Finishing off the PEG was only possible with the aid of much cinnamon chewing gum and a relatively mindless Heinlein book. It takes a lot of concentrated sipping to get down a gallon of PEG. It tastes like slightly salty water, but just a little off--almost as though it was slightly salty water that happens to be completely indigestible. Surprise!
Then it was off to the hospital. I wasn't very relaxed. The IV line going in hurt just like someone jabbed a small tube in through the back of my hand (funny, that).
Once they had me settled on the gurney, the soft spoken doctor came and told me about the procedure in a lot less detail than I already knew. The nurse started the fentanyl. I suppose it might have stung a bit going in, but the IV line was already making my hand sting pretty badly, so I wasn't sure. Then I guess the stuff hit my system, because suddenly my chest tightened and I sort of squeaked out, "I'm having trouble breathing!" The thought that flashed through my mind: I don't know that I'm not allergic to benadryl, and the lungs are the anaphylactic shock organ in people...
But then my breathing eased up just as suddenly. The nurse asked cheerfully, "Is the room spinning yet?"
"Yeah, actually," I said.
Then I was lying on my side, very groggy, and wondering if they were going to start the procedure yet. It took about a minute for me to wake up enough to realize that I was in a totally different room now--two hours later.
Once I was more or less awake, I got to see the pictures of my colon. Well, no wonder I've been having digestive problems for years! A number of ulcers, some that look fairly minor, a couple that are probably more concerning. I'm not in a position to make any diagnoses though. That's why I have another appointment next week, to find out what the gastroenterologists conclude.
And in the meantime, I get to eat food again!
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