Scope in and scope out

Remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned that I was getting checked out and that my doc wanted to get a look inside?

Well, Monday was the day. My check-in time was at 12:30pm while the procedure was scheduled for 1:30pm.

I actually got in earlier than I'd originally been scheduled. I was supposed to check-in at 2:30pm for a 3:30pm scope. I'm SO glad I was able to get in earlier. Why? Because I had to FAST before the test. Even though my appointment was supposed to be at 3:30pm, I wasn't going to be allowed to eat at all the day of the procedure. Not only was I fasting, but I couldn't drink ANYTHING six hours before the procedure. No tea. No water. No nothing. ARGH!

I ended up taking a half day on Monday, so I kept myself busy working that morning. My sister picked me up and drove me to the appointment. Why'd she take me? Because they were going to put me under and I wouldn't be able to drive for 24 hours after the procedure. Twilight sedation they called it.

The check-in nurse was great. She was chatty and kind. She got me prepped in no time flat. My sister was surprised when she was called to the back so quickly. I was already in a gown with my hospital issued socks lying down on a gurney under a warm blanket with an IV drip going. Since I got prepped so quickly, my sister and I were able to talk for a long time. It was great catching up with her. I hadn't seen her in a couple weeks. The last time I saw her we each had our kids so we couldn't really TALK -- just the cursory catch-up. You know what I mean?

One of the ambulatory nurses came back and rolled me into the procedure room. She got a fresh warm blanket and put it on me. Another ambulatory nurse had me roll onto my left side and placed a mouth guard on me. The first nurse put a wedge behind me and then gave me the sedation meds. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the recovery area. Yup! I don't recall ANYTHING about the procedure. Woohoo!

After I woke up, they called my sister back into recovery and we started chatting again. Go figure! The nurse came back and saw how I was doing, then gave me the go ahead to get changed back into my clothes. Once I was back in my clothes, I thought I was good to go. I got up and started walking out of my curtained area. My sister stared at me and said "Is she supposed to be walking out?" The nurses and my sister started laughing because I looked at them all behind me like they were crazy. One of the nurses rushed over with a wheel chair and helped me in and then pushed me to my sister's car which was parked just outside the recovery exit.

People? I felt fine. I didn't feel impaired at all. I could have walked out on my own. But I guess it's a liability thing and they were required to wheel me out. I just couldn't help but laugh at the fact that I was ready to go and there I went. Ha-ha-ha!

Anyway, the doc said that my throat and esophagus looked fine. There was a bit of redness at the bottom portion of my stomach. A couple polyps were in my stomach, which is pretty normal, but she took a tissue sample for biopsy. She also noted that the glands below my stomach were a little enlarged but she wasn't surprised by that based upon the meds that I'm on. The biopsy testing should be back in 7-10 days and my doc would give me a call once those results are in. I'm also going to have a follow-up with my doc in about 3 months just to check how I'm doing.

But that's another "check" under my belt. No major issues from the initial endoscopy. Woohoo! Hopefully the biopsy will come back totally clear as well.