My Double Lung Transplant

Monday, July 7, 2008

Esophigal Test = FAIL

So i just got back from that god-awful Espophagal Motility test, where they put this wretched tube down your nose and through the back of your throat to measure if you get heartburn over the course of 24 hours. As the tube went in, I began gagging, and coughing, and was to the point that i was going to vomit even though my stomach was vacant due to mandatory starvation for such test. When the tube was placed, i could feel it in the back of my throat and i wanted to cry. I wanted to cry and vomit all at the same time.

The nurse was so so nice, and i appolgized for gagging on her. She told me i was a weak swollower (whatever that means) and that it may be different. She put the tube down my bad nostril - the right one, where my polyp lives - and w/o O2 i couldn't breathe.

She told me that if i had something warm to drink it would get better...so i had a whole thing of tea but to no avail. I tried eating a bagel and it pulled the tube and it hurt to the point that i wanted to burst into tears. So after having it in for almost 30 minutes, i went back up to the floor and asked if i could see the nurse to see what she could do. She did tell me that i could pull it at anytime if it was bad, but i didn't feel comfortable. I told her i could feel it in the back of my throat - like horrible post nasal drip but solid - and i told her that it pulled and was painful to eat, so she pulled it.

And i feel so much better.

It took about 15 minutes to put the tube in - what between my coughing and gagging. And it took her not even 20 seconds to pull it, which leads me to beleive the tube had moved from the place she had put it. She said that i wouldn't have to do it again b/c this does happen to people, but i was able to record on the little thing what i had managed to consume...So we'll see.



I need to go b/c i am writing this from the hospital library. More later.

P.S. It was one year ago today that i spent the night in the sleep lab!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I've had that test twice, and you're right, SO full of fail. The second time, I could have killed my parents, they made me eat out at McDonalds with them on the way home. I had to be the freak in McD's with a tube taped to the side of her face and going down her nose.

Alice Vogt said...

Oh my word I'm SOOO glad I didn't have to have that test done!!! Wonder why though... They just put you on anti-reflux stuff here... weather you have it or not.

don said...

I know exactly how you felt, I was gagging and tears were coming out of my eyes when they put that in me. man I hated every minute of the 24hours. and every time you swallow the line gets pull down until the plaster on your nose catches it. it felt like a piece of wire that was just suspended in your throat.

I am so happy for you that you dont have to do that again!!!!

shees jennifer, sorry to hear that you had to do that twice. =(

don, SA

Alice Vogt said...

I was just thinking... I'm going to give you my phone number next time we chat on msn, then you can text me when you get the lungs... I NEED TO KNOW IMMEDIATELY!!!!