where my clothes were, they were in a bag under my bed. The next thing I knew I was standing next to the bed in my clothes, how did that happen, I don't remember.

I asked my sister how I got to this room and she said, "I told you. I remember asking, but I don't remember what she told me.
Nest question, "What time is it." My sister Natalie said, "it is 10:00 a.m. You went in at 9:20, you were back in here at 9:40.: Now I am starting to remember. (it was actually the 4th time I asked and she kept calm and just went with it). bless her heart.

Next a very nice grandpa came into my room to picked me up with a wheel chair. I remember sitting down, but I don't remember getting wheeled down the hallway or to the elevator. My sister pulled the blazer up and I stood up and walked to the blazer and jumped in. The very nice grandpa told me I was suppose to wait for him to help me. (Remember, I don't remember what people tell me.)

That was some powerful drug. I am sorry for posting such a long thread, but my life is pretty uneventful, and I never experienced having moments or snatches of time blanked out.

Oh ya, I will be on Nexium the rest of my life-I could have saved my insurance company lots of money, that I remember!

 

[chris1gill]

The procedure is called Endoscopy & the drugs they gave you were probably a combination of A. Versed (this keeps you awake, but you don't remember & B. Valium (to keep you calm) The Versed I can guarantee was given (I agree, that is one strong drug LOL)

Anyhow, glad you came through it just great... I was due for one at least 18 months ago... I keep putting it off, I don't know why, cause mine have been pretty uneventful, although I did wake up once with the scope down my throat, but that really wasn't a big deal, they just gave me more medication...

So, anyhow, been there, done that & maybe you could encourage me to go back What is wrong with me

 

[Blueeyes101817]

yep, i got one done last summer..i had the one down my throat..and the one through my nose....the one with the nose you are completely awake...im a wimp glad you are done and came through okay

 

[luvmydogs]

Yep, I had both an endoscopy and a colonoscopy (scopes in both ends! ) about 1.5 years ago. I don't remember a thing!

 

[Alice28]

Yes, I had to get one two years ago with a gall bladder attack A stone popped out and got stuck in a bile duct, so they went in with a scope to remove it. I had a very decent procedure. I do remember them taking the scope out, but I was still so doped up I didn't give a care.

 

[DVC-Don]

I've had both ends now. The upper for GERD because, simular to you, the insurance company requested it to see if their was any damage down there. The doc took out 4 polips out of my stomach, but tests later showed they were non-cancerous. The only thing I did not like was the liquid they had me gargle with first. It tasted like they made it in an old sneaker. I'm still on Prevacid now 5 years later.

 

[winniedapooh]

Wow, you impressed me so much, I may finally go and have it done. I had one started in 9th grade and choked.....I remember the nurse yelling at me and telling me to knock it off or they wouldn't be able to do it. I did not calm down, panicked, they did not do the scope. They did not give me much to knock me out either, . My doc has been bugging me to check for damage for years and I just keep putting him off. Maybe just maybe you converted me!

 

[SandrainNC]

I am not posting this to scare anybody, but please do not put this test off!!

My daddy got very lucky in 2001. I will try to make this as short as possible. He has had reflux for years. The doctors told him for years it was on big deal. Well, he got really weak because he was bleeding somewhere internally in 2001 and they scheduled a colonoscopy. Before the test my daddy mentioned that sometimes when he swallowed, food wouldn't go down well and would get stuck. They decided while he was knocked out they would check down his throat too. Well, it ended up his colonoscopy came back fine (his diet was causing the bleeding), but they found a spot (which ended up being cancerous) in his esophagus. He ended up having surgery to remove it and part of his stomach (an 8 hour surgery). Luckily, no lymph nodes were cancerous. If he wouldn't have mentioned his food getting stuck, he probably wouldn't be here today. The doctors told him with that type of cancer, by the time you have symptoms (which he didn't have any - the food getting stuck was some other thing where they scraped the lining of his esophagus because it was too thick or something like that) it is usually too late.

