I went in for the barium x-ray. That's was an
experience that will be remembered for a while! It was AWFUL. The doctor had
absolutely NO bed-side manner. She was extremely cold and unfeeling. The nurse
was really great though...very soft-spoken and helpful. Thank goodness!
In preparation for the x-ray I had to fast after midnight and thankfully my
appt was at 8am which means I didn't have to wait too long for breakfast. I was
so nervous in the waiting room and just ready to get the whole experience over
with. When I got in the room where the stand-up x-ray machine was they had me
swallow some kind of crystals and swallow it with very little water. This was
supposed to give me gas which makes things show up better in the pictures. Then
they gave me the dreaded "shake." It was awful! They didn't even
bother to chill it...it was warm and chalky. I thought I was going to throw-up.
The doctor at this point was taking photos of my esophagus because apparently
it was noted that there was irritation there during the endoscopy.
After about five minutes, the doctor tells me to face the back of the machine and hold on to the sides. It was at this point that the machine started lowering to the lying down position. I almost freaked out! I was not expecting this to happen at all and the nurse yells to the doctor to stop because she is trying to explain to me what is going to happen. I am so thankful that I had a nurse who cared about the patients because clearly the doctor did not.
So after I am lying on my stomach, which is
difficult because of my size, they give me the wonderful cup filled with chalk
and it now has a straw in it and they tell me to get drinking. So I am really
sick to my stomach at this point and ready to lose it all over the floor. I
only took a couple of sips when the doctor tells the nurse to start
"sloshing" me around. I looked at the nurse and said, "Is she
for real?" I'm lying on my stomach and the nurse starts pushing me kind of
side to side to slosh the barium around in my stomach. She is then instructed
to turn me over onto my back and do it so more.
The doctor then takes a series of x-rays and when
she is finished I am told to turn back over onto my stomach and then the table
begins its descent back down to place me into the standing position. Finally,
they are done! I leave the room and get dressed and go back to the waiting room
to my husband and we get out of there!
I have a few friends who have had barium x-rays
done and they all had different experiences. Some of them have had chilled chalky
drinks...some of them have had chilled coffee flavored drinks...there have been
a variety of stories I've been told. I was really hoping that I would get lucky
and have a good one...but it was not to be. I see the surgeon on April 10th and
we shall see.
I would not wish this awful procedure on anyone. Hopefully the doctor will not see anything disturbing enough that would put off my surgery longer. I am really hoping to get my date on April 10th as well as the possibility of not having to do the Optifast for too long ;)
So now we wait...
Cheers and Much Love!
Ellen
Ellen
I have had it done and the drink was HORRIBLE. That sucks that your doctor was such an jerk - I cannot stand doctors like that at all. Good thing it is over now and you are one step closer to the surgery. Let us know how it turns out !!
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