Big crybaby w/endoscopy tomorrow could use some cheering on.

I've been browsing this site for the past hour, and I wanted to say that the mere fact of its existence has helped. I'm so glad there are others like me willing to share their experiences, because it clues me into what to expect and most importantly, the outcomes.

So, I'm having mine tomorrow afternoon, and here's what I had concluded prior to coming to this site:

1) I will probably die right there on the table, either from an allergic reaction to whatever drug the give me or the throat spray, or my heart will just stop while they're ramming things down my throat.
2) If I survive by some miracle, the doctors will wake me up and tell me that I'm dying of cancer and I have exactly three minutes to say my good-byes, it's so bad.

I've literally been planning how to take the news, how to break it to people, how to be plucky and humorous so that people will remember me as a charming hero at the end, etc.

Thank God I found you guys. At least reading everyone else's accounts, as I have been now for quite a while, I can see that there are a gazillion other people out there who are a) as terrified as me, b) as irrational as me, and most importantly c) they tend to survive endoscopies and d) very few of them seem to have died instantly of stomach cancer.

All that being said, I will very gladly take any reassurances you have to offer in the next 24 hours. My wife is very kind to me, but she's a total stud. Nothing worries or bothers her, and I think she could do an endoscopy every day before breakfast and have a fine day afterwards. I've been holding back the crazy with her because I love her like mad and she doesn't deserve to deal with a panic-stricken and terrified husband 24 hours a day. Now I can spread some of my crazy to you!

Tell me that I'll survive, right? I know nothing is guaranteed, but people don't generally die from these. Yeah?

Tell me that everything will be alright. Same as above, but I've read enough of you who ended up without something terminal to have a little hope for myself. As I'm sure you other health-anxious people understand, it just helps to hear it again from people. ... I wish I were as emotionally stable as my darling wife.

One more thing: I promise I will come back and tell you what happened to me, because that's been so important to me as I search these boards. A lot of people on here say they're terrified and waiting for results, and then never post again... so as far as I know, they've died. But I've done some member searches and found that most of these people that just trailed off terrified and expecting the worst one day are still posting on here years later, which is reassuring. But I won't do that to you. I will come back and tell you how the endoscopy went, and I'll come back and tell you what the diagnosis was. I guess if you never hear from me again... well, yeah.

Thank you for existing, and thank you for any kind reassurances you can give me. Feel free to share your experiences if they weren't too horrible, it really helps to read them!!!

Sincerely,

S

I had endoscopy and colonoscopy on the same day. I was sedated for it so can't remember anything apart from waking up in bed with a nice cup of tea and toast. Everything was fine.
With or without sedation it is never as bad as you imagine and is over with very quickly.

I had the endoscopy and colonoscopy together too and was also sedated. Didn't remember a thing and it was all over very quickly.

Wishing you all the very best and let us know all about it please! The anticipation of it is always worse than the actual procedure.

I had an endoscopy a couple weeks ago. As terrified as I was, it wasn't bad at all. Worst part was getting IV placed by a nurse who was having a "bad IV day". The procedure itself was like 5 minutes long, very fast!!

---------- Post added at 16:30 ---------- Previous post was at 16:29 ----------

PS.....results were totally normal :)

Thank you! That makes me feel better! I just talked to the gastro nurse on the phone, and I tried to get her to say that this wasn't a particularly dangerous procedure... but she wouldn't. I understand that hospitals always have to cover their asses, but I wish she could have said something a little reassuring.

I'm fluctuating between calm and terrified, but at least there are those calm zones, right?

S

Good luck and let us know how you get on. Glad you like our site - I'm sure you will also be able to help other members too, particularly after your experience tomorrow.

Pip

I was also terrified for my procedure. Didn't calm down until it was over. Then I realized how easy peasy it was. I get myself extremely worked up for all things wrong with me. I'm always convinced it's some horrible disease. I'm an extreme Googler (bad news)

Mary :)

OK!

I just got back from my endoscopy, and wanted to write right away in case it might help somebody else.

I've read about lots of people being awake for theirs, or only a little bit woozy, but that sounds like craziness to me. I was pretty nervous about being put out having never experienced it before, but it was easy as cake. They administered something through the IV in my arm that made me feel like I had taken about 10 shots of tequila... this lasted for maybe 5 seconds, during which I have the memory of trying to say something I imagined to be really clever (it probably wasn't), and the next thing I remember, I was waking up.

So I have literally no memory of having tubes put in me or swallowing the endoscope, or hearing them talk and machines beeping... nothing. It was glorious.

I woke up with a tiny bit of a sore throat, but other than that, I feel just fine. My wife drove me to the mall afterwards and we walked around and browsed and I got some frozen yogurt. That shows you how damaging the experience was (not so much).

I will say that having compassionate healthcare providers makes an incredible difference. The nurses, anaesthesiologist, and the gasteroenterologist were all sympathetic to my nervousness, and were patient and reassuring. If I had a bunch of brusque, insensitive pricks, I think my anxiety would have been much higher.

As many others have said, the fear of the thing is much more stressful and terror-making than the thing itself. If you have an endoscopy in your future, please take reassurance that my username is not "BigWimp" for nothing. And it is going to be okay.

As to diagnosis, the first thing I asked the doctor when he came in to see me afterwards was (I am not making this up): "So, is my stomach filled with cancerous tumors?" He laughed and told me not to worry. I have a hiatal hernia and some esophagitis. The worst/scariest part is that they took some biopsies to see if I had Barrett's esophogus (a precancerous condition that has a 5-10% chance of turning into esophogeal cancer over the years). But a) I'm going to stay positive that I don't have it and b) even if I do, it's not so scary as long it's managed.

So that was this Big Wimp's experience. Thank you so much for your support, it really helped! And I hope my story can help someone else someday. =)

Well done - you tackled the whole situation and weren't at all wimpish! Your attitude towards a diagnosis is spot on and now you know that you've got nothing to worry about.

Keep posting so that others can benefit from your experience - you certainly won't be the last person to go through this.


Take care

Pip

Oh well done! You've done so well and have a great attitude. Your posts will really help others in the same position.

I know that waiting for biopsy results isn't easy but at least they are giving you the best care. Let us know how you are getting on!