# New and very nervous about procedures



## 22193 (Mar 22, 2007)

I've had gastritis and diarrhea for the last six weeks. Lots of upper and lower abdominal pain, cramping, and nausea. Sometimes with watery diarrhea I have a brief seizure. I've had these symptoms off and on for years but this is the first time they have continued so long.So far I've had blood and stool samples, an abdominal ultrasound, an abdominal CAT scan, and MRI of my brain, a HIDA scan of my gall bladder with a CCK study. I have the h. pylori bacteria, diverticulitis (which has cleared up with antibiotics) and I'm in the middle of the quadruple whammy h. pylori treatment. No gall stones but my gall bladder just doesn't function - it wouldn't contract at all.You'd think I'd be done with tests but NO! I'm in the middle of the prep for a colonoscopy and an endoscopy tomorrow afternoon.I know I'm being a big baby about this but I can't help but be really scared. I am worried about all the liquids I have to drink with the MIralax prep precipitating a seizure for one thing. The other thing is that I have a very stressful life (husband has a life shortening and incurable disease) and I get anxiety attacks. The last time I had surgery I felt really panicky as I felt myself losing consciousness. It felt like I was dying.I am having Diprivan tomorrow, I do know that. I'm just so afraid that I'm going to hurt or be terrified. It's hard to calm down.


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## Jannybitt (Oct 13, 2006)

OK Lynn;I had my colonoscopy last week and was all freaky about it. I relayed my fears to my Gastro doc, and I felt absolutely nothing!!! AT all!! It will be ok. It sounds like to me you've already been so brave to have gone through what you have! Let us know how everything goes. It won't hurt; I can tell you that. I truly remember nothing. And if you're feeling extremely anxious, tell them that and see if it's ok for them to give you an anti-anxiety med.I'll pray for you tonight, Lynn! It will all be ok!


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## jms1963 (Feb 23, 2007)

Lynn -Sending positive thoughts out to you today.I have found that most doctors are more than willing to make you as comfortable as possible - the meds they give you for the procedure are wonderful. I've had 3 colonoscopies over the years and remember nothing from any of them.Wishing you well,Jodie


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## 16127 (Aug 27, 2006)

Lynn - I'll be thinking about you. Best of luck. Don't worry about the colonoscopy. The prep is the worst part. You'll sleep through the rest. Sounds like you have a lot of things going on but the doctors are covering everything. You're going to be okay!!


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

Now if we only could sleep through the prep.. too.. That would be FANTASTIC!!!!







I start step one of my prep tonight.. for my test on Monday..


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## Jannybitt (Oct 13, 2006)

It will be ok, Prudy!! Just think of it as a really good clean out!


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## jms1963 (Feb 23, 2007)

Lynn -Just checking in to see how everything went on Friday?


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

Well tonight I need good thoughts ... it is D night.. at 6 pm I start the Half-Lyte... Much smaller container then the Go-Lyte of course.. But am very apprehensive about this.. Mind you this is the 4th one in 2 years.. So I know what to expect.. but I am still scared of it.. not the colonoscopy .. that I know I will be sedated for.. But.. see the last time I did this a year and a half ago.. when I started the prep.. I had some blood with the first stool.. I called the doctor.. It wasn't allot but scared me as I hadn't experienced it the other two times with the prep... He sent me to the ER.. where they determined it was possible irritation from the pre prep..they told me to go home,resume the prep.. if more bleeding resulted, to come back.. Well I resumed the prep by this time it is late at night.. when I should have been done with it.. Anyway.. obviously there was no bleeding anymore.. and things went well all turned out fine.. after that.. test was good..all clear.. on all levels.. I guess I am fearing the same thing will happen again tonight.. I swear this has me tied in knots.. really.. I am not usually like this..I try to buck up.. and I will.. but I am imagining every excuse in the book to not go through with this.. Pretty sad.. huh..??!! The reason why I am having another so soon is.. I have a perianal abscess that isn't healed. They are checking for a fistula I had dx 20 years ago to see if that is there or another possibly.. and he mentioned checking for Crohn's disease.. he was only going to do a sygmoid but since I had to prep.. {no sygmoid for me unless sedated...too much trauma at backside to not} they decided to check for that.. and also I have a hx of polyps that are cancerous so they want to check that area since the last ones were in the rectum .... any how.. I am in a tizzy.. and working myself up.. I am praying and trying to calm myself down..Hence why I am rambling on and on... Anyway.. if you can spare a good thought or a prayer if you feel led.. please do.. Thanks for listening to my story..


