Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Blood Work & Upper GI Test Done

(Originally posted to FB on November 7, 2011)

Today was one of those great days where I got to check off two things on my list in the same day! It involved being stuck with a needle, having 8 vials of blood drawn, and drinking some nasty fizzy crystal drink and 2 containers of barium....one thick as mud, the other thick as glue. Yuck!! Drinking these fine "liquids" was then followed by some log rolling on an x-ray table while trying, at the doctor's request, not to burp.

The fizzy stuff they had me drink was to fill my stomach full of air (hence the request that I not burp). They then take my balloon-like stomach and have me drink down the thicker of the two barium drinks to coat it. However, just drinking it will not coat the entire stomach. That is where the log rolls come in.

"Okay, Ma'am, roll quickly over onto your stomach and then back over onto your side. Make sure you don't stop on your right side or it might end up where we don't want it." Really?! And where would that be?! "Great job. Let's do that one more time, just to be sure."

So then once the log rolls were over, I did a little teetter-tottering while laying on my side...."Lean a little toward me, Ma'am. Okay, good. Now back the other way just a bit. That's good. Now back this way. Wait, back the other way...just a bit more. Great. Now pull this knee up and lean that way. Great, now roll to your back. Perfect. Now, slowly roll toward me. A little more. A little more. Now back the other way a bit."

It went on like this for about ten minutes. Finally they had my lay on my stomach, gave me the second bottle of barium...the thinner of the two...with a bendy straw and had me drink continuously while they watched it go down. It was actually kinda cool, because from where I was I could see it too. Watching it go down, made getting it down a bit easier. LOL

After that they took a few more still shots and I was done. They said they didn't see anything wrong as they were doing the test. There were no signs of acid reflux (I told them I didn't have a problem with that, but what do I know? LOL) They said they would be going back to look at the images more closely to be certain there were no problems and get a report to Bariatrics.

So, now I need a sleep study, psych eval, 3 more nutrition classes, 2 support group meetings, and a PAP. Bring it!! Cuz this girl is ready!!!

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