Endoscopy Tomorrow

[chocolatelover]

So my endoscopy is tomorrow (unless we get snowed in, that is--live in Denver where it's snowing again for the 7th week in a row!), and I have so many questions...

Does it hurt?

Will I feel anything?

Will my throat be sore?

Will I know anything tomorrow?

Will they be able to see if there is any damage or do they have to look at it with a microscope?

Do things usually look normal with the scope?

How long before I get any results?

I'm so anxious to know what's going on, but terrified of the possibility that it really is celiac...I LOVE food and am already mourning the loss of so many things that I love to eat, even though I'm not officially diagnosed yet. I was just diagnosed with lymphocytic colitis, which from everything I've read is highly associated with celiac...they think it's an autoimmune disease like celiac, but I can't find very much information on what causes it or how it's treated, and the woman who called me with my results was less than helpful. Basically she wouldn't tell me anything except that the dr. still wants to do the endoscopy and wants to see me when the results are in. At least it's not IBS like the PA thought...

I'm tired and frustrated with the whole testing process and feeling very much like a human lab rat. I guess the enormity of it all is just hitting me. Sorry to vent, but thanks for listening.

Chocolatelover

[lovegrov]

So my endoscopy is tomorrow (unless we get snowed in, that is--live in Denver where it's snowing again for the 7th week in a row!), and I have so many questions...

Does it hurt?

Will I feel anything?

You should get a sedative that will make you forget anything that happens. I remember nothing at all.

Will my throat be sore?

Maybe, maybe not. Mine was a little sore once and not sore at all the next time.

Will I know anything tomorrow?

Will they be able to see if there is any damage or do they have to look at it with a microscope?

Do things usually look normal with the scope?

There's no way they can say anything for certain until the biopsies are studied under a microscope. Sometimes a doctor might see some damage, but you really need the lab report.

How long before I get any results?

Depends on the lab. Mine was a couple of days but I was extremely ill and in the hospital.

Good luck. Celiac is tough to get used to at first, but it's as much better diagnosis than some other possibilities.

richard

[jmengert]

I'll try to answer as many questions as I can....

I was *terrified* to have my endoscopy, and I just had my first one this past November after being diagnosed via blood tests in November 2004 (I was, and still am, having other issues, so they wanted to rule out things by doing the endoscopy). It was a breeze. All the worry was for nothing (and I'm a big wimp with pain, too). It doesn't hurt at all--they give you an IV for the sedative, and the next thing I remember is being wheeled into the recovery room, where I babbled for a few minutes (I felt a bit loopy after the sedative, but nothing major--more just very sleepy and goofy) and then got dressed and left. My boyfriend drove me home--you definitely shouldn't drive after the sedative they give you. The whole process is only 20 minutes long, max. I slept the rest of the day, off and on, and I did have a mild scratchy throat from the scope, which was gone the next day, but they give you a numbing spray before they put the IV in to numb your throat when the scope goes in. I received my results a few days later via a phone call from my doctor (a lab needs to process the results and examine your biopsy under a microscope), though I did leave the office with pictures of my insides, which was kind of cool, I suppose.

Hang in there, and hopefully you'll have the answers you need soon. Feel free to ask anything you have a question about!

[chocolatelover]

Thanks Richard and jmengert for your quick and thorough answers. I am still quite scared of the whole thing--had a colonoscopy last week and really reacted to something, think it was the sedative. But, as long as they put you to sleep, it should all be a piece of cake, right? (gluten free cake, of course!). I know it's just nerves, but I feel like everything I've eaten today is churning around in my stomach, making me feel even worse than I have for the past couple of weeks. I figure I ate my last gluten ever today, because once this darn test is over I'm swearing off of it for good. No cake or cookies or bread can be worth the misery that goes along with eating gluten!

Does anyone know if I can I take anything tonight to help relieve the pounding headache I have right now?

[larry mac]

So my endoscopy is tomorrow...

Does it hurt?

Will I feel anything?

Will my throat be sore?

Will I know anything tomorrow?

Will they be able to see if there is any damage or do they have to look at it with a microscope?

Do things usually look normal with the scope?

How long before I get any results? Chocolatelover

cl,

I'm not an expert but can say what happened to me.

"Does it hurt?" No, I was asleep and didn't feel a thing.

"Will I feel anything?" No, I was asleep and didn't feel a thing.

"Will my throat be sore?" No, mine was not, as far as I could tell, nothing happened.

"Will I know anything tomorrow?" Yes & no. Mine gave his initial observations, but had to wait for the biopsy results for the official diagnosis and recommendation.

"Will they be able to see if there is any damage or do they have to look at it with a microscope?" Yes & yes. Mine gave his initial observations, but had to wait for the biopsy results for the official diagnosis and recommendation.

"Do things usually look normal with the scope?" They may not look normal in some way if you have damage to your small intestine. After all, I'm assuming you have a serious gastrointestinal problem of some kind. My doctor could see right away that I had flattened villi. He had to wait for the biopsy results for the detailed information.

"How long before I get any results?" Mine took a week. My doctor called me at 7:00 pm and discussed them with me. He diagnosed Celiac and gave me the gluten-free diet for life recommendation.

He told me something that has turned out to be totally true. He said " after going on this gluten-free diet, you will feel so much better that you will want to be on it"! It's true, I do feel 1000% better. I have never once even had one thought about not following it completely.

Hey, at least you don't have to clean yourself out tonight by drinking that glop.

best regards, lm

[chocolatelover]

Hey, at least you don't have to clean yourself out tonight by drinking that glop.

Isn't that the truth!!

Thanks, lm

[babygirl1234]

you dont feel a thing they give a sentive to make you sleepy but your awake for it i had 2 done already one 10 yrs ago and another one tues along with a conlonscopy and all they told me was i had a plopy that they removed but they dont know yet they are waiting on biopsys to come back

[larry mac]

you dont feel a thing they give a sentive to make you sleepy but your awake for it i had 2 done already one 10 yrs ago and another one tues along with a conlonscopy and all they told me was i had a plopy that they removed but they dont know yet they are waiting on biopsys to come back

bg,

There are two ways they can do it. My way, where you are put to sleep by an anesthesiologist ( and I do mean put to sleep as in count down from 10-9-8 lights out!). And your way, where you are sedated yet awake. I had your way for my colonoscopy, so I've done them both.

best regards, lm