Have to have a Endoscopy and Colonoscopy 30 days before my trip

[kyomagi]

my primary doc diagnosed me with IBS-C and its been causing me some issues. I have lost a lot of weight (intentional, unfortunatly unintentionally aided by my IBS-C) I have gone from 246 to 220 in 2.5 months. while thats good, its stemmed from a fear of eating and getting full and sick again

basically i get constipated, eat, nothing moves and i get sick.

It has had me a wreck, and im 44 days out from my trip. Well my GI doc said it sounds like nothing serious but to be sure, he is going to do a endoscopy and a colonoscopy while im knocked out. Thats two weeks from now. I am so nervous over the procedure, the possible results and my looming trip

keep me in your prayers please

 

[pieface]

You will be ok I had both procedures piece of cake get it done and go to Disney and have fun. I will keep you in my prayers everything will be fine.

 

[mommasita]

I will most definitely...

Love, hugs, and prayers

 

[kyomagi]

Thank you very much. I was freaking out a bit so i took a xanax and i am feeling a wee bit better

 

[JandJ]

You'll be fine - I promise! I've had one endo/colo at the same time, another endo, and this Friday I'm having another endo/colo. The only bad part is the prep the day before. The day of the procedure is a easy-peasy, and you'll feel lots better the next day.

After 20+ years I finally found a gastroenterologist who could give me a definitive diagnosis and not just "IBS." I have Gastroparesis. That means paralysis of the stomach. Basically, you eat and the food that in "normal" people moves through the stomach and into the small intestine in 60-120 minutes, can take up to 48 hours to move through. For me, it's typically 10-20 hours. You feel bloated, constipated, gassy, and often times the food comes back up. The only way to get a definitive Gastroparesis diagnosis is to do a Delayed Gastric Emptying test. You eat a small meal with a "tracer" in it and they take x-rays and see when/if the food moves through. I was at the testing center for over 6 hours and nothing moved = Gastroparesis.

All it took to feel better was a modification of my diet. There is a med you can get, but I didn't like the sound of the side effects and my doc believes in diet modification before meds. She said the diet is not easy to stick to, but I'm determined and it's been fine so far. Granted, I didn't eat a lot of the things I'm not allowed to eat before, because I learned over the years what made me sick, but now, armed with the Gatroparesis knowledge, I avoid things that make it worse and I feel great!! Even my GERD has improved! I hardly ever feel nauseous anymore, haven't thrown up in months, and everything else is "regular." I have (unintentionally) lost 14 pounds, but I FEEL good For the first time in my life I don't have constant stomach pain, bloating, constipation, nausea, burping, and the anxiety that goes with all of that. I've learned new recipes and modified old ones so I don't miss much - and I certainly don't miss how those foods made me feel.

Good luck on your procedures and I hope your doc is able to give you a diagnosis and treatment plan to make you feel better!

ETA: sometimes you can feel gassy/bloated after the procedure because air will get in there, so ask your doc if you can take GasX or something similar to help with that, and get up and walk as much as possible afterward and that helps a lot, too.

 

[kyomagi]

what was your diet like? My GI said i dont have the risk factors for that condition, being only 31. I also think my food moves quickly. I had to take a laxative and when i had gone, i saw food that i ate the day before and day before that.

i am more fearful of what they find rather than the procedure itself

 

[JandJ]

I'm no doctor! I'm not saying that's what you have by any means. I'm just telling you my symptoms and what I've gone through

I have an acquaintance who has Gastroparesis, she's only 24 and has been suffering for 10 years, so age is not a factor. I'm 40ish and my gastro says I've likely had it my entire life. It took me a very long time to find the right doc. I just could not tolerate the pain, gas, bloating, constipation, and nausea any longer so I went to a new gastro. When I was sitting in her office, figuring I'd get another non-diagnosis, she was telling me MY symptoms before I could even say them! I'm a classic case and the Delayed Gastric Emptying test proved it.

There are three general risk factors for Gastroparesis: diabetes (I don't have that), anorexia (I don't have that), and idiopathic (means there is no determinable reason), which is the type I have. It can result from damage to the Vegas nerve, which is the nerve in the brain that controls digestion and tells the stomach to contract and push food into the small intestine (I'm studying for my doctorate in pharmacy, so I'm well versed in anatomy).

There are some basic diet restrictions, but you really have to play "try it" and see how you feel. Mainly: 5 to 6 very small meals a day - no bigger than the palm of your hand and nothing high fiber or high fat. Nothing raw. Basically nothing with a "shell." Like, beans and grapes have a "shell" and that's pretty much non-digestible. Nothing fried. No nuts or seeds. Nothing carbonated. No high fat meats. Avoid veggies like broccoli, corn, peas, cabbage, and beans.

