After having the barium swallow, I was told I would need an endoscopy because the results of the swallow were indicative of a narrowing somewhere down the tube.
I was booked in for 7th November 2014 at 3:45pm. I was asked if I wanted some sedation and having had an endoscopy before, I opted for the injection as I was not looking forward to the tube going down my throat.
I had a line put in but was then left for nearly 45 minutes before being led through to the endoscopy suite.
The nurse attending was not particularly friendly and although he explained how the sedation worked, his attitude was, just deal with the tube - I didn't like him.
The tube went down and the sedation did sod all - I began to heave, my throat trying to force the tube back out and the unfriendly nurse then raised his voice and told me very imperiously, it was 'mind over matter' and to 'try harder'. By that stage, I really wanted to shove a tube down his throat.
The results of this test confused me as I was told, everything looked normal.
I had to wait for a while before they would release me as I'd 'apparently' had sedation, although I was very inclined to argue with that! But eventually, I was allowed to call John to come and pick me up and went home, unhappy and disgruntled at the results and the experience in general.
One thing I did notice over the next week or two, was that food in general was going down easier and I was able to eat more. I told a friend who's also had surgery and she believes that the endoscopy tube had somehow widened the throat tube a little. However, this welcome side effect did not last for long and I was soon back to square one.
In desperation, I called Cathy, the Bariatric nurse who said she would speak to Mr Wan and ask him for the results. I was very surprised to receive a call back to let me know that he wants another barium swallow test and also another endoscopy, but this time he wants the Baritaric team to perform both tests!
I have the swallow test on Friday, 19th December 2014 at 10:40 and will have to wait for the endoscopy appointment in the new year.
Thursday 18 December 2014
Wednesday 17 December 2014
ThouShaltNotCovet's Great Christmas Giveaway
I know this is nothing like my usual posts, but I'm taking this opportunity to tell you all about the great Christmas Giveaway offered by ThouShaltNotCovet.
ONE lucky person will win all of the above prizes provided by the fab companies below –
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- Glossybox 3 month beauty box subscription £40
- Nanshy Masterful Collection Pearlescent White Makeup Brush Set £49.95
- The Dressing Room Olivia Burton Exclusive Watch £75
- HotHair 21 inch Human Hair Extensions £299
- Handpicked Collection Connock London Bath Oil £42.95
- My Bag Paul’s Boutique Mila Bag in black and cream £70
- Ottillie Pop Clothing £100 voucher
- Apricot Clothing £100 voucher
- Joshua James Jewellery Thomas Sabo Bracelet & £50 Voucher
- Arran Aromatics Perfumer Travel Candle Collection £32
- Bill’s Speciality Christmas Hamper £75
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Monday 13 October 2014
Barium Swallow Test
Since I've been on soft foods, I've been having problems
with sickness, regurging and chest pain when eating and drinking.
The hospital arranged for me to have a barium swallow in the x-ray department and I have to admit, I was feeling rather nervous because I was worried about the taste of the barium and liquid and the amount of liquid I would have to swallow.
I had to remove my top and bra and was given a gown to wear. In the room was a mechanised table with a footboard attached to it. The table was in the upright position and I was asked to stand on the footboard and face another piece of machinery. I was then given a plastic cup of the barium liquid to take sips from.
When told, I had to take a sip and swallow whilst standing as still as possible. The liquid wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - it had an artificial sweet taste to it but was palatable.
They took a few images of me sipping and swallowing so they could look at the swallow going down into my stomach.
Then I was given a marshmallow which had been dunked in the barium liquid. I was told to chew it and when ready, give a thumbs up and wait to be told to swallow.
I became very embarrassed because it took me ages to chew the marshmallow into small enough pieces and I was very aware that everyone in the room was waiting for me to lift my thumb!
Finally, I was ready and the marshmallow went down very easily.
For the reflux test, I was told to hold onto the sides of the bed and they rotated it backwards very slowly until it was horizontal. I then had to turn over onto my stomach with my head turned to one side.
I was given another cup with a straw in it. The cup was filled one third full with barium liquid and when instructed, I had to swallow the whole amount using the straw.
This test was the most difficult as my chest and stomach immediately rebelled and the liquid began to come back up again. I re-swallowed as much as I could but eventually, I had to spit it out into the cup.
I don't have the results yet, but they said something about my stomach not emptying properly or emptying slowly and also having a reflux problem, but I need to wait for the consultant to contact me and give me a full diagnosis.
The hospital arranged for me to have a barium swallow in the x-ray department and I have to admit, I was feeling rather nervous because I was worried about the taste of the barium and liquid and the amount of liquid I would have to swallow.
I had to remove my top and bra and was given a gown to wear. In the room was a mechanised table with a footboard attached to it. The table was in the upright position and I was asked to stand on the footboard and face another piece of machinery. I was then given a plastic cup of the barium liquid to take sips from.
