my colonoscopy and upper GI

[JackieOnLine]

I finally don't feel extra sluggish!

 

[LorettaLynn]

I had my follow up with the gastroenterologist today and we are going to move forward with Viokace, 2 pills with every meal, 1 pill with every snack, starting tomorrow night after my pharmacy orders this med. did I mention a month’s worth of pills eating 6 meals per day will cost $490 and that is with my good government health insurance! A small part of me is afraid this will negatively impact my absorption and I’ll be fat again in no time, but the better part of me knows I can’t keep on having burning, oily diarrhea 5 times a day either. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency(EPI) is the diagnosis. The gastroenterologist is super excited to have me as her first duodenal switch patient and she has done a lot of research for me.

Jackie, I hope you get positive news and helpful medical professionals helping you, when you have your appointment!

 

[JackieOnLine]

a month’s worth of pills eating 6 meals per day will cost $490 and that is with my good government health insurance!

OMG, I'm sorry to hear it

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency(EPI) is the diagnosis. The gastroenterologist is super excited to have me as her first duodenal switch patient and she has done a lot of research for me.

hmm, never heard of it but I'm glad you have a specialist on your team and she is interested. that's got to be good.

I don't have an appointment and I sent them an email via "my chart" with no answer. basically, they aren't telling me what happened.

and the co-worker who drove me to/from the appointment? she didn't tell me this, but we were staying in the same hotel last Friday night (the company Christmas Party was in Portland and they put us up) and as I was walking down the hall I overheard her talking about me to her friend. about how I was "crazy" and "running around naked" after the colonoscopy.

I left ASAP so I didn't have to hear anything more since I found it to be more than a little unkind (as well as unprofessional) and I have to work with this woman.

 

[hilary1617]

OMG, I'm sorry to hear it



hmm, never heard of it but I'm glad you have a specialist on your team and she is interested. that's got to be good.

I don't have an appointment and I sent them an email via "my chart" with no answer. basically, they aren't telling me what happened.

and the co-worker who drove me to/from the appointment? she didn't tell me this, but we were staying in the same hotel last Friday night (the company Christmas Party was in Portland and they put us up) and as I was walking down the hall I overheard her talking about me to her friend. about how I was "crazy" and "running around naked" after the colonoscopy.

I left ASAP so I didn't have to hear anything more since I found it to be more than a little unkind (as well as unprofessional) and I have to work with this woman.

Jackie,

I'm so sorry that your coworker was talking about you behind your back. Even if, best case scenario, it was a joke about twilight sedation brought on by one too many drinks at a holiday party, that must have hurt. Also, I doubt the medical professionals would let anyone run around naked after sedation, so I suspect it was a gross exaggeration. It might be worth pulling her to the side to clear the air by (a) letting her know how it made you feel to hear her say that, (b) to confirm what exactly happened when you were waking and see whether have any cause for concern that you didn't receive good medical care after the procedure, and (c) gently remind her that it was a private medical procedure that shouldn't be discussed with colleagues as that could become an HR issue.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I thought about clearing the air, but we are hardly ever working in the same facility and when we do it is like it was yesterday - not a moment alone to talk. it's rush, rush, rush all day long I hate that about my job.

but your suggestions are very good.

 

[RainCity]

I was told by the surgeon who fixed my ventral hernia that I also a hiatal hernia which is very, very common among the general population. The hiatal hernia position near the heart makes it very risky to fix surgically and it is generally left alone because of the risk factor and that most people do not experience symptoms.

Dr Keshishian repaired a hiatal hernia for me over a year ago. Surgery went well and I’m feeling much better.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I had my follow up with the gastroenterologist today and we are going to move forward with Viokace, 2 pills with every meal, 1 pill with every snack, starting tomorrow night after my pharmacy orders this med. did I mention a month’s worth of pills eating 6 meals per day will cost $490 and that is with my good government health insurance! A small part of me is afraid this will negatively impact my absorption and I’ll be fat again in no time, but the better part of me knows I can’t keep on having burning, oily diarrhea 5 times a day either. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency(EPI) is the diagnosis. The gastroenterologist is super excited to have me as her first duodenal switch patient and she has done a lot of research for me.

Jackie, I hope you get positive news and helpful medical professionals helping you, when you have your appointment!

I’m SO confused, but first...how are both of you doing?

Then, I’m wondering if all the anxiety (yours and JackieOnLine ’s) was for (pardon me here) just regular old colonoscopies and endoscopies? I’ve had a few of both and, while the procedure itself is a rather humiliating event, the prep has always been THE problem for me and, yes, I need way more time than the average bear to empty everything. I know we all have different anxiety levels, but folks going in for their first one of these really need more info and counseling. It’s pretty ugly...but survivable, as Martin, Hanks, Short and Parks demonstrate:
start at about 2:00

And then, since I’m on a roll...let me be a real ass...and ask if your doctor understands enough about what is normal for a DS patient. Example—> I once went to a (really cute) gastroenterologist, where I learned that ONE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT is that more than three BMs per day, in the minds of SOME GI folks, is diarrhea and needs to be treated. Since many DSers have a 1st thing BM and then 2nd thing, right after that cuppa coffee BM, more than three BMs/day might be quite normal. But he couldn’t look at it that way...so he was a “one appointment” guy.

Now, as I often remind folks, I have zero science education or background, but with the limited info I see here, it LOOKS LIKE there might be additional approaches to provide relief. Digestive enzymes, as I understand them, pharmaceutically reverse the part of the DS that provides us with the “limited weight regain,“ and leaves us with, essentially, a gastric sleeve surgery.