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## 22193 (Mar 22, 2007)

I'll be thinking about you, Prudy! I wasn't crazy about the Prep but it wasn't as bad as I expected. Thanks to all for the words of encouragement I read before going in for the procedures. It really helped.I actually wrote something when I got home from my mother's house yesterday and it got lost in cyberspace.I am very relieved that the procedures are over and were not the ordeal I expected. For me, the key was to use a gastroenterologist I had conference in to do the procedure and to get propofol as the anesthetic so I could sleep through it. I talked with the anesthesiologist and I had the propofol as the sedative and fetanyl as the pain reliever. She was going to use versed but I couldn't see the point of a memory blocker since I was not going to be awake or in pain so there was nothing to forget. I also liked that in the waiting area, I had an IV for rehydration before the procedure.I woke up without nausea or confusion, just a tiny bit of wooziness which lasted just a few minutes. I wouldn't even call it dizziness! It felt like I'd been asleep and even though I did need extra sleep for the rest of the day, it was real sleep and restful, not groggy, confused 'had a lot of medication' sleep. My body doesn't even feel like anything was done to it! My throat isn't sore and my abdomen isn't either. My doctor must know what he's doing.I was very upset about the expected sensation of losing consciousness since that is panicky for me. Fortunately, that didn't happen. Instead it was just like what I have read here from others. One moment I was fully awake and the next moment I was sound asleep and the next moment after that (it seemed) I was awake in the recovery room. I am still feeling bad but I think it's the pylori medication which is irritating my stomach and worsening the reflux. I'll probably have to have my gall bladder out at some point, but it's not urgent. So the treatment plan will depend on what symptoms I continue to have.I had no polyps or ulcers and my esophagus is healthy. I did have gastritis and duodenitis and a hiatal hernia. He took biopsies in the stomach and the colon since he was there but just as a routine thing.Next week I am having an EEG to supplement the MRI so we can find out about the seizures but I'm not worried. There were some 'nondiagnostic' findings on the MRI they are going to discuss with me but I'm told I shouldn't be worried.Thanks again!Lynn


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

Glad all that is behind you now Lynn.. I will hopefully feel that way tomorrow this time.. My test is at 2pm... so I imagine I will still be kind of zonked at this time tomorrow..I start my prep.. next step in about a half hour.. Not looking forward to it.. but .. Put it all in God's hands.. now.. I will be getting Versed and Demerol. Had is the other 3 times and was really very comfortable with it.. In fact look forward to knowing I will be getting it.. ah.. sweet bliss of conscious sedation.. Here's hoping all your news is good news.. and mine too... Thank you again for your good thoughts.. I appreciate it..


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## Jannybitt (Oct 13, 2006)

Lynn;Glad everything went well for you!Prudy;everything will be ok; just get the yucky stuff past you and the rest will be ok! Like you said, In God's hands.


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

Thank you..so much..The prep could have turned out better...{ I will have to hope with the next one it is better} but all in all.. It was a good thing I had it done ... they found two nodules which they removed.. starting of polyps.. I have a hx of cancerous ones so that in itself made all of it worth it.. also did byopsy other areas to check for IBS etc. Thanks again for being so kind..


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## 22193 (Mar 22, 2007)

I'm glad it's over, Prudy, and very glad you had the procedure so you could get rid of those nodules! Lynn


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## 20749 (Apr 22, 2007)

Prudy said:


> Thank you..so much..
> The prep could have turned out better...{ I will have to hope with the next one it is better} but all in all.. It was a good thing I had it done ... they found two nodules which they removed.. starting of polyps.. I have a hx of cancerous ones so that in itself made all of it worth it.. also did byopsy other areas to check for IBS etc.
> Thanks again for being so kind..


Hi, Prudy and everybody else. I have my first scope next week and I'm pretty nervous about it.As I understand it, "nodules" and polyps can cause irritation, too, so there's at least a possibility that just by removing those, your IBS will be better.Hope so!





















Angie in Texas, US


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