My first colonoscopy they found benign polyps, removed them, and that was that. My second endoscopy they found benign polyps in my esophagus, and that was because of the high doses of GERD meds I was taking. I also have a hiatal hernia, which I was born with, so they check on that every 10 years or so with the endo. There's colon cancer on both my mom's and daddy's sides of the family so the colo is checking that.

All the tests I've been through for my gastro issues, I've never been concerned about what they find. I figure, better they find it and fix it. Now, when I had a lump in my breast, I was hysterical for days until the ultrasound found it was a cyst, it drained, and was completely benign. So, we all have our things that freak us out.

I hope your test goes well

 

[kyomagi]

Thanks again.

I went to my primary yesterday for my cold and she gave me prilosec 24h to see if that curbs the bloating and gas.

She ruled out something as serious as stomach cancer simply saying my blood work is ok and the weight loss i have is not abnormal. Basically im losing weight because im afraid of eating and setting off the symptoms. She said it would be a concern if i was losing weight but still eating 3000 calories a day.

So i am feeling a bit better.

I also believe my "get better mode" has kicked in and my nerves about having the procedure have greatly subsided.

 

[JandJ]

Glad you are feeling better!

 

[honeylove]

Good luck with your procedure! You will be just fine (I know, it's easier to say than to believe)...

I just got a colonoscopy a month ago and I was a huge wreck prior to it, especially since I am in my early 30's too. I have a history of panic attacks and I survived! I put it off 8 years... The procedure itself is a breeze, it's the prep, that was the hardest part. Make sure you have a lot of wet wipes, vasoline/butt paste, reading/movie material and warm clothes on hand. Ingesting all that cold stuff so quickly, brrrr...

Personally, I went into it to confirm IBS-D, versus Chron's or Colitis. I was worried it was cancer. But, that's just what it was, a confirmation of IBS-D, I now have the diagnosis and can treat it accordingly. I have drastically adjusted my diet as of a few years ago (when all the symptoms started), I no longer can have dairy, beef and eggs.

You will be fine, if you need someone to talk to you can msg me.

Good luck!!!

 

[JandJ]

So, I'm about a week out from my procedures and it all went fine, except, they took 5 biopsies/polyp removals from my esophagus. For 3 days whenever I swallowed it felt like I was being kicked hard in the sternum. I choked on any food I tried to swallow. This was very strange, because this was my third endoscopy in the last 12 years and I have NEVER experienced pain like this afterward. I'm thin, don't know if that has anything to do with it, but I was thinner when I had my first endo and didn't experience pain in my sternum.

Not fun living on a liquid diet after going through the clean-out. But, I'm doing much better now. Still a little sore, but no bad pains. X-ray confirmed that it wasn't anything like a cracked sternum and my dr. agreed it was likely irritation from all the biopsies. I see my dr. next week for the pathology report but I don't expect anything bad. I'm just glad I can eat now!

I want to stress, this was my third endoscopy and the first time I have ever had pain like this. I've never known anyone else who had pain like this - it is NOT usual - but if it happens to you, call your dr. For me at least, it looks like it's irritation and is healing on its own.

 

[Mousemom]

I have struggled with, at first constant diarrhea, which started so long ago I don't know how long it's been. It made it difficult to work, go anywhere, or plans to be somewhere where there was no bathroom. In the last 6 months it has changed to being constipated a lot. I'm a nutritionist so know what to eat and that I need to drink a lot of water, get exercise etc... Nothing seems to help. I also have acid reflux so have had both of the procedures you are having. I was very nervous but it was really no big deal. It sounds like I am really unhealthy but other then those two things I am in great shape. Get the procedures done for peace of mind than you just learn to deal with the other stuff.

 

[kyomagi]

thanks everyone. procedure went by quick! i waited longer than it took for the actual procedure to finish!

As far as the results, stomach, some inflammation, took a biopsy to see what it is, but no ulcers and no cancer, whew!

Colon, clear except a tiny polyp that the doctor said it was nothing and i'll see you again in 10 years to check again. Also, no crohns and no UC. looking like either SIBO or IBS-c.

as far as the actual procedure, gave me meds to relax me before they wheeled me out and made me woozy, a good woozy. i actually felt pretty relaxed.

They turned me on my side and gave me the second meds, put the bite block on and the second i rested my head i was out! took a total of 25 min for both to get done.

 

[JandJ]

OP - glad it went so well! Have fun on your Disney trip

 

[mommasita]

So relieved for you.. Have a magical trip!!!!!!!!!!!!