Esophagogastroduodenoscopy

Today, I did the "stomach mirror" (胃鏡) thing or... esophagogastroduodenoscopy.  It is a procedure doctors performed to examine the inside lining of our esophagus, stomach, and the duodenum.

This is my first time and hope no more... 8-X

Before the real thing, I was given some white liquid, which, theoretically would get rid of gas?  Then, the nurse gave me a shot... with muscle relaxant kinda property.  Right before the procedure, she sprayed some liquid into my mouth... local anesthesia.

Then, there came the main course when my doctor arrived...

The endoscope

With me lying on my left side, they put this plastic thing with an opening in my mouth to keep the mouth open... and... the doctor grabbed this tube with the size of my thumb, stuck it through the hole and pushed the tube all the way down my throat, through my esophagus and into my stomach.

Having a tube going all the way into your esophagus and stomach is something absolutely unnatural...

What makes it feels most uncomfortable is when the doctor moves the tube around, trying to examine different "geographic location."

All too often, the tube would rub the wrong way more... which would trigger the gag reflex and makes you feel like to throw up...

Gotta say... it is some strange feeling trying to throw up with a tube going through your mouth into your stomach.

At some point, I started "passing gas"... a whole lot of gas.... sounding almost like fireworks rising up from my stomach...  8-O lol

Apparently, it happened because the doctor had pumped air into the stomach so as to get a better view of the interior design... and... that passing gas thing was the result of letting the air back out.

It was a quick procedure and took no more than 5-10 minutes... I think... However, it felt like a century or longer...

Within this time, the doctor was already done examining and taking a sample of the inflamed part of my stomach.

Through out the entire, the doctor talked to me... perhaps... 4 times...

Twice... "Do me a favor... don't swallow your saliva...."

I guess... this is because the swallowing of our own saliva might interfere with the examination.

Another two times, "Now please take a deep breath and hold it still."

So that he could do the things he has to do inside better... I guess?  Biopsy?  Picture taking?

When I got up, the doctor was already checking out the pictures he took in my stomach and esophagus.

I looked at the picture he was checking out... "Wow... that's my stomach.  Beautiful."

(Reminding me of piggie stomach that I love... got food in my mind... especially when I did not eat a thing for the entire day and it was some time past 3... 8-O lol)

"Yes." So he replied.

".. except for that area..."

"That's the inflamed part of your stomach which a test will be done to test for Helicobacter pylori."

He, then, switched to a different picture... in which my esophagus didn't look quite happy... some irregular color... yellowing, white-ish and some different things...

"That's your esophagus inflamed.  The erosion."

The good news... no internal bleeding... as a result... the iron deficiency has nothing to do with the stomach.  8-O lol

I was not supposed to eat or drink for at least 30 minutes after the procedure... possibly due to effect of the local anesthesia.  In addition, I decided to take the meds he prescribed before meal, and, apparently, one should not eat within 30 minutes to an hour after taking the meds.  As I was waiting for the time to pass, my stomach was hungry and, in my mind, I had a vision of the stomach digestion itself up to resolve the hunger issue while, interestingly, the purpose of the whole 9 yards is to keep my upper GI in one complete piece. 8-O

Like what they said about the side effect of the procedure... the stomach has been feeling bloated, esophagus feels sort of weird and... sore throat on the rise...

Though not as fancy as walking myself into the wall.... Something new I did today, I guess..  8-O lol sigh