OT: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy at once

[McSleepy]

Since this is an "old, ill people forum", I thought this might be appropriate. (It's a joke, hold your fire!)

I just wanted to share my certainly not unique but definitely rare experience: today I had an esophagogastroduodenoscopy and a colonoscopy performed one after the other, with full consciousness (no sedation or anesthesia). It took less than half an hour total (13 minutes for the colonoscopy and then a couple of minutes for the esophagogastroduodenoscopy) and was perfectly bearable. I feel that even if the physician had discovered any polyps to remove or other procedures to perform (other than the routine biopsies she took), which would have extended the duration, I still would have taken it easily. It was not pleasant, but there was no pain at any time and the discomfort was acceptable. As for the upper endoscopy, I've had this done 6 times now, all fully conscious, and it is also quite bearable.

By the way, the colonoscopy prep was SUPREP and it was absolutely fine. Other than dieting for a week, there were no issues. I had to go to the bathroom a total of 4 times over the 16 remaining hours after taking the alkaline sulphates, and there was absolutely no nausea, irritation or any other discomfort. But I did strictly adhere to the diet.

If anyone is facing this procedure, and as long as your doctor is open to the no-sedation approach and is, thus, careful, you should have no trouble going through it, too. As I was preparing for this, I did some research and there were all sorts of confusing information. I thought I should add my feedback for those who want to know.

McSleepy

[LSAT]

The cost is virtually the same and insurance covers it...I would not put myself through that without sedation. I have had that double procedure at least 6 times. Last time I took Gatorade with Miralax as a prep.

[Janknitz]

For an Upper endoscopy they'd have to shoot me and kill me first.

My husband had an endoscopy and he only remembered them putting a bite block in his mouth. I would have run screaming from the room right there and then.

Twilight sleep would not be enough! You're a braver many than I, McSleepy!

[Grace~~~]

My brain is scrambled from the constant anesthesia and light sedation procedures but I can't manage without it.

They offered last month on the bone marrow scan to try without sedation and I just couldn't. I did however make it through the last cystoscopy with just prayer and squeezing the hand of my best friend.

So I totally agree. YOU ARE BRAVE. McSleepy!
A true badass ~~~ LOL

Since this is an old sick people thread let me share one brief thing that happened to me at the oncologist today.

There was a new young oncologist helping out and he came in and spent time with me and asked a lot of questions and really wanted to talk? Crazy. They never have this kind of time?

Since CPAP has been on my mind I mentioned it to him. I told him the weird way I came about getting a machine and that I hadn't had a sleep study. I actually wanted to know what he thought about my oxygen dropping so badly while I am in the hospital and recovering from anesthesia. (I sometimes wish my cpap would set off an alarm and tell me when my oxygen had dropped like it does in the hospital). But I never really got to that question.

This young oncologist is just out of school and his response really surprised me?

He was THRILLED I had been given a cpap. For oncological reasons apparently and not apnea specifically? His exact words were ... " We wish we could get all of our patients on cpap. You are very lucky!".

...just as I was about to try to dig further about the anaerobic connection with cancer the real doctor came in and hit me with my other noncpap reality. In fact, I had almost forgotten about the positive cpap exchange till I read this thread.


I really appreciate my cpap machine more and more with each passing day.
I can't believe I didn't want it and was even vaguely insulted when the idea was first presented.

However, without finding cpaptalk and learning how to actually DO THIS ... (I was given ZERO medical help).. I would have definitely just handed it back over as a waste of time.

It's all very trippy and confusing.
Or maybe that's just too much anesthesia?

[chunkyfrog]

I, too always go for the chemical crutch.
I am in awe of those cajones of yours.

[McSleepy]

My motivation for doing those without drugs is actually because I hate drugs. I wouldn't make a good junkie - I actively dislike my mind being clouded. And I do have a bit of fear from overexposure to mind-altering drugs. I was offered a lot of alcohol (hard liquor) as I was growing up (obviously, that wasn't in the US), and I've been drunk (accidentally, when I was 10), and I never liked it. I now drink just to make guests (or hosts) comfortable, but never enough to feel it. And I have had general anesthesia during surgery, with painkillers after it, and although I had no effects from the general anesthesia, the painkillers had bad effects on me. Earlier this spring I had arrhythmia and had to be defibrillated, so they put me under with Propofol. It was only 10 minutes but I had no ill effects. But still, I don't like my mind to be artificially influenced. It feels a bit like dying; I don't know - I guess that's exactly what junkies want? Escape from reality? As much as I'm unhappy about the reality I exist in, I don't like the thought of being forced out of it, even for a brief time. I've seen my wife under sedation and her experience was so bad (one during labor, another during EGD) that she had her last EGD (same doctor) without sedation - and she is so wimpy! And how about cases like Grace here, who actually feels that drugs have had a permanent effect on her? That just plain scares me.

The thing about taking the discomfort is acceptance. If you cannot or do not want to accept it, it will go badly. But if you could, you'd be able to relax and take it quite readily. Pain is, after all, relative. Yes, it is mind over matter - there are so many examples. One of my favorite is the Antarctic station doctor who had a case of appendicitis and had to operate on himself. There are much more examples for the opposite: people who create pain based on some psychological adverse factors (same reason for drug addictions). When you have an issue, and you are mentally miserable, you often invent (unconsciously) an otherwise absolutely real physical pain to justify the suffering.

Bottom line is, if for some reason you are considering doing this or other procedures without sedation, you could. All you need is to open your mind and accept it. And, of course, having a good doctor helps - there are some butchers who would not even accept the patient being conscious (my doctor's colleague, who I first saw, said "Propofol or nothing", so... I chose his colleague) and they tend to carry out the procedure in a way that could, indeed, be very painful - I can see that. Whether you feel it and/or remember it, or not - wouldn't you rather have it done in a careful, considerate manner? Also, as I was awake, watching the monitor and commenting, I could have made a decision that the doctor would have had to make herself had I been unconscious. Not many of those during a colonoscopy but you never know. Actually, I had to sign a release that stated whether I authorize them to only do preventive screening or therapeutic steps, if it came up. Who knows? In the end I drove myself in, had it taken care of, and drove away in less than an hour! Otherwise it's hours.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience, like I do with other procedures I've had done. I've had people find one of my threads here via a Google search and create an account on this forum only to PM me with some questions (mostly about my turbinate reduction with outfracture procedures). So I figured, I'll share my experience as objectively as I can, and if it helps anyone - great!

McSleepy