A trip out and a move

Monday 27^th January

Friday and the weekend were uneventful, although apart from Friday I was feeling better. I was ultra-frustrated all weekend with the internet connection on my phone stopping me from practicing the meditation techniques.

The day of the Endoscopy had arrived, the Ambulance collected me at 08:30 for my 09:00 appointment. A Nurse had to be with me as they planned to sedate me, which meant I’d been nil by mouth from midnight. We arrived at the John Radcliff Hospital in time and because the Patient Transport to take me back to the Nuffield had been booked for 12:00 they decided I was going first on the list. After having the procedure explained and signing the obligatory consent form I was taken through.

First of all they used a spray on the back of my throat. They told me it tasted horrible but I didn’t think it was that bad, it was the burning feeling that was worse. Next I had to lie on my left side, this is really awkward for me but manageable, suddenly from behind a hand appeared and a foam sponge was stuffed up my nostril, which was oxygen. A gadget was put in my mouth (which secured around my head) that the camera went through, the gadget stopped me from biting down on the camera. When everything was ready they gave me sedation and began the procedure. I don’t remember the camera going in, coming out or much in between. The only thing I do remember was gagging constantly for a short time. It felt like the mouthpiece had slid to the left side of my mouth, which was causing the gagging. I tried to pull it up to the right side of my mouth but the Nurse must have thought I was trying to pull it out. She moved my hands away and told me to leave it in, obviously I couldn’t talk so couldn’t explain the problem. It only took about 10mins to complete including taking a biopsy to see if H Pylori (Helicobacter pylori Bacteria) is present. It took about an hour for me to come round fully, then we just had to wait for the transport. Thankfully I get on really well with the Nurse and we chatted about lots of different stuff. I saw the report, which went in my notes, there were a few things identified but nothing major, thankfully. There is a small bleed but not significant enough to have caused the Iron deficiency. It was recommended I have 6 week course of Omeprazole, which was started straight away. It was also recommended I have a Colonoscopy so a referral has gone off for that, oh joy something else not to look forward too.

After lunch a HCA (Health Care Assistant) came in and told me they were moving me. Apparently the lady who was in bed space B of bay one, I’d asked to be moved there if it became available, was being moved and they were moving me into that spot. The layout of bay one (where I was last time, but in space A) is completely different to any bay layout I have ever seen. It means that being here I have a window on my left side and wall behind and to my right. I only look on to one bed (Space A which runs parallel across the foot of my bed and then the En Suite. The other two beds in here are round the corner, which I can only see the foot of one. There is a curtain that runs across the open end of my space, which closes off the whole of my space when they consult with me, use a commode or have a procedure done etc. Some Nurses and staff can’t understand why I wanted to move to that spot. If I’m feeling low or having a bad day and just want to shut the world out I can. The En Suite and basin in it are slightly bigger, which makes a difference to me. It turns out the ladies in here are very nice and quiet, and when they do watch the TV, one for each pair of beds, it is nowhere near as loud as in the other bay. In Hospital there’s not a lot you, or they, can do for you and it is the smallest things that make the biggest difference. Being in this spot isn’t going to stop me being depressed or stop me from having super low days but I think it will be better for me to cope when I am having those sort of days, which can only be a help.