When told, I had to take a sip and swallow whilst standing as still as possible. The liquid wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - it had an artificial sweet taste to it but was palatable.
They took a few images of me sipping and swallowing so they could look at the swallow going down into my stomach.
Then I was given a marshmallow which had been dunked in the barium liquid. I was told to chew it and when ready, give a thumbs up and wait to be told to swallow.
I became very embarrassed because it took me ages to chew the marshmallow into small enough pieces and I was very aware that everyone in the room was waiting for me to lift my thumb!
Finally, I was ready and the marshmallow went down very easily.
For the reflux test, I was told to hold onto the sides of the bed and they rotated it backwards very slowly until it was horizontal. I then had to turn over onto my stomach with my head turned to one side.
I was given another cup with a straw in it. The cup was filled one third full with barium liquid and when instructed, I had to swallow the whole amount using the straw.
This test was the most difficult as my chest and stomach immediately rebelled and the liquid began to come back up again. I re-swallowed as much as I could but eventually, I had to spit it out into the cup.
I don't have the results yet, but they said something about my stomach not emptying properly or emptying slowly and also having a reflux problem, but I need to wait for the consultant to contact me and give me a full diagnosis.
Saturday 20 September 2014
A Slightly Brighter Outlook
I was surpised and very pleased to receive a phone call from Cathy, my bariatric nurse at St. Georges on Thursday, 18th September 2014.
She was calling to see how I was getting on and I wasted no time, explaining my eating and drinking problems.
Her advise was to call my GP and ask for a new prescription for omeprazole instead of lansoprazole. She also suggested I change the anti-sickness pills and wants me to update her on my progress when I go to my hospital appointment on Monday.
My daughter also suggested I try sucking ice cubes which have helped, as long as I don't try more than two at a time. I feel that any fluid I can ingest is a good thing, so she's now in charge of re-filling the ice cube trays.
Finally, I'm trying to cut out as much dairy as possible. I'm drinking lactofree milk and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
She was calling to see how I was getting on and I wasted no time, explaining my eating and drinking problems.
Her advise was to call my GP and ask for a new prescription for omeprazole instead of lansoprazole. She also suggested I change the anti-sickness pills and wants me to update her on my progress when I go to my hospital appointment on Monday.
My daughter also suggested I try sucking ice cubes which have helped, as long as I don't try more than two at a time. I feel that any fluid I can ingest is a good thing, so she's now in charge of re-filling the ice cube trays.
Finally, I'm trying to cut out as much dairy as possible. I'm drinking lactofree milk and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Thursday 18 September 2014
Feeling Low
I haven't posted for a while because I haven't felt very well. The aftermath of the surgery is nothing like I thought it would be. I'd assumed the week would pass with me following the recommended diet of 2-2-2 which is two weeks each of liquid, pureed and soft food, but things haven't worked out that way.
To start with, I didn't anticipate the desperate feeling I would experience at having to face another 2 weeks of liquids (soup and yoghurt) after the surgery. The pureed stage was an absolute no no for me. Have you ever pureed meat and then tried to eat it? The texture is horrible and it tastes different. Then the sickness kicked in - feeling sick, regurging and generally feeling yuck.
But the worst problem has been the inability to find a liquid I can drink without it tasting horrible, too sweet or making me feel very sick. The dietitian, bariatric nurse, hospital and literature all stress the importance of sip, sip, sip because fluids are so important. Unfortunately for me, most juices are too sweet for me and watering it down immediately makes it taste nasty. I did manage to find a cheap orange and added a lot of ice cubes which went down okay, but because of the acidity, it affects my stomach.
Other liquids are just too sweet or taste horrible - so no squash, coffee, tea, smoothies or iced coffee for me now. Even water, after 3-4 sips, makes me feel very nauseous.
On top of the sickness and regurging, I'm also experiencing the worst taste in my mouth - it's a kind of sweet/sour gone off milk taste and it doesn't really go away. My lips taste sweet, I'm bringing food back up unto my mouth, especially when I lie down and just looking at food can make me feel ill.
There have been times when I've thought to myself, "What on earth have I done? Why didn't I try to diet harder?"
As each day goes by, all I can hope an pray for, is an improvement in my symptoms as I just want to get back to normal. I have no energy, I don't want to go anywhere, all I do is sleep and feel sick. I know I'm whinging and I feel bad about that, but at the moment, I feel very low.
To start with, I didn't anticipate the desperate feeling I would experience at having to face another 2 weeks of liquids (soup and yoghurt) after the surgery. The pureed stage was an absolute no no for me. Have you ever pureed meat and then tried to eat it? The texture is horrible and it tastes different. Then the sickness kicked in - feeling sick, regurging and generally feeling yuck.
