My first experience with a gastroenterologist

[Shalom]

I took a day off before for the fasting part, the day itself, and took the day off after to make sure I could recuperate. I didn't need the day off after, but the stuff they gave me was a relative of rohypnol (began with M) and I can see why it's something to be feared at parties. Very, very effective.

Probably midazolam. Brand name is Versed. One of the indications is to induce anterograde amnesia, so you won't remember the surgery. There were a few embarrassing cases where the surgical team were discussing irrelevant things, e.g. the recent football game, during the surgery and the patient actually remembered this when he woke up.

Tip from a pharmacist, for anyone undergoing this procedure: They will give you about a gallon of Stuff™ to drink, one glass every ten minutes and don't go too far from a bathroom. After about an hour, your bowels will start to move. Once you get to the point where there's no more solid material in your stool, that's the endpoint, and you can stop drinking there. Generally it only takes half to three-quarters of the container to reach this point, and you don't really need to finish it, never mind what the instructions on the bottle say.

(As a matter of fact, lately they've been giving out half-gallon bottles instead of gallons (brand name is Halflytely). I guess they realized that the gallon was overkill in most cases.)

Oh yeah, don't eat anything red afterwards (like cherry jello). They'll think you're bleeding.

[Misanthropical]

I had the endoscopy done before and the hardest part for me was I couldn't have any coffee till afterwards.

Yes, your throat will be scratchy but nothing was stopping me from having coffee afterwards. I had 3 cups while waiting in recovery for Mr. Mis to pick me up.

[Anakah]

I recently got scoped in both ends. The stuff you drink is NASTY. It tastes like sea water. Make sure to chill it, get a straw and don't eat anything that has a good flavor in between cuz it will taste ten times worse.

I had a bowel series today. AKA a lower GI. The stuff I had to drink was pretty raunchy too. Barium is yucky. I had to put my hand over my mouth and try not to barf it up.

But the actual procedure of the up your butt and down your throat isn't bad, as long as they knock you out. That and I didn't have an appetite for a few days and lived on apple sauce. Lost some weight tho... I know, not being able to eat for a long period of time does suck.

[Primer]

Tip from a pharmacist, for anyone undergoing this procedure: They will give you about a gallon of Stuff™ to drink, one glass every ten minutes

Oh yeah, don't eat anything red afterwards (like cherry jello). They'll think you're bleeding.

I had to mix up my own, but it was only half a gallon.

When the first "blast" happened, I saw red, and almost freaked out, thinking, "frank blood, oh noes!" But then I remembered, I'd had two big bowls of red jello!

I got the results of the polyp back today--completely benign, but the doctor does want another scoping done---in 10 years as a screening!

The ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow at 7:15 am CST. I'm more and more expecting gall stones.

[trailerparkmedic]

The ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow at 7:15 am CST. I'm more and more expecting gall stones.

Good luck. As far as surgeries go, getting your gallbladder removed is a pretty easy one if they do it laproscopically. You have a handful of small incisions and you're out of the hospital in a few days. I know several people who got their gallbladders out and once they adjusted to the new diet, none of them missed their gallbladder.

[Rapscallion]

They will give you about a gallon of Stuff™ to drink, one glass every ten minutes and don't go too far from a bathroom.

The one I had was two small bottles that had to be mixed in a pint of water. The second part of the above needs 'wear loose clothing' added for advice. Worth noting that the equivalent of dry heaves, but in the other direction, were a lack of fun, but very effective.

There were two instances of going up for me. One was a full version where they pretty much say 'hi' to the liver and they knocked me out for that. The other was a flexible sigmoidoscopy and sedation wasn't offered. It wasn't that bad, really, and I was joking along with the nurses all the way. The doctor didn't like me much though (I didn't really envy him his job, I'll admit), and it came out with a fair bit of speed. I'm glad they used enough lube to sink a moderate-sized frigate.

Rapscallion

[Ironclad Alibi]

All this talk of looking where the sun doesn't shine deserves a reference to the Colorectal Surgeon Song.

[Sapphire Silk]

I recently got scoped in both ends. The stuff you drink is NASTY. It tastes like sea water. Make sure to chill it, get a straw and don't eat anything that has a good flavor in between cuz it will taste ten times worse.

I had a bowel series today. AKA a lower GI. The stuff I had to drink was pretty raunchy too. Barium is yucky. I had to put my hand over my mouth and try not to barf it up.

I had a barium swallow a few years ago (had H. pylori, ended up with an ulcer). I didn't think the barium was that bad.

The stuff they give you to inflate your stomach, OTOH, was awful. And you're not allowed to belch.

