# I survived my colonoscopy/EGD party!



## 20637 (Dec 12, 2006)

Hello everyone! Well I made it thru the colonoscopy and EGD yesterday and it wasn't near as bad as I had anticipated, but that's usually the case, isn't it? The endo part (which I slept through) came out very well, only a small hiatal hernia, no esophageal damage, but the colonoscopy revealed a small polyp (biopsied), grade 1 internal hemorrhoids (a surprise), and a nodule in the fundus (whatever that is!), which was biopsied also. I still say the worst part of the whole ordeal was drinking all the ginger ale with the saline laxative! It worked though, because my doctor said I won the Clean Colon Award yesterday! Sorry, I just had to throw that in-- guess the medicine is still with me! I do have a very sore throat though, but it's slowly getting better. So, those of you who have these procedures looming ahead of you, everything will be fine, truly! And oh the joy of having it over with and "behind" you!


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## madge (Oct 1, 2006)

Hi, bluewillow! Have been wondering how things went. Glad they went okay.I had a small polyp removed during my last colonoscopy. My husband had two of them. (He had his in December). All were fine. It's good to know they've been removed, isn't it?I have both internal and external hemmies. Have had them for years now. About the fundus nodule, maybe a google search would help you out on that one. I'm not sure what that is. I don't know how you managed to drink ginger ale (with all the acid in it). I'd think you'd have reflux from that, but apparently you didn't right? About the sore throat, it will clear up rather quickly. I'm SO GLAD things turned out well for you!


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## 13885 (Jan 2, 2007)

Bluewillow,Good Girl! Glad that all went okay with your procedures. Crossing my fingers that you get an all clear from the biopsies and the nodule in the fundus(?) - sorry don't have a clue about that.When you say the hemmies were a surprise did you mean that or were you being funny? I ask because I just had a c'scope in December because when my new GI doc did a rectal exam and took a stool sample she found blood in the stool, thus the reason for the c'scope (i had one just 2 years ago) Anyway she found small internal hemmies in the c'scope and is blaming the blood on that. Ironically I have never seen blood in my stools, in the toilet bowl or on the toilet paper so I wonder at the diagnosis.Can I share my good news too? I survived my abdominal MRI with contrast yesterday - 30 minutes in that tube! Take Care!


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

Sue, I stand in awe of your ability to be motionless. I KNOW my nose would start running and my leg would get a cramp and my rectum would get just a killer itch.If we had a saluting emoticon I would put one on.







I guess the hockey guy will have to do.Cheers (and lots of them),Mark


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## 20637 (Dec 12, 2006)

Hi Madge and Sue and thanks! I just got the biopsy results back and all are clear! I guess I won't worry about the fundus thing, since it was clear







Madge, I hope you are feeling better! Read about your flu in your other post- don't know how you functioned with that fever! I hope you stay well and clear of other bugs! Did you always know you had the internal and external 'hemmies'? I'm surprised I hadn't had any symptoms, but maybe I've been focused on the other 1001 symptoms I have had lately!Sue, I really was surprised about my internal hemorrhoids-- really not a clue about them-- I, like you, never saw blood anywhere or nor have I ever felt any discomfort from that area! Glad to hear you survived the abdominal MRI! Was it claustrophobic? It sounds like it, and I'm not sure I could be as brave as you! And yes, they do need to put a "salute" icon on the board!


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## madge (Oct 1, 2006)

Good for you, Sue! I had to have a head and neck MRI last summer, and they used one of the newer, slimmer MRI tubes. the MRI unit was in a large bus which went from clinic to clinic. I've had MRIs before, and I don't normally get claustrophobic, but the last time, in this very narrow tube, I couldn't even put my arms comfortably at my sides, which made it really unpleasant holding my arms up and against my stomach and hips. Really was cramped, and I'm a thin person. The top of the tube was so close to my face that I closed my eyes the entire time. It was the only way I could get through it. The 45 minutes seemed like an eternity! And of course, the clanking noise(even with ear plugs in place because I have ringing ears) was louder too than other MRI units I've been in. A man who was scheduled for an MRI right before I had mine wasn't able to complete it. He panicked and asked to be taken out. All I can say is, if you need an MRI (the kind where your whole body goes inside), your chances are better if the tube is wider. These traveling buses with the narrower tubes can make it tough for some people.Sue, was the MRI unit where you had yours done one of those narrow tubes too?


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## 13885 (Jan 2, 2007)

Bluewillow,So glad that your biopsies came back okay. What a relief that is! Ironically, just yesterday for the first time I saw a slight pinkish spot on the TP after a very difficult bowel movement. I hope this is not the start of a new problem. The last 24 hours have been uncomfortable due to both my IBS and GERD. I may have brought it on myself -I had a chicken casear salad wrap for lunch and burped up the dressing all afternoon. Also had some raisins and an apple - not to mention my usual prunes and dried apricots in the morning. Well about 4:00 I had a defintie urge for a BM but when I tried it took along time. Afterwards I felt very weak and my belly hurt for about 2 hours. Then on my drive home from work I started getting wheezy and raspy and my nose filled up which often happens to me with my GERD attacks. For supper all I had was a bowl of chicken noodle soup with a little grated cheese. Well I had lots of burping that felt very sharp and caused a sharp kind of cutting pain in my center chest. Ughhh! I've been feeling kind of blah today as well. 2 BM this morning (but no pink thank goodness, lots of burping and discomfort in my center chest, left gut (abdomen under left breast above waist) and left shoulder blade. Oh well, that's life!John - thank you very much for the salute! I deserve it if I do say so myself!!!!Madge - I had my MRI done at a large satellite campus of a major teaching hospital in Boston. First time i went to this facility. My cardiac MRI and 3 previous liver MRI's were done at a local community hospital. The tubes seemed very similar at both places. Pretty narrow and the top of the tube right in your face. They made me stretch my arms back and over my head. I usually keep my eyes closed too - I finally figured that out on my own no thanks to any of the technicians at the prior facilty!







This time when I mentioned that I keep them closed, the IV nurse gave me a small towel to put over my eyes so in case I wanted to open my eyes I could but I wouldn't have to see the tube! Now she was nice!!! I also requested that the tech give me a detailed update of how long each picture was and how long I had to hold my breath. I like to know what is happening instead of just lying there wondering. I don't know how you did the head MRI - that must hae been very hard. for my abdominal MRI's I always went in feet first but the cardiac MRI was head first and I had a slight panic attack and had to come out and sit up for a little bit to get my wits about me. Ughhh! who invented these machines!?!?!?


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## madge (Oct 1, 2006)

I don't know who invented those MRI tubes, but I do wonder how larger people can even get MRIs. Football players, for instance. How do they even fit inside comfortably?


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## madge (Oct 1, 2006)

Sue, by the way...a little bit of red blood after a hard or difficult-to-pass stool isn't unusual at all. I have it every now and then.


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