This was a post I wasn’t going to write, I had no intention to put my fingers to the keyboard and spell out the continuation of my throat saga. If you remember my poem The Silence that was the start of my throat problems and I had hoped it would all be done and dusted by now.
But no, a couple of months ago I sat here writing looking like this:
I had to go and have an 24hr PH test. The tube goes down my throat and sits down in my oesophagus. For 24hrs this had to stay there doing it’s thing and measures the amount of acid that wells up (refluxes) from your stomach into your oesophagus, and helps to find out if your symptoms are caused by acid reflux which is the flow of the stomach contents back into the oesophagus. It sounds strange and it is but the effect on my throat so far has been so painful and sore that I had become desperate to find out the cause. The tube, as you can see on the picture runs out of the nose and is taped to the side of my face and leads down to a contraption which records all of the data.
What you can’t see is that when I opened my mouth you can see the white coated tube running down the back of my throat, it’s bizarre! That’s why I had to entitle this post; Things that make you go eerrgh! There’s nothing I like less than seeing other peoples medical bits and bobs.
Probably one of the biggest fears I had to conquer was actually having the tube threaded up my nose and down my throat. It just goes against every natural instinct in my body. Suffice to say I gagged, put up my hand like the nice doctor said I could if it got too much and we all stood there not moving until I had the balls to motion to carry on. It’s horrendous and I couldn’t really get over that fact. I’m a whimp and it was clear to see.
via GIPHY
After some dramatics and copious amounts of tears coming out of my eyes due to the effect of gagging and the feeling on my nose, it was finally down and sitting in the right place inside of me.
Here you can see that there’s quite a long piece of tube needed to go down and dangle there catching the data. It stops just before the sphincter. When I ate I had to push the relevant buttons on my little hip pack to show that I was eating or drinking. This would be transferred to the printout when it came the following day so that it reflected the correct results. The same for if I laid down to sleep. If I had any of the symptoms then I could record that too. Acid feelings and those sorts of things would show up by way of an electro mark and all add to what they could find out. The doctor could see that I was not at all comfortable with it being there and although it should be in for 24hrs I asked what the minimum was. Reluctantly he said to try to get past 4hrs. It was like that statement sparked off a mental countdown timer in my head that I didn’t even know I had.
By the time it got to the early hours of the morning I was so freaked by the feeling of it going down the back of my throat that I took it out myself. Really strange feeling. I took a deep breath and gently peeled off the cotton sticky plasters holding the tube in place around my nose. Then, really really carefully and nice and slow, I started to pull the tube out of my nose. Mind over matter had to come into play once again. Finally after a few seconds which felt a hell of a lot longer, the ends of the tubes came out of my nose. What a feeling that was, I gave a little whoop of joy and was immensely relieved that it had come out so smoothly and was over and done with.
I had the best couple of hours sleep ever after that! So pleased that it was behind me. It seems like a natural end to this particular post. I’ll do another update soon and let you know how it’s all going. Thank goodness it’s done for the time being though.
Have you ever had to have one of these procedures or anything similar, come on, let’s share some stories!
My little boy had to have this test a few years ago. He just sat still for 24 hours, looking grey and pained. And I remember the horror of holding him down whilst they put it in all too well. Especially as he immediately ripped it out so had to have it done again. Awful time. #KCACOLS
Sounds awful. I hate having lines put in cause it really hinders your movements. I’ve had a liver biopsy before which was the worst pain I have ever felt and the bits of liver they took looked like worms when they showed me. #kcacols
Omg that’s awful, actually made me recoil when I read that. Oh bread you poor thing!
Hope you are feeling much better right now:) Hope it was a good decision for you 🙂 Thanks for joining KCACOLS and be sure to link up again 🙂
aw bless you well done for doing it. i know i’d be beside myself with worry. my friend had to have an endoscope and she was terrified. i do like the sense of achievement though when its finally over and you can say hey i did it ! to be honest having my son was terrifying for me. but i did it ! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time
I found this very interesting. I’ve worked in X Ray for over 20 years and have never heard of this #KCACOLS
Urgh I can only imagine how uncomfortable that must have been :/ After having my 2nd baby I was having daily anti-coagulant injections in the midwifery unit when one of the midwives said “you could probably do this yourself it’s only a sub-cut” so I went home, youtubed ‘sub-cut’ and gave myself the other daily injections to my tummy thereafter much to the surprised horror of my husband who said I was hard as nails. After giving birth nothing phases you much! #KCACOLS
Wow! You are hard as nails! Even after giving birth, well done you!:)
I can’t even imagine how I’d cope with that sensation – I would have gagged too. Su #kcacols
OH love that must have been awful, I don’t think I would have faired much better. It really doesn’t sound pleasant at all, but well done you did really well. I hope the results are what you hope for. Thank you for sharing at #familyfun x
Thanks and yes, fingers crossed it’s going to get sorted.
This was really hard to read. After years of my childhood spent trying to cure an issue with my nose, things going in the nose make me really squeamish so I felt your pain in every word! I don’t know how you managed but it did bring back memories of having a tube down my throat for my acid reflux issues too! I hope things get sorted for you now this part is over #pocolo
Thanks Tracey, it certainly is one of those ‘moments’ that stay with you! X
eeeeeeeeew, I feel for you, don’t think I could have made that through, well done! Many years ago I had a nasty ski accident cutting the main artery open in my leg and I was awake on th eoperating table while they tried to stop the bleeding and stitching me back to life, not a pleasant memory… #FabFridayPosts.
Oh goodness that made me ho cold just reading about it, eek!! You poor thing!
Aww, poor you, I would have been just the same. I am a total wuss and hate having anything done.
#FamilyFun
You’re so brave! I’d probably be the same, crying and gagging and trying to bribe the nice doctor to stop. Hope the test went well x
I don’t think you are a wimp at all I would HATE this. It would drive me mad on all sensory levels. I had to have a MRI on my head. It was the worse experience ever so claustrophobic and I could never ever do that again without being knocked out! #familyfun
That sounds like a horrendous experience, I really feel for you. I can’t believe you pulled it out yourself, I don’t think I’d have been brave enough. Thanks for sharing this post with us #FabFridayPost
I had to have an NG tube in for about a week earlier this year due to a bowel obstruction so I totally understand how uncomfortable you were. I found drinking lots of water at the same time as having the tube inserted helped it to be threaded down. I had to have mine taken out eventually because I was gagging on it. I hope that at the very least you get some answers from your test results #pocolo
Thanks and I hope your condition has been treated and you’re ok. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting:)
I’m wretching just reading! Well done for being brave. Hope you are feeling better now. #pocolo
Thanks x
Gosh, I think that I would need to be sedated to have that done and I dont think that I would have the courage to take it out. I hope that you are feeling a bit better now #fabfridaylinky