So, I am posting this to say please please please don't put off getting the test done if you have had reflux. It can be very serious.

Sandra

 

[ThAnswr]

Originally posted by OhMari
Sorry, I can't remember the correct name for it.

After stressing for over a year, I made an appointment over a month ago.

I've been on Nexium for almost a year, and my Nurse Practioner, (bless her heart) would not renew until I saw a specialist.

She said I needed a scope to be put down my throat to see if there is any damage. (Damage?)

I had heartburn with every pregnancy (how did I know I was pregnant, drink kool-aid - instant heartburn).

After my last child was born 14 years ago, I experienced heartburn the minute I laid my head down to go to sleep. (Tums has been my friend every night).


Well, last year I was eating Chinese Food with my husband and youngest daughter and I couldn't swallow. I had tears coming out of my eyes and I couldn't catch my breath. I got up and went to the bathroom, cause I knew it would soon pass. This wasn't the first time this happened to me. I experienced it a couple of other times.

I knew something was wrong. I had to make the scope appointment.

My scope thing down my throat was this past Wednesday. After hearing many horror stories how people woke up choking in the middle of this procedure, I was a nervous wreck.

My sister went with me to the hospital. I calmly got to the 4th floor without incident. But, when the student nurse came in and started asking me questions, I was so scared, tears were forming in my eyes. My temp was 99.4 and she said my heart is racing, (ya think). But my blood pressure was good.

After a while the surgical nurse came in and asked me what is bothering me, 1. The IV-No, 2. the procedure-ya think!

She told me not to worry-the will put the IV in and when they are ready, they will give me a sedation that won't let you remember.
Isn't that what Maggie said on "Hook" "this place lets you forget Jack" where was I going to Neverland.

The nurse told me she will give me the strongest sedation that will be legally the safest for me to handle. The tears were really starting to flow now.

I heard a funny sound, (was that me) memory wiped out,
I heard someone burb, (that couldn't have been me), way to embarassing -and soon that memory was wiped out.

I opened my eyes and looked at the nurse and said, "Am I done" and she said, "yup". I said, "are you done choking me," and she said, "We didn't choke you, you did fine. She then said, "I am going to take this IV out of your arm and take you back to your recover room."

Next thing I knew I was in another room and there was my sister. I looked at my arm and no watch, I am such a stickler for time. I asked my sister what time it was and I don't know what she said, (because remember I am still coming off the medicine that don't let you remember.) The nurse told me to get dressed and I asked where my clothes were, they were in a bag under my bed. The next thing I knew I was standing next to the bed in my clothes, how did that happen, I don't remember.

I asked my sister how I got to this room and she said, "I told you. I remember asking, but I don't remember what she told me.
Nest question, "What time is it." My sister Natalie said, "it is 10:00 a.m. You went in at 9:20, you were back in here at 9:40.: Now I am starting to remember. (it was actually the 4th time I asked and she kept calm and just went with it). bless her heart.

Next a very nice grandpa came into my room to picked me up with a wheel chair. I remember sitting down, but I don't remember getting wheeled down the hallway or to the elevator. My sister pulled the blazer up and I stood up and walked to the blazer and jumped in. The very nice grandpa told me I was suppose to wait for him to help me. (Remember, I don't remember what people tell me.)

That was some powerful drug. I am sorry for posting such a long thread, but my life is pretty uneventful, and I never experienced having moments or snatches of time blanked out.

Oh ya, I will be on Nexium the rest of my life-I could have saved my insurance company lots of money, that I remember!

I had an endoscopy about 9 years ago and for just about the same reasons..........horrible heartburn while pregnancy.

They use that combination of drugs for lots of things now. My mother just had another epidural for her back and she was awake but couldn't remember either.

 

[zippeedee]

Please please please don't put off getting this test!!! I have to do it every two years, my GERD is controlled with Prilosec, but they always need extra time in there because I tend to grow a lot of polyps. So far so good they have all been benign.

