Endoscopy

 If you have been following me all this while then you should have a good guess why am I having endoscopic examination.

Today is the appointment day where endoscopy had been arranged weeks ago during my second visit to the hospital. Endoscopy is a medical procedure  where tubes with tiny camera connected are inserted to your mouth all the way to the stomach and small portion of duodenum to inspect the tract.

The first drug prescribed – ranitidine actually didn’t show any improvement on my condition though I had taken it for one month. So, during the second visit, the general practitioner changed another drug for my gastrointestinal problem which is omeprazole, the proton pump inhibitor.

The general practitioner said she wanted to try another drug on me see how it goes before deciding whether to let me do endoscope or not. Seconds later, she asked for my consent of the decision. I really want to find out what actually happens in my tract, so I told the doctor that I would prefer an endoscope for a thorough check up. The doctor was so kind that she give me a yes regarding the scope and together with the omeprazole.

The staff at the endoscopy unit emphasized that I will need to be accompanied during the procedure, I should bring at least one friend. Guess who was the great companion

There was a small crowd at the unit when I reached there. After registered, I waited apprehensively for quite some time and observed silently aside. A sad observation – I was the youngest patient there. >.<



Fit in operation cloth. A pretty patient? LOL. I was nervous and freaked out since days before the procedure.

Once I was lying on the operation bed, the staff sprayed anaesthetic mists into my throat. Oh gosh, I almost vomited and felt my throat had disappeared all in a sudden. The staff aside asked me to breath if I feel nauseated. Then the doctor came to inject, I guess it was another anaesthetic.

I guess I was in a partial unconscious mode for several minutes during the procedure thereby I could feel the torment when the tubes were inserted. I don’t have a vivid picture of whole procedure after they inserted the tubes until the moment I was pushed out of the operation room in dizziness. When I looked back the phone timing of the photos I took, it was actually 20-minute procedure but I felt like 3-minute procedure. Guess that was when the anaesthetic effect subsided.

Endoscope costs 100 bucks and I got it free as the university will pay for me.The scope revealed as normal but the doctor prescribed me Nexium which costs hundred over for two months course of medication.  Though I have the letter from University, I still can’t get the medication for free. I’m not sure for the reason but guess it is not in the list of hospital medicaments. Thereby, I didn’t purchase though it was prescribed. I shall meet my general practitioner a month later for follow-up.