But the worst problem has been the inability to find a liquid I can drink without it tasting horrible, too sweet or making me feel very sick. The dietitian, bariatric nurse, hospital and literature all stress the importance of sip, sip, sip because fluids are so important. Unfortunately for me, most juices are too sweet for me and watering it down immediately makes it taste nasty. I did manage to find a cheap orange and added a lot of ice cubes which went down okay, but because of the acidity, it affects my stomach.
Other liquids are just too sweet or taste horrible - so no squash, coffee, tea, smoothies or iced coffee for me now. Even water, after 3-4 sips, makes me feel very nauseous.
On top of the sickness and regurging, I'm also experiencing the worst taste in my mouth - it's a kind of sweet/sour gone off milk taste and it doesn't really go away. My lips taste sweet, I'm bringing food back up unto my mouth, especially when I lie down and just looking at food can make me feel ill.
There have been times when I've thought to myself, "What on earth have I done? Why didn't I try to diet harder?"
As each day goes by, all I can hope an pray for, is an improvement in my symptoms as I just want to get back to normal. I have no energy, I don't want to go anywhere, all I do is sleep and feel sick. I know I'm whinging and I feel bad about that, but at the moment, I feel very low.
Thursday 11 September 2014
Not Doing So Well.
Current Weight: 18st 8.5lb
I started the pureed stage of the diet on Saturday, 6th
September 2014. I tried, I honestly did,
but chilli con carne and chicken and broccoli pureed, is not appetising at all.
The look and consistency began to make me feel very sick and
it was then that I noticed something else unpleasant.
My taste buds had changed so drastically, that virtually all
drinks either left a nasty after-taste in my mouth or tasted too sweet.
I tried the following: water, peppermint tea, tea, coffee,
orange juice, apple juice (both neat and watered down), lemon and orange squash,
milk, fruit shoot, J20 and coconut water.
I'm begining to feel very despondent. I feel thirsty most of the time and have a
dry mouth and lips, but nothing I drink tastes nice or satisfies me.
Now, I’ve developed other worrying symptoms. I’m regurging my liquid and food on a regular
basis and even sips of water are making me feel very sick.
Food is a problem too as I’m trying to mash and chew it as
much as possible, but I’m still getting very windy and feeling sick afterward.
Taking my medication has also become a problem and I’m going
to try to spread them out over the day to make it less of an ordeal.
I think a call to the bariatric nurse is in order.
On the plus side, I’m still losing weight, slowly, but
surely.
Monday 1 September 2014
Big Mistake!
Sunday, 31st August 2014
John had gone out for the day, fishing, so it was just me and Ash in the house. As soon as I opened the fridge, I spotted the birthday cake Ash had brought home from the party and I instantly rebelled.
I'd been so good the night before, but I just couldn't resist putting two small pieces of cake into my mouth, chewing thorougly and then swallowing it down with some milk.
The stupid thing is, I didn't really enjoy the cake and felt instantly guilty afterwards.
During the day, I become more and more fed up with my diet and made a decision to contact the bariatric nurse on Monday, to ask if I could fast track myself onto the pureed stage.
I also made the decision to cook spare ribs for John and Ash for dinner and I was determined to have one.
Dinnertime came and I asked John for a rib. I really enjoyed it and made sure to chew thoroughly before swallowing. I experienced wind pain and sat for a while watching tv, waiting for the wind to disipate.
John then offered me another rib, immediately appologised, saying he shouldn't have and before he could say anything else, I took another one.
As soon as I'd eaten it, I realised I'd make a huge mistake. My stomach rebelled and I had to rush to the bathroom. Afterwards, I had indigestion pain in my back and felt very sorry for myself.
I don't think I'll be calling the nurse tomorrow after all.
John had gone out for the day, fishing, so it was just me and Ash in the house. As soon as I opened the fridge, I spotted the birthday cake Ash had brought home from the party and I instantly rebelled.
I'd been so good the night before, but I just couldn't resist putting two small pieces of cake into my mouth, chewing thorougly and then swallowing it down with some milk.
The stupid thing is, I didn't really enjoy the cake and felt instantly guilty afterwards.
During the day, I become more and more fed up with my diet and made a decision to contact the bariatric nurse on Monday, to ask if I could fast track myself onto the pureed stage.
I also made the decision to cook spare ribs for John and Ash for dinner and I was determined to have one.
Dinnertime came and I asked John for a rib. I really enjoyed it and made sure to chew thoroughly before swallowing. I experienced wind pain and sat for a while watching tv, waiting for the wind to disipate.
John then offered me another rib, immediately appologised, saying he shouldn't have and before he could say anything else, I took another one.
As soon as I'd eaten it, I realised I'd make a huge mistake. My stomach rebelled and I had to rush to the bathroom. Afterwards, I had indigestion pain in my back and felt very sorry for myself.
I don't think I'll be calling the nurse tomorrow after all.
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