The first test, a form of medieval torture, involved pushing a 50cm probe (read: long ass mo-fo) through my nose and down my throat into my stomach. I'm not ashamed to say I gagged and cried. Once it was in, I had to lie down and receive 10 squirts of saline that would monitor my swallowing. Ever try to not swallow when you're told to? Its not easy. Once I swallowed the saline, I had to withhold swallowing for 30 seconds so the computer could capture the saline traveling down. A lifetime later, I got to expel that horrible thing. I never want to do that again.
We waited for an hour before the next test which I skipped to happily. It involved sedation! The nurses took Joe and I to a room where I got the good "Vs"- an IV and a TV. The nurses who prepped me were great. I would have gladly gotten 10 IVs put in my arm over that crappy probe. They came for me at 12:45. I was wheeled into an op room that looked like an office. There must have been 8 ladies waiting for me - nurses, techs, anesthestiologists and the Dr who stood about 4'10, 90 lbs. She was very nice and explained that she would attach a capsule to my esophagus that would monitor any acid reflux for 3 days. Cool, right? I tried to chat with them but the sedation kicked in quick. I said,' Here comes the juice!" LOL! That's all I remember.
A "short time" later, I woke up in recovery. There was a man in a bed next to me who kept asking for more drugs. A male nurse tried offering me ice chips but I was out of it. Oh, he also said, "Its 5:30." The procedure should've taken 30min max. When I started to come to, the DR came over and tried to tell me something. "Capsule...trachea...lungs...". I asked for Joe and she said she would talk to him next.
An hour later, I was taken to a recovery room where I finally got to see Joe. He explained that the capsule was put in but came loose and traveled down my trachea and into a lung. DR tried to get it out but couldn't so she called a lung specialist who tried to get it out but couldn't. They had to take me to the E/R, two buildings away. Thankfully they're all connected so I didn't get snowed on.
Once I was ok to be released, I asked for food and got to eat ice cream. My throat is really rough so it was especially good. We were on the road by 7:30. Joe made a quick stop at McDonalds because he hadn't eaten and I had a shamrock shake. We were home by 10.
Needless to say, it was a long day. I can't believe my luck! I have no idea what we'll do next but I'm hoping the first test will give some answers. The tech pointed out a problem in the images she took but left the interpretation to the DR. Joe said DR told him they do a 24 hour test involving that esophagus probe but he told her he was pretty sure that wasn't an option. No way, no how! So, I wait to hear what's next. I was hoping to have a plan by now but I'm not in control and it is what it is. With all of the anesthesia I received, I have to be watched for 16 hours, can't drive, no alcohol.
I'll be home today, catching up on sleep which is hard to do right now. My lungs are full of phlegm, my throat is sore and its hard to breathe. All in all, it could be worse.
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