I had a flexible sigmoidoscopy about 12 years ago. I took Citrate of Magnesium and 4 tablets of Dulcolax, not Golytly thank god. The doc did the procedure in his office, and didn't give me any sedation. It was the most miserably painful experience of my life. The doc couldn't even complete the procedure; he couldn't get past the bend into the transverse from the sigmoid colon. He said I had the most spastic bowel he'd ever seen. If I ever get asked to do another one, I'm insisting on complete sedation. I will not go through that again awake.

Good luck. As far as surgeries go, getting your gallbladder removed is a pretty easy one if they do it laproscopically. You have a handful of small incisions and you're out of the hospital in a few days. I know several people who got their gallbladders out and once they adjusted to the new diet, none of them missed their gallbladder.

Mine went pretty smoothly. Had my gallbladder out on Halloween, went home the next day. Rested over the weekend and had so little pain, I decided to go to work on Monday. That was a mistake. I went home again after only a few hours and was out for two weeks. The anesthesia hit me really hard, took me a long time to get over it.

I have four small scars. Two have faded and can barely be seen. One is hidden in my bellybutton. The fourth is fairly prominent, but short and I expect it to fade in years to come.

I've had very little trouble with my diet related to my lack of a gallbladder. I pretty much eat what I want. I only seem to have trouble if I over eat. What I eat doesn't seem to be an issue.

[trailerparkmedic]

I've had very little trouble with my diet related to my lack of a gallbladder. I pretty much eat what I want. I only seem to have trouble if I over eat. What I eat doesn't seem to be an issue.

I would guess that you eat a fairly healthy diet. One of my friends who got her gallbladder out thought that at least one meal a day should be deep fried. She had to get used to not doing that. She also drank quite a bit, which I hear is bad, but I'm not 100% sure on. I would guess she's kind of a weird/difficult case though.

[Sapphire Silk]

I would guess that you eat a fairly healthy diet. One of my friends who got her gallbladder out thought that at least one meal a day should be deep fried. She had to get used to not doing that. She also drank quite a bit, which I hear is bad, but have no evidence of? I would guess she's kind of a weird case though.

I wish I could say that were true In truth, I eat a lot of crap: I love fast food and fried foods, and I loathe vegetables.

I've cut out most of the fast food and fried foods, and am eating more greens because I am trying to lose weight. It didn't ever seem to bother the gallbladder (the irritable bowel is another story )

[AccountingDrone]

I lucked out when the doc did my hysterectomy, while he was in there he rummaged around and checked everything in my abdominal cavity so I won't have to get a colonoscopy for at least 5 years, or so he said. Nothing, no polyps, growths, strange areas - spic n span [after that week of the runs from the prep kit, and not eating anything except clear liquids for the next week after that, I was squeeky clean] And he cleared up a couple adhesions from a couple previous operations.

Oddly enough, I just had a cyst go nasty on me from the operation in 1995 - they removed a couple lymph glands from the left leg 'armpit' and apparently a dissolving suture didn't. I had a grape sized cyst work its way to almost the surface. Thankfully Rob has plenty of wound care experience from 95, so again I don't have to spend any hospital time.

[bainsidhe]

Not having a gallbladder does funny things to different people. One coworker normally eats pretty healthy anyway, but anything cooked in butter or most fried foods will lead to a rush trip to the bathroom. Same goes for oreo cookies. O.O

I don't have that problem. On occasion fried foods will lead to a bathroom trip, in particular McD's french fries (yum), but mostly it's just eating like usual.

[Misanthropical]

I had my gall bladder out when I was 13 and have the huge surgical scar to prove it. They didn't have all the fancy stuff to get it out back then that they do now.

I haven't been able to drink milk since without praying to the porcelain god.

The few times I have gone to the ER with excruciating pain the doctor orders a check on my gall bladder. Why not ask me first and save us all a bunch of time?

Here is another idea, don't ask a woman if she is being hurt by someone at home if the person you suspect might be hurting them is in the room. No one in my house is hurting me, but what if I was one of those getting the holy hell beat out of them, why ask when the guy is sitting right there?

I now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

[Primer]

The ultrasound showed nothing in the way of gallstones. It did show a cyst in the liver, but back in 2006 I was CT'd after the wreck, and they saw no change in the cyst from the CT.

They also said that I have Fatty Liver Disease, which is caused by being <gasp!> fat! And that if I don't lose weight it will lead to cirrhosis and then cancer (scare tactics, anyone? too bad I'm too old to be scared easily).

Of course, I do some of my own research, and FLD is not necessarily caused by being fat. In fact, it can be caused by rapid weight loss, and a lot of other predispositions may or may not contribute.

I have a follow-up office visit with the gastro in a few weeks.

[Tama]

Hrm, maybe that is where the lesion in my liver came from.

I lost about 60 pounds in a few short months...thanks for telling me, I will have to check that out.