My Experience with Endoscopy

On the 20th of November, I had an invasive procedure known as endoscopy. There are two types of endoscopy, one is of the upper part of the abdomen (Upper GI Endoscopy) which covers the esophagus, stomach and the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). The other one is called colonoscopy (Lower GI Endoscopy), basically it covers mostly the colon, hence the name.

Photo from the internet. Not mine.

I had both. On the same day. FUN.

I was given preparation a week prior to the procedure. I was given two 45ml bottles of Fleet Phospho-Soda which I dub the 'salty shit'. It's an unflavoured oral saline laxative. What I wanna say is: UNFLAVOURED MY ASS. It's basically salt. Salt. SALT. I think

First, I tried it with some juice. BIG MISTAKE. It was too much and heck, I poured too much juice. Basically I was battling orange sea water. I had to use a straw because I had a cut on my lip and you DO know, salt and cuts don't mix.

I struggled so much with it. I wanted to cry. I had to fast too so I had no relief whatsoever of the salty shit. I had to drink 7000mg of salt, TWICE. It was just horrible. The second one I had to drink, I decided to just drink it with a bit of water, because obviously juice failed.

I was instructed to drink 2 litres of water after drinking it. So I did. Waited after a while....then the explosive diarrhoea comes. Interestingly, it didn't hurt at all. Just annoying. I decided to not sleep the whole night (one thing, it's because I still am having problems adjusting with my normal sleeping pattern and two, I just wanna be tired enough during the procedure). I forgot what I actually did but I think I was on Facebook the whole time.

So basically the whole night I was an owl, whose best friend was water and the toilet.

Come the time to go to the hospital, I actually napped a bit after my second bottle of Fleet. I was almost too reluctant to go. I was scared, anxious and tired.

But after all that painful prep, it'd be insane not to go, right??

So yeah,  I didn't even care how I looked. I just wanted it to be over. I should have braided my hair had I known how it was gonna be.

My dad took the day off to go to the hospital with me, my lil' sis came too.

Unfortunately, we weren't informed beforehand that I was to be waiting in the recovery room until it was time to go. So I had to ask my dad and sis to leave and I was left alone.

I was prepped before the procedure. They inserted that....needle thing that's usually for IV and the nurse in charge injected something I don't know. Was it for me to not throw up? Because I told her I threw up once. She then asked if I had any experience with the procedure, allergies, etc. Routine questions basically. I asked her if it'd would hurt, she said it would but I would be sedated.

After that, I was told to change my jeans into the....cloth thing and remove my underwear. The removing underwear part was not very nice. I felt exposed. Way too exposed lol.

She told me that after she injects the painkiller to my bum, I wouldn't be allowed to go to the toilet anymore, so I went one last time. Then when it was time to inject my bum, it hurt. LOL. But I'm used to it.

Then comes the weird feeling.

That weird feeling of losing feelings in your legs...getting numb and numb every second. I went to sleep after that, because it was freaking me out.

I was then woken up by two nurses, I was very drowsy then, I had a hard time moving to the stretcher and had to be assisted. After I was snug, I fell back asleep.

I was partially awake, so I felt them put the anesthesia/or oxygen thingy for my nose and they had a hard time adjusting it to my ear (hence why I said I should have braided my hair).

During the colonoscopy, I didn't really feel it. I mean, I FELT it, it HURT. I think the nurse held my hand since I was crying out in pain. There were a few instances where it felt like it was poking my uterus? I felt it cramp there a few times. I actually didn't feel it in me then, because of the sedatives, I believe, but it still hurt ):

After a while, I fell asleep again UNTIL, I felt them put something in my mouth.

Here is where it became unbearable.

They put this ring ring in my mouth to prevent me from closing it, and then the endoscopy tube was inserted. This was unbearable for me because I can't talk, I can't really scream, I whimpered.

I wanted to say "Take it out! Take it out!" but obviously I can't. Thankfully though, it didn't last that long.

If I had to compare the Upper to Lower, I can take the lower one better.

I mean, at least I'm used to period cramps right??


*I could have sworn they told me I pooped a bit*

Moving on, I was put back to my bed, I was out cold. I just wanted to sleep but I could still feel the scope in my throat and it was horrible.

I could care less when I started becoming gassy.
My colon was clean, so there was no smell at all lol.


The nurse in charge then told me that the doctor told me to rest until at least 2pm. I didn't mind. I liked hospital beds. They make me sleep.

They served me lunch and tea time. Had my favourite one too :) the oyster sauced chicken.
Af first I couldn't eat much as I felt drowsy and nauseous.

Wanting to go to the toilet, the nurse told me to not lock the door just in case I fell down I guess.

When it was time for me to go, the nurse asked if my family members were present and I told her they were waiting in the car. She then finally told me.


She said it was all normal.

I looked at her in disbelief.

She said it was mostly my intestines spasming. My throat was also red from all the vomiting but that was it.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, to be honest.

They saw no diverticuli, nothing. Zilch.

They did take a biopsy though, and I'll have the result next Tuesday.

Odd isn't it?



Back in Japan, I was diagnosed with diverticulosis/diverticulitis using a CT Scan.

I had inflammation then too.


These pockets don't disappear.
So where did it go?

I'm still puzzled but only the doctor will know.


I decided not to take my meds from the pharmacy just yet because I was gonna go see my psychiatrist on the 22nd. Bad move.


I slept early that day.

Woke up with severe stomach pain.

So yeah, bad move to not get my meds.


It was so painful. I couldn't laugh much, I couldn't walk that much. I decided to sleep it off.

I'm guessing they took samples from the left side since it hurt there a lot.


So yeah, I wasn't really informed about the aftereffects of the procedure, but I should have asked, right?

Yeah.


Anyway~ we'll see how it goes next week.


I only realised there were some drawbacks to the procedure when I looked it up LOL. Fail.

So yeah, I got more medicine, I need to up my fiber intake and whatnot.

I shall talk about the results next week hopefully :)


I wanted to blog more but I'm kinda tired~ Tomorrow maybe!

Okay then.

Take care!

-Nisah-

*Shall add more photos tomorrow*