I had an interesting first time experience on Wednesday, I got to see the inside of my throat and my stomach. I had a gastroscopy.

I honestly had no idea what to expect. And as usual not knowing what to expect means Anxiety rears it’s head. So for the days leading out to it I was worried about it and thinking the worst possible things were going to happen. I was thinking it was going to last hours and I’d be gagging and wretching and they’d knock me out with a general anaesthetic and I wouldn’t be able to see anything or know what was happening.

I knew I’d have to fast before it and wouldn’t be able to drink anything or smoke my pipe. I thought I’d be really craving nicotine, really hungry and have a really bad dry mouth which meant I wouldn’t be able to talk properly and was expecting to have to wait until the mid afternoon for it to be done.

Originally the letter I received said I’d need to be there by 7:30am. I definitely wasn’t looking forward having to get up at stupid o’clock being tired, hungry and thirsty. But, on Tuesday I got a phone call from the hospital confirming the appointment and that I needed to be there for 9am. That extra time made the difference. Because of the time change it meant that it would take longer to get to the hospital but also that I could spend a bit longer in bed.

So I get to the hospital (with dad’s help, he was driving). Checked in at then had to wait to be called through to that ward I’d be on as a day patient.

It felt like I was waiting forever to be called through but really it had only been about 10 minutes if that. They called me though and dad got up to push me through. The nurse that called us through stopped dad at the door and said he couldn’t come in. Because it was a change to the way I expected it to be made me a bit worried. I pushed myself to the bay/space/area (whatever you want to call it) we’re I was supposed to be. A nice lady came in and asked a couple of questions like name, date of birth what I was there for and if I had any allergies. They already knew who I was supposed to be but they just wanted to make sure I was me. (If that makes sense).

A few minutes later another lady came in to check blood pressure, temperature, oxygen levels and pulse rate. Then a nurse came round who was very nice talked me through what was going to happen and introduced a lady that was going to be helping and talking me through things if it was needed. That guy was really nice and friendly and it really made me feel better and more relaxed.

He told me about option of sedation or the numbing spray. He said if I did the sedation they wouldn’t be able to do some of the tests that they wanted to do. So we went with the spray. He did say it doesn’t taste nice and that some people have said it’s like rotted bananas. Not long after that the consultant came in and ran through everything that was going to happen. He was great went through things and made sure I understood what was going to happen. It was a warm day, I was tired and I was hungry and a bit panicky so the brain wasn’t working as well as it normally does.

I didn’t have to wear one of those fetching hospital gowns I wore my own normal clothes which helped me feel better and more relaxed.

Not long after that the nice friendly nurse guy cam to take me down to the room it was happening in. They did ask if I could get down on foot or not I said I probably wouldn’t be able to make it so we went down to the room in my chair. I got out at the door and hobbled to the bed with my stick. I eat on the bed and they moved my stick out the way.

The room was quite imposing with lots of machines all over the place. Screens here and there, weird noises and a few people in scrubs wearing masks. They were really nice and friendly and talked me through what was going to happen. They lay me down on my side, put one of the mats over my chest, shoulder and the top of the bed and then gave me the spray, well put it in my mouth and sprayed. They also put this gag type thing in my mouth so the camera probe thing wouldn’t catch my teeth. I guessing it also to stop you biting the camera.

There was a screen opposite and a tray underneath it with a probe looking thing that was flashing different colours and was showing an extre close up of the tray. I didn’t need a phd to know or guess it was the camera. It was. I had to take my glasses off so I couldn’t see the screen clearly but I could still see quite a bit.

As they picked up the camera and moved it towards my mouth they told me to close my eyes. It was fibre optic cables with really bright lights. They need it because as you could imagine it’s pretty dark inside your body. When the camera went in I could feel it in my mouth and hit went to the back of my throat and the consultant who was doing it told me to swallow. (Behave) That was part of the test they were doing, I could feel the camera going down, it wasn’t painful it just felt really strange. A bit like being prodded from the inside.

It was weird seeing something on a screen in front of you but getting feeling or sensations inside. It’s not something you see everyday. I saw as the camera went down my throat and into my stomach. The consult talked me through what I was seeing and what was happening, the camera then moved into the duodenum (first bit of the small intestine) he had a look round and said everyone was looking ok. They moved back up and said they were going to take some biopsies. I’m not sure if it was my stomach or intestines or throat but again it wasn’t painful but on the screen you could see this little grabber thing come out and grab a bit of where ever it was. Again it wasn’t painful it just felt like a little pinch and pull inside.

Before they pulled the camera out the flushed out the line by putting some saline (I’m guessing) through it. That was the strangest bitit was like having a nice cold drink that went straight to my stomach and not through my mouth or down my throat.

After that they pulled out the camera and let me sit up they made sure I was ok and that was the procedure over and done with. I went back to the ward/bay/area thing, the observation nurse came in for a blood pressure, heart rate oxygen check. After that the first friendly nurse came in and said she’ll come back in 15 ish minutes to check how things are and get me a drink. So that meant a bit of time scrolling through Facebook or TikTok.

She came back and gave me a drink and said I could take my meds that I hadn’t taken yet that day. That went fine with no issues a few minute later someone came round with a copy of the report and then said I was free to go. Everything had happened and I was done by 11 am. So I pushed myself outside for a smoke and to call dad to come pick me up. Dad didn’t go home he just went to the Trafford centre for a wander round then he was close by to come get me when needed. He came picked me up and we went home.

Got home and told mum and dad about what had happened and gave mum the copy of the report for her file. Because I was tired I went back to bed for a couple of hours. That was pretty much it for the Gastroscopy.

Last Friday I went for a barium swallow test. Again something else where I didn’t know what to expect. That test was pretty boring and straight forward. Stand on this platform thing hold a barium drin in your left hand, take a mouthful, hold it in your mouth until they said swallow, as you swallowed the camera/X-ray machine moved down. After that turn to the side and do it all again. The only thing that stood out with that test is that it actually felt heavy, while drinking the barium mixture it felt heavy as it went down. Strange feeling but nothing concerning.

Other than those things there isn’t much else to report.

Oh yeah, I won a box of biscuits at the MS Garden Centre event. Also the crafty things as normal. I’ve started Crocheting a dragon from one of the pattern books I have. I haven’t finished my socks or jumper yet.

I’ve made a couple of cards:

The two good luck cards were for Harvey and Mason for the start of the new school year. Harvey has gone into year 7 (1st year at high school) and Mason has moved to year 11.

Of course there has been tangling

We’ve also started the Craftember piece, done 8 tiles so far:

I also sent some piece into Sandra as well these piece’s represent special things to me and they are more than pictures.

Katie gave me a something to do with Martha. As she’s recently had her bathroom done up she’s decided that she wants to put peoples shampoo, conditioner and Bodywash etc in identical bottles but the bottle labeled for each person (hope that makes sense) (it sort of did in my head) like this:

I’ve also made labels for Harvey’s calculator out of glow in the dark fluorescent vinyl and I’ve made a swag bag for Lucy that she can take her bits to nursery in.

Not sure why or where the idea came from but I decided to do French seems a on the sides of the bag:

I did buy some cord to use as the drawstring but while threading it through it all started splitting and coming apart so I pulled it out, gave it up as a bad job and filed that string in the B file also known as the bin. I had some other bits of rope that I got while away so I’ve used some of that.

I can’t think of anything else so I’m going to leave it there.

Love and light.