WannaBeFreeToRoam

Hi ILoveTurtles,

Of course, you know by now, that you have a diet of only liquids and only certain colors, the day before. Then you have to drink a LARGE amount of yucky tasting liquid to clean out your system! So, do not let anything or anyone get between you and the bathroom!!!! You are probably going thru this right now. The sooner you do it the better.

When you first go in to the procedure place, the tell you to either take off all of your clothes or just the bottom half. You can leave your socks on. They will give you lots of blankets and then ask you lots of questions. Then a nurse will come and hook up an iv in your arm and take your blood pressure. They take your blood pressure a lot. And the IV is just to get a saline solution going, so that later they can shoot in the medicine, really easy and really fast!

After, what seems forever, depending on how behind the dr. is, you are wheeled into the procedure room. The doctor is there and the nurse and an anesthesiologist. The doctor and the 2 others talk to you and the nurse and the anesthesiologist are getting you ready for your endoscopy and colonoscopy. I have only had both at the same time, once. So, not too clear on the sequence. I do know that you have to be on your side for the colonoscopy. And that you are usually on your back for the endoscopy (upper).

For the upper endoscopy, they will spray your throat with a numbing solution a couple of times and ask you to swallow. Not too tasty. Then they will insert a large tube, about 2 - 4 inches long into your mouth. This is for the endoscope to go through to your throat, esophagus and stomach. I made them wait, to put that in my mouth, til the anesthesiologist was shooting in the knock out meds and I could feel it start to work!!! Then you are out!!! You should not feel anything after that.

Mine asked me before, and you might want to tell them. If it takes a lot of medicine to knock you out. It takes quite a bit to get me totally out. Just depends on if you are taking anything now for pain. Or from your past experiences!

For the colonoscopy, you are knocked out and do not know any of it, but the insert a long endoscopy type thing in your anus and feed it in. In both procedures they go slowly. I do not know if they go in slowly and out slowly, or just slow one way. I know I talk really weird!!!

As they are directing the tubes, they are looking and taking pictures and recording (I think) what they see. Mainly the dr. He has a computer or ultrasound like screen he can look at while he does the procedures. I forgot to tell you, some doctors like to play music, so do not let that bother you! :>

You feel nothing, because you are out - and if you can feel something and do not like it let them know! Just do not jerk out the tubes - make a noise or a slight movement. I have heard this has happened a few times to other people, but it has never happened to me!!!

Anyway, when you are done, you are wheeled out to a recovery area. They watch you and when you start coming around, they go get the person you brought with you to drive you home. Like your husband, sister, mother, friend. They will tell both of you what they found out. You may not remember all of it, but your driver/friend should pay attention.

My gastro dr. gives me a small booklet, with a few pictures of my insides (about 3 or 4 for each procedure). And pamphlets about what is wrong with you and instructions on what to do that day and til you come back to see the dr. Then, you can go home.

The dr. will tell you if you had any ulcers, polyps or whatever and if they did any biopsies. They will schedule your appt. for when they get those results back.

I hope this helps you and you got it in time to read it.

Good Luck. And try not to stress. Yeah, right?! :>

Take care.

Wannabe