# Survived the defogram :)



## 22299

Well, had the defogram today. I have to say it was probably the most humourous day I have spent in a while. 1st, several posts here talked about how the radiologist is behind the screen and you have privacy. WELL, not in my case. (although mostly due to MY error!).I arrived at the hospital and was told to change into a gown. A nurse came and brought me TWO poland spring size bottles w/straws in them. Told me to drink them over the next hour. Now, I am NOT a frappe, shake, kind of person. I have no interest in them. Of course, she's trying to sell this drink to me as being "vanilla flavored and frappe like." It was not. BUT I do have to say it was not as bad as I thought. It definately had a gross aftertaste. SUGGESTION: I had just happened to toss a few spearmint lifesavers in my pocket as I left the house. What I did was sip a big amount and then immediately pop a lifesaver in my mouth to kill the taste. Worked like a charm. I was able to finish almost all of the 1st bottle and 3/4 of the 2nd. The nurse said that was great. (so you DON'T have to drink the whole thing). I finished those in about 40 minutes. But she didn't come back to get me for another 45 min. I was a little uncomfortable with my VERY full belly. But wasn't bad. Then they took me into the room. She handed me a fat syringe w/the barium paste in it. Told me to go in bathroom and put it in my vagina. Well there was obviously more than I was going to need in there so of course it starts running in clumps down my leg. I'm in there trying to wipe it off. I come out and the nurse says "we are a teaching hospital. Would you mind if a couple of the girls observed as they have never done this before." I must have been in a good mood (or just stupid), because I said "sure." Well in comes the Dr. (Male) his assistant (male) the nurse and 2 female students. I now have an audience of 5. I still figure it won't be bad though because I'll have some privacy when I have to push this stuff out. Dr. has me lay on my side and does a rectal exam (for the audience of course). Thank GOD I was facing away from them. Then he inserts the tip and starts putting the barium paste in my rectum. Well he cranks it and cranks it and cranks it and....I'm thinking "how the heck is he fitting all this in there?" Finally I say "That's starting to hurt a little" so he stops. Then I get up from the table, being told to SQUEEZE my buns together and not let anything out. While they tip the table he starts SLOWLY describing to me what he is going to do next. I'm thinking, "ok dude....hurry up." Here's where it really differed from other people on here. They put a foam pad on this shelf thing on the table. Then they put this crappy, little tiny pink plastic bedpan on the foam pad. I assume this is tossed out when I'm done. I now have to back onto this thing. WORSE is, my audience is all right there staring me in the face. There was no privacy whatsoever. The only person who couldn't see me was the radiologist. (again, this is my own fault, I should have said NO when she asked, but I was being the agreeable me!) Then he just told me to do a number of different things while he took pictures. I told my hubby I had to try to keep from laughing when I thought what I must look like to them. Best part was when I had to poop the stuff out and they are all looking at me.Probably sounds awful, but honestly? It wasn't that bad at all. I have had a sigmoidscope, 3 barium enemas & 2 colonoscopies. This was the easiest of all these tests. NO prep. I even had breakfast that morning. I really felt good coming out of there. Now I just have to wait for the feedback from the dr. Hopefully I'll hear from him tomorrow. We'll see. If anyone has to have one of these, do NOT dread it. It was not bad at all!


----------



## Jannybitt

Glad things went well for you! That was the first time I've ever had a defogram explained to me, and I don't know, I had a colonoscopy and that sounds better than what you had to go through. Where did all the vanilla frappe-ha, ha go? Did you have to go after this was all done? It sounds like a test out of the twilight zone!







But hopefully, the results will all be good!


----------



## 22299

The reason I thought this was so much better than the colonoscopy was NO PREP. No nasty things to drink. No pooping for hours. No sore butt. No feeling sick and tired and weak. No IV, no anethesia, no puking for hours afterwards from the anethesia. No laying in bed for the rest of the day feeling awful. For this, I had breakfast and went off to the hospital. The only thing I would change is when they asked if people could observe I would say NO.


----------



## 16127

lauri - i'm sorry but i laughed so hard at the thought of all those people watching you poop! what an experience! i'm glad for you that the test wasn't all that bad except for the audience.


----------



## 22299

Feel free to laugh away! that's why I posted it. I had such a hard time not bursting out laughing when they were all looking at me. It was like something out of a sitcom. I figured if I don't laugh about all this, I will surely cry!


----------



## junebug6459

Lauri1 said:


> Feel free to laugh away! that's why I posted it. I had such a hard time not bursting out laughing when they were all looking at me. It was like something out of a sitcom. I figured if I don't laugh about all this, I will surely cry!


Thank you for your candid description of this test. I have one scheduled in about a week and don't know how to feel about it. Your story made me smile, and you are right if we don't laugh we will cry.


----------