As in...oily diarrhea has to come from oils ingested. Have you gone to an EXTREMELY restricted elimination diet...starting with the least oily protein you can find? Such as just plain pork tenderloin and an egg or two for breakfast, tuna—just tuna, nothing in it—for lunch, chicken breast for dinner...that kind of thing? Doing that for a few VERY BORING days and then slowly adding more enjoyable items might help find a cause.

Now both of you stop throwing stuff at me...I was just ASKING.

 

[LorettaLynn]

I assure you my gastroenterologist is a real doctor and I have a lot of faith in her to help me. I’ve been on the prescription Viokace since circa 17 Dec and my guts and ass are much, much less angry and I am no longer having painful diarrhea up to 8 times per day at my sickest. My gastroenterologist does in fact understand how the DS works (as do I as its owner) and like I said above somewhere she’s very excited to have me as her first DS patient. She’s done a lot of research.

I have anxiety with medical procedures as I have a big needle phobia which includes IVs. Not that I need to explain that to anyone here—lots of people have anxiety when it comes to doctors/hospitals due to their own crappy experiences or seeing their loved ones die prematurely of painful diseases.

I’m SO confused, but first...how are both of you doing?

Then, I’m wondering if all the anxiety (yours and JackieOnLine ’s) was for (pardon me here) just regular old colonoscopies and endoscopies? I’ve had a few of both and, while the procedure itself is a rather humiliating event, the prep has always been THE problem for me and, yes, I need way more time than the average bear to empty everything. I know we all have different anxiety levels, but folks going in for their first one of these really need more info and counseling. It’s pretty ugly...but survivable, as Martin, Hanks, Short and Parks demonstrate:
start at about 2:00

And then, since I’m on a roll...let me be a real ass...and ask if your doctor understands enough about what is normal for a DS patient. Example—> I once went to a (really cute) gastroenterologist, where I learned that ONE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT is that more than three BMs per day, in the minds of SOME GI folks, is diarrhea and needs to be treated. Since many DSers have a 1st thing BM and then 2nd thing, right after that cuppa coffee BM, more than three BMs/day might be quite normal. But he couldn’t look at it that way...so he was a “one appointment” guy.

Now, as I often remind folks, I have zero science education or background, but with the limited info I see here, it LOOKS LIKE there might be additional approaches to provide relief. Digestive enzymes, as I understand them, pharmaceutically reverse the part of the DS that provides us with the “limited weight regain,“ and leaves us with, essentially, a gastric sleeve surgery.

As in...oily diarrhea has to come from oils ingested. Have you gone to an EXTREMELY restricted elimination diet...starting with the least oily protein you can find? Such as just plain pork tenderloin and an egg or two for breakfast, tuna—just tuna, nothing in it—for lunch, chicken breast for dinner...that kind of thing? Doing that for a few VERY BORING days and then slowly adding more enjoyable items might help find a cause.

Now both of you stop throwing stuff at me...I was just ASKING.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I assure you my gastroenterologist is a real doctor and I have a lot of faith in her to help me. I’ve been on the prescription Viokace since circa 17 Dec and my guts and ass are much, much less angry and I am no longer having painful diarrhea up to 8 times per day at my sickest. My gastroenterologist does in fact understand how the DS works (as do I as its owner) and like I said above somewhere she’s very excited to have me as her first DS patient. She’s done a lot of research.

I have anxiety with medical procedures as I have a big needle phobia which includes IVs. Not that I need to explain that to anyone here—lots of people have anxiety when it comes to doctors/hospitals due to their own crappy experiences or seeing their loved ones die prematurely of painful diseases.

My gastro was ALSO a real doctor and very experienced...and cute...but could not process that “normal” in a DSer is not what it is for others.

Again, more education/counseling is needed, for the doctors, too. High anxiety patients should be helped with the scary, pre-procedure stuff BEFORE they get their panties in a bunch or even skip this important procedure. And DS patients not only need more blood draws than the average person, but many need IV iron. Regularly. You don’t need to explain anything to anyone here, but perhaps some professional could help you—a massage and a cup of cannabis tea?— deal with the phobia.

And, yes. This Rx may help with symptoms. But I was told that digestive enzymes can relieve symptoms and excess weight loss, but ALSO cause a return of the comorbidities that obesity was causing...which is why I had to find other ways to limit the gastro problems.

 

[LorettaLynn]

I work for the government so I won’t be having a cup of cannabis tea.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I work for the government so I won’t be having a cup of cannabis tea.

Yup. Governmental agencies are SOOOO on top of scientific stuff when it intersects with politics...like Ohio’s recent reimplanting ectopic pregnancies? A cannabis gummy helped lengthen the time between my need for opioid doses when I had vertebral compression fractures and three broken ribs. But I couldn't even discuss opioids or cannabis with my VA (I’m an army vet) doctors.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I love that they had a colonoscopy party! why not celebrate (but only with your nearest and dearest, I assume)

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I love that they had a colonoscopy party! why not celebrate (but only with your nearest and dearest, I assume)

On Colonoscopy Eve? Lol

 

[DianaCox]

I'm facing my next every 10 year colonoscopy (3rd one) in 2021. I'm going to start the cleansing diet soon ...
(J/K - the last one, using SuPrep, was not as horrible as other clean-outs I've had to do.)

 

[JackieOnLine]

just from asking around there is a real difference in the preps. mine really wasn't all that bad compared to many. I have a cousin who had horrific cramping from hers.