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endoscopy

Printed From: Barrett's Support Forum
Category: Barrett's Support Forum
Forum Name: Barrett's Campaign Website
Forum Discription: This is for ideas for the Website
URL: http://www.barrettscampaign.org.uk/forum//forum_posts.asp?TID=128
Printed Date: 19 Jul 2019 at 2:15pm


Topic: endoscopy
Posted By: jean-jeannie
Subject: endoscopy
Date Posted: 17 Sep 2008 at 11:00pm
HI, Im not certain what to do!  A year last January I was visiting my cousin and had just had a jacket pot with baked beans when I got this awful pain in the top of my stomach. I had to go to the toilet where I was sick but no food came up just lots of white fluffy stuff. I was like it all night and the next day was hydrated and in shock. My cousin phoned up the local hospital and ended up taking me in. They said it was just bad acid reflux and I was given tablets to stop the sickness. I was quite ill for a week and my cousin had to drive me home all the way to Somerset from Essex as I was too weak to travel on my own. I had to go to my own doctor and he prescribed me anti acid tablets which I take to this day. I have a morbid fear of hospitals and am needle phobic. My problem is (besides being a coward!) ha, ha is that I am still in pain. Cant bear the top of my stomach being touched and have turned down having an endoscopy done twice due to being soooo scared. Im now worried that it may be somethig bad that is causing me to feel so ill and am now plucking up the courage to go back to my doctor and ask him to put me on the list for the endoscopy. Im scared that I may have a cancer and feel such a coward. I cant even tell my hubby how I feel. Im a 58 year old female. Dont smoke and hardly ever drink. I need some personal advice as I am pretty scared.
Thank you for listening to me.


Replies:
Posted By: chrisrob
Date Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 8:34am
Hi Jeannie,
I'm sorry you're having such a bad time of this.
Firstly, easier said than done, don't worry. If the doctors thought you had cancer they'd have been more active by now. I'm not a medical expert but it's my guess you've got an ulcer. If you've been producing excess acid it can have damaged the lining of the stomach.
Many people have reflux and don't know it. It can take an incident like the one you describe to alert you.
I can sympathise with fear of needles. I used to have the fear and still do to some extent but after having so many blood tests am getting better. I even donate blood now (!) - after seeing my wife almost bleed to death from a massive haemorrhage whilst 14 docs and nurses tried to find veins and force blood into her.
Endoscopies aren't nice. However, you can opt for sedation and talk over your fears with the doctor performing it. You must have one to find out exactly what is wrong.
Much of our fear comes from not knowing so the sooner you know, the better. (And if it is that really long shot, million-to-one chance, cancer, the sooner it's found, the better.)
Dig out that brave face and see your doctor now.
Good luck and we're all here to support you.
Chris


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