Yesterday I had the pleasure of having an "Upper GI with Small Bowel Follow Through" test at the radiology department of the hospital. The fun began with the receptionist.... when I was called up to check-in, I presented my insurance card, my drivers license, and my Rx from the surgeon requesting the test. The receptionist look at my ID, looked at me, back and forth for a good minute... then she asked for another form of ID "Cause dis don't look like chew at all!" *sigh* It does look like me... I'm only about 60 lbs heavier in my license picture. So, I went through the whole, check the piercings, they're all the same, I'm just a bit thinner... She then flips out "Awww, chew look so guud!! Whatchew had done? You had onna dem surgeries?" *sigh* I have no stomach tissue, my stomach is made out of intestines, which isn't really working, I've been unable to eat solid food for almost a year and that's why I'm here for a test... I don't think that was the answer she wanted to hear...
So, I get checked in, taken back to the testing room and change into the lovely hospital gown. Do they make hospital gowns fugly on purpose so you won't be tempted to steal them? Really, who would steal a hospital gown?? So I'm now in a blue and white striped gown with red/blue/black starbursts and moons on it. I felt like i was wrapped in 50s wallpaper... Yeah, I'm comfy now!
Thankfully, it was a barium test. Barium is not delicious. In fact, barium tastes pretty much like chalk water. But barium is waaaay nicer than gastrograffin. Gastrograffin is more like clear dishsoap. I'll take chalk water any day... As an added bonus, the nurse in my procedure room had been there during some of my many gastrograffin tests while in the hospital, so she already knew that I had a limited stomach capacity and she remembered how much trouble I usually have during these tests...
Basically, this test has them watch as you drink the radioactive fluid. A fluoroscope gives them x-ray like pictures of you digesting the testing fluid. They watch as you drink, then they take new pictures every 20 minutes or so as the fluid moves through your system. When the fluid stops moving at a certain point, they know that you have a stenosis, or a stricture.
You can get an idea of the scale of the picture by using my spine as a reference point. Yep. That's barium just kind of hanging out...
After 3 hours, the barium was moving slightly, but not as much as they expected to see. They had good fluoroscope pictures of the bad spot, and I was in a lot of pain, so they sent me home.
Soooo, now I feel horrible. I've felt sloshy and full since the test was done. I have a follow up with the surgeon next week on the 9th to find out what can be done about the stenosis in my intestines... I'm just trying to hang in there until then...
So, I get checked in, taken back to the testing room and change into the lovely hospital gown. Do they make hospital gowns fugly on purpose so you won't be tempted to steal them? Really, who would steal a hospital gown?? So I'm now in a blue and white striped gown with red/blue/black starbursts and moons on it. I felt like i was wrapped in 50s wallpaper... Yeah, I'm comfy now!
Thankfully, it was a barium test. Barium is not delicious. In fact, barium tastes pretty much like chalk water. But barium is waaaay nicer than gastrograffin. Gastrograffin is more like clear dishsoap. I'll take chalk water any day... As an added bonus, the nurse in my procedure room had been there during some of my many gastrograffin tests while in the hospital, so she already knew that I had a limited stomach capacity and she remembered how much trouble I usually have during these tests...
Basically, this test has them watch as you drink the radioactive fluid. A fluoroscope gives them x-ray like pictures of you digesting the testing fluid. They watch as you drink, then they take new pictures every 20 minutes or so as the fluid moves through your system. When the fluid stops moving at a certain point, they know that you have a stenosis, or a stricture.
After 3 hours, the barium was moving slightly, but not as much as they expected to see. They had good fluoroscope pictures of the bad spot, and I was in a lot of pain, so they sent me home.
Soooo, now I feel horrible. I've felt sloshy and full since the test was done. I have a follow up with the surgeon next week on the 9th to find out what can be done about the stenosis in my intestines... I'm just trying to hang in there until then...
No comments:
Post a Comment