My dad was not so lucky. He never complained about ANYTHING, typical stoic guy. His usually hearty appetite slowly got worse and worse. My mom finally made him see their doctor. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer and passed away less than four months later. The outcome would have been SO different if he hadn't been so stubborn.

PLEASE GET TESTED!!

 

[Patty3]

I had my first Endoscopy 4 months ago. I was having a problem with food and cold liquid going down. It felt like I could actually fell it going down my throat and when I drank something cold I could feel cold going down. I also felt pain. It turns out, at least for now, that I have three uclers in my escophagus. Ulcers in your stomach will not become cancer, but they may in your escophagus, according to my doctor. I have been on Nexium and will have my second scope next month. I pray that they are healing and have not gotten worse. The doctor does not think that they are malignant at this time, but can not say it with 100% certainty. The areas that he biopsied were fine, but since there is quite a bit of damage, he said that it could be possible that an area with a malignancy could have been missed. An acquaintance of my DH recently died from Escophagial cancer because he thought it was just heartburn and was taking tums. When he finally saw a doctor it was too late! Do not put this test off. My doctors knows I am claustrophobic and makes sure I am totally out.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I've had one through my nose- the first nosespray they gave me to numb it hurt (ironic, I know), but it really wasn't bad after that. I liked getting to wear the goggles that let you see what the camera sees, since I'm a big medical-type nerd, and how often do you get to see your own throat?

They still haven't figured out what's wrong with me, so I still have trouble swallowing sometimes. I've pretty much given up, I got so sick of trying different drugs and going through tests.

 

[HollyNEd]

Yep had it done about 10 years ago after gallbladder surgery and when they went in I remeber being awake and burping alot but didn't care. Found out I had a family of ulcers growing and were able to give me meds and it was totally cleared up in a couple of months thank goodness I did it becasue after that I was finally able to go long periods of time with out having to eat antacids.

 

[imamicki2]

I had one too because of gerd. Later found out I needed gallbladder surgery. All better now. Anyway, I remember dreaming about spaghetti!!!!! How weird is that. I'll never forget it. That is some good medicine if I did that. I think the tube made me think of spaghetti or something. I don't remember much , just right before they started and then when they were done. It was so weird missing that time.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I have had several endoscopys, never had a problem, and now a few colonoscopys, along with a flexible sig thrown in there for good measure.

Glad it went well, they do those really quickly and the drugs don't last more than 40 min or so. They are important to run if you think problems are there. Just a basic basic test that everyone should do if needed

 

[OhMari]

Update,

I had the Endoscopy done on Wednesday and Thursday nite I woke at 1:00 a.m. and basically slept on the bathroom floor until 4.

Was this a side effect of the medicine they gave me.

I had to go to work on Friday cause I was informed I really don't have sick days, so I wouldn't have been paid. Thank goodness for flex-time, I went in at 8:30. I am the parish secretary and our church is tearing down our rectory. There are kitchen items that needed to be packed up for our churches rummage sale, so I basically did that all day and just kept moving. (It helped me not think of my sore stomache.)

On my yellow sheet that they gave me and said to bring back with me for my appointment on Oct. 26, these words were added along with my perscription for Nexlium.
(peptic stricture Duo dentis)-I have no clue what that meant.
The Dr. told my sister that they passed a balloon to stretch a polyp and that should relieve some of the acid reflux I've been experiencing, other than that, nothing else was said. Just come back october 26.

Thanks everyone for posting and most of you are right, don't put this test off. I was scared by to many people that had it done while they were awake. I asked many people who they recommended and why and my youngest sister who has been experience acid reflux since she was 13 gave me this Dr's name. I never really paid attention to what she was going through until I experienced not be able to swallow food. (Her 3 year old son was just diagnosed with acid reflux and she was told it is highly hereditary, you just don't know when you could get it.