murray71203
09-14-2004, 07:54 PM
Hi everyone. I've been suffering for about 6 months now from severe heartburn, reflux, diarrhea (sp), sharp pains uner breastbone and right below, burping, full after meals. And on top of that I have anxiety attacks too. So here's the deal. I am a very nosy person and I have been reading all week long about endoscopy's and colonoscopy's. I'm getting them both done 9/16/04 (THIS Thursday) at 9:30am. I am SOOOOO nervous. I cry a lot (mostly when my husband's not home b/c I'm trying to be "strong" around him) I am SO afraid. The thing is..... I've had an endoscopy done before but that was 7 years ago and had no type of anxiety what so ever. I was 13 I just knew that I was taking a nap, and thought it was pretty cool to see pictures of the inside of my tummy!! LOL. But now, I over analyse everything, I'm so freaking scared. I don't know what I'm more scared of, the tube down my thoat or being put to sleep. But I KNOW I'll have to be put to sleep. I think I'm scared of dying. And I know it's safe, but I jsut can't get myself to calm down. My thing is also that I hate having my thoat feel numb. Doc gave me a "GI Cocktail" once and I freaked out b/c I couldn't swallow right! So I guess what my questions are first...
.... about the prep.... what is it like? Will I start "pooping" right after I drink the first liquid. Will I be in any pain? If it really really bad? Will I not be able to leave the house b/c I am going to the bathroom so much?
second..... about the sedative.... do you feel tingly like when you go to the dentist and they give you gas when they drill in your mouth or will I fall right asleep?
.... third.... anyone have any really good relaxation tips b/c I have a feeling I'm going to be freakign out the whole day tomorrow and the whol ride up to the hospital (an hour drive) thursday.
Fourth.... anyone else have the same type of symptoms and if so what was your diagnosis?
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks so much.
.... about the prep.... what is it like? Will I start "pooping" right after I drink the first liquid. Will I be in any pain? If it really really bad? Will I not be able to leave the house b/c I am going to the bathroom so much?
second..... about the sedative.... do you feel tingly like when you go to the dentist and they give you gas when they drill in your mouth or will I fall right asleep?
.... third.... anyone have any really good relaxation tips b/c I have a feeling I'm going to be freakign out the whole day tomorrow and the whol ride up to the hospital (an hour drive) thursday.
Fourth.... anyone else have the same type of symptoms and if so what was your diagnosis?
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks so much.
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Streetcar
09-14-2004, 09:19 PM
Hello Murray :wave: and welcome!
At this point your symptoms could be related to several GI disorders, so guessing would get you no where. It sounds like your doctor is taking a fairly aggressive course of action, which in my opinion is good. My problem has been that my pcp took forever to order any test and then only reluctantly and very conservatively. It took over a year to diagnose gall stones and all that time I not her was in pain.
As to the prep: It depends on what you're taking for prep as to when the fun begins. Without knowing what you're using, I would stay fairly close to the bathroom and even closer after your first go. I used golightly for my cleansing and the first BM happened after about 45min. My used some pills (visacol i think it was) for hers and she didn't go for a couple of hours. I definenatly would plan on staying Home once you start. All that pooing is going to make you tired :yawn: for one thing and you won't want to get very far from the toilet for another. All-in-all though it's not that bad. Some folks do have a hard time keeping the their med down (sicking up if you know what I mean), hope you're not one of them, but keep an empty waste can at hand, just in case.
When you get to the hospital they will put an IV in your arm and give you your nighty night meds (they usually use two) through the IV and your asleep before you even know it. They'll tell you they're going to give you something to relax you and something to put you to sleep :yawn: and the next thing you know you're coming to in recovery. they'll make sure you've stable legs under you, let you get dressed, take your vitals on more time and send you home. While you're recovering the dr will most likely come out and fill-in whoever is accompanying you on what they found and what kind of post procedure care you'll need that day.
The worst part of the whole thing is the prep. You feel like you're married to the toilet for the evening. The tests themselves will go just great and hopefully they'll find out whats up with just those two test. LOL!
Keep us posted on whats going on! :bouncing:
At this point your symptoms could be related to several GI disorders, so guessing would get you no where. It sounds like your doctor is taking a fairly aggressive course of action, which in my opinion is good. My problem has been that my pcp took forever to order any test and then only reluctantly and very conservatively. It took over a year to diagnose gall stones and all that time I not her was in pain.
As to the prep: It depends on what you're taking for prep as to when the fun begins. Without knowing what you're using, I would stay fairly close to the bathroom and even closer after your first go. I used golightly for my cleansing and the first BM happened after about 45min. My used some pills (visacol i think it was) for hers and she didn't go for a couple of hours. I definenatly would plan on staying Home once you start. All that pooing is going to make you tired :yawn: for one thing and you won't want to get very far from the toilet for another. All-in-all though it's not that bad. Some folks do have a hard time keeping the their med down (sicking up if you know what I mean), hope you're not one of them, but keep an empty waste can at hand, just in case.
When you get to the hospital they will put an IV in your arm and give you your nighty night meds (they usually use two) through the IV and your asleep before you even know it. They'll tell you they're going to give you something to relax you and something to put you to sleep :yawn: and the next thing you know you're coming to in recovery. they'll make sure you've stable legs under you, let you get dressed, take your vitals on more time and send you home. While you're recovering the dr will most likely come out and fill-in whoever is accompanying you on what they found and what kind of post procedure care you'll need that day.
The worst part of the whole thing is the prep. You feel like you're married to the toilet for the evening. The tests themselves will go just great and hopefully they'll find out whats up with just those two test. LOL!
Keep us posted on whats going on! :bouncing:
Soulcatcher
09-14-2004, 09:34 PM
I don't know if this will help but to be on a different note I wanted to tell you this. I had all those symtoms and it was so bad I was throwing up, sick to my stomach. I thought I had some virus. At the same time I went to my doctor who gives me anti-depressants. She changed my meds and all my symtoms went away. I too have anxiety and panick attacks. I still get irratable bowl syndrome from time to time because I can make my self a nervous wreck without even realizing I am doing it. I didn't think I had stress in my life but apparently by body thought so. Just a thought. Maybe a doctor can treat you for depression and anxiety and see if your symtoms go away. If your clean of all other ailments that is. Good luck
murray71203
09-14-2004, 10:39 PM
Street Car: Thanks! I'm supposed to take the Fleet Prep Kit # 3 It hase 1.5oz of phospho-sode which she said i can dilute so I hope it's not too bad I'll be drinking like 2 tbs with every 8 oz glass. LOL and then at 7pm i have to take 4 bisacodyl tablets and then i don't have to take the enema b/c I live so far away from the hospital they're doing it at.
Soutcatcher: I'm on this program for anxiety and depression right now and I think that my anxiety is a HUGE part of my problem to be honest with you. I think I have IBS b/c I do make myself really really nervous sometimes and on comes the .... well you know.
> I guess they just want to make sure everything is ok since prevacid helped a little and they switched me to protonix last week but I feel even worse. thanks.
Soutcatcher: I'm on this program for anxiety and depression right now and I think that my anxiety is a HUGE part of my problem to be honest with you. I think I have IBS b/c I do make myself really really nervous sometimes and on comes the .... well you know.
> I guess they just want to make sure everything is ok since prevacid helped a little and they switched me to protonix last week but I feel even worse. thanks.
Soulcatcher
09-14-2004, 10:44 PM
Good luck to you and keep us posted. I hope it's just your nerves and nothing serious.