GERD, Endoscopy, Manometry, and 24h PH test

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

This blog has nothing to do with Maladaptive Daydreaming, but I want it to be out there in case anyone Googles it, like I did, and wants to know about the procedures.  

As many of you on here know, I've been suffering from GERD for many years, and it has gotten to the point where it has become unbearable, and simple over-the-counter Prilosec wasn't working anymore.  I went to the doctor and was prescribed a double dose of Prilosec.  This helped somewhat, but I still had a lot of burning and other symptoms.  My doc added a double dose of Zantac, and though it didn't work at first, eventually it helped.  Though most of my symptoms were gone, I was still burping up acid daily and having some symptoms.  My doc recommended an endoscopy, which I had.  I was unconscious for the entire thing, but it yielded nothing.  My gastroenterologist found no lesions or infection and suggested lowering my meds or seeing a surgeon.  Now why I would lower my meds when the double doses weren't alleviating all my symptoms is beyond me, so I saw the surgeon.  He said the surgery is low-risk and that the main complaint afterward was bloating.  He wanted to run a couple of more tests first and then discuss it further.  

The first tests were easy but boring.  One day I had to eat a radioactive egg sandwich and get pictures taken of my stomach periodically for 4h to see how it was emptying.  The next day we did the same thing with water, but it only took 2h.  Again, it was boring but fine.  The tests came out normal.

The next tests sounded HORRIFYING.  I am a person who is EXTREMELY sensitive to pain.  You can barely touch me, and I will yell "Ow!"  All my tattoos hurt, and I don't understand anyone who says they don't.  These tests were the manometry and the 24h PH test.  Both tests involve a tube going up your nose and down your throat, into your stomach.  I Googled both and found some videos.  One video showed it being easy and painless, but the comments below said they were both very painful.  This did nothing to help my anxiety.  I saw 3 more videos saying they were painless but mildly uncomfortable.  I called my gastroenterologist's office, and they said the tests would be painless.  I still didn't believe them.  I was horribly anxious.  The day of the appointment, I told the nurse how sensitive I am to pain, and she reiterated that both were uncomfortable but painless.  Then, she took me in.  

The first test, the manometry, was AWFUL!  Whoever said it's painless has clearly never had it done to them.  They didn't numb me up and only added some lube to the tube.  She first tried putting up my left nostril, but it wouldn't go up.  Then, she tried the right.  She pushed, and it eventually started to go up, but the pain was so bad that I told her I couldn't take it.  She encouraged me and kept going while I moaned in pain.  Then it went down my throat, and I started heaving.  Fortunately for this nurse, we're not allowed to eat for 8h before the procedure or drink for 2h before it.  As it reached the bottom of my throat, I puked in the poor nurse's face and all over her scrubs.  I apologized profusely, but she was sweet and sympathetic.  After that, it was uncomfortable but not unbearable.  It lasted for several mins.  Periodically, when the doctor instructed her to, she put some water in my mouth and instructed me to swallow.  We did this ten times.  Then she pulled out the tube.  Even that hurt.  The test came out normal.  It didn't reveal anything weird, which is good, because if it had, I couldn't get the surgery.  It did reveal that my LES is weak, which would be helped by surgery.

Next was the 24h PH test.  This tube was a lot slimmer, so it didn't hurt nearly as much when she put it in.  I went home and kept it in for 24h.  I cautiously ate some food, and that went fine.  Throughout the day, I moaned and whined because, though it wasn't unbearable, it wasn't fun either.  I kept gagging all day.  Eating was fine, though drinking was uncomfortable.  I don't know how, but I did manage to sleep with it.  Also, I had to carry around a little machine with buttons on it that I would push when I had a symptom, lay down, ate, or took a med (I was allowed to take Pepcid or Tums).  This was mostly annoying when I went to the bathroom.  Anyway, it wasn't fun, but I got through it.  This morning, I went back, and they took the tube out.  It didn't hurt coming out.  

So, if you have GERD, are really sensitive to pain, and are wondering what the procedures are like, this will hopefully help.  Good luck.  

Also, thanks to all the kind people who asked me how it went.  You're sweet for caring about my little problems.  

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

CW, it's ok.  I'm just overly sensitive.  I always have been.  This probably wouldn't have been nearly as uncomfortable for a normal person.  You're sweet for caring, though.  

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

Here's the little device I had to carry around with the buttons.  

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

Here's me with the tube.