Upper GI Endoscopy Notes
Short version: There’s nothing to it.
But here’s a few notes about it.
The only part that sucks is the not eating. Try to schedule it in the morning or you’ll be starving. Basically, go in and get an IV. They wheel you into another room where the lady with the nice drugs describes them to you. She inserts them into the IV, it’s lights out in a few seconds, and you wake up later feeling just fine.
And I can see why Michael Jackson liked his Propofol.
Seriously, that was a pretty amazing drug. I’ve been put under a few times for different procedures but they used other drugs. I always got belligerent, or so I was told. Never recalled any of it. I’d wake up later groggy and confused. Not with the Propofol. With IV in, the nurse gave me the warning and injected the drug into the IV. In a few seconds, she said to me you should feel sleepy about now. I told her I did not. Then I said Oh there it is. After a brief bit of euphoria from it, I could tell I wasn’t long for the world and looked at the Doc and said Good night. Him and the nurses all said good night and that was the last I remember before waking up in recovery. I woke up fine, fully alert and knowing exactly where I was and what had transpired. No confusion. It was exactly like I took a 3 hour nap only I did it in about 30 minutes. I even remember having pleasant dreams. Pretty amazing.
Also, on the way in, I was a little surprised to get there and see this sign greeting me:
I know, it’s not a legally binding sign. Which made the shirt I had on a bit more funny:
On the way back, there were three police officers hanging out. I asked the nurse and she said they had an inmate there. I noted the no gun sign and said they still have theirs. She laughed.
And on the stop home, we swung by Popeye’s chicken and I got chicken livers and some hot sauce. NOMNOM.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:23 am
Same experience here, but I thought I was alert and ok until right afterwards we went to go eat lunch. I don’t remember but one tiny instance from that lunch (looking at some season salt).
My wife said everything was normal with my behavior, but the whole hour or so is gone from my memory. Good times.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:24 am
I just like that you talk about anesthetics for a single blog post and there’s an anesthesia ad on this post. Amazing how the tubes work.
February 16th, 2012 at 10:50 am
I’m glad it went well, but I’m surprised you got Propofol for such a basic procedure, since there’s a nationwide shortage of it right now. There are other drugs that work well enough for an endoscopy (though admittedly with other possible complications, as you noted), and Propofol is heavily relied on for other more intensive/critical surgical procedures and for maintaining sedation in ICU patients, especially intubated patients on ventilators.
Maybe they had some that was close to its expiration date.
February 16th, 2012 at 11:21 am
I’m wondering if there’s a no guns policy because prisoners are brought in for treatment there. If this is the case it’s kind of strange that it’s not a legally binding sign.
February 16th, 2012 at 11:45 am
Damn, livers and hot sauce, now I’M hungry.
February 16th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Damn, livers and hot sauce, now I’m NOT hungry.
Blech.
February 16th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
The sign isn’t binding? I thought during the last round of guns in restaurants that serve alcohol they changed it so that they could either have the wording or just the gun with a slash sign. Did that get taken out at the last minute?
I’d be happy to be able to ignore the circle slash signs.
February 16th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
Popeye’s sells livers? I’m on my way to the Popeyes.
February 16th, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Actually, propofol is in short supply, but lots of institutions keep up to a years supply on hand. Since it does out date, they use it as they normally would.
And yes, its an amazing drug…We used to call it “Magic Mouse Milk” when I worked in the ER and shuffled patients back to OR from time to time.
Glad the procedure went well!
February 16th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Milk of amnesia is great stuff.
Your comments about great sleep is why MJ got hooked on it.
February 16th, 2012 at 3:42 pm
I’m up for one soon, so it was nice to read about yours. BTW, where’d you get the great shirt?
February 16th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Local gun show. But I think they’re around online if you google them.
February 16th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Glad everything seems okay. As for the Sign, up here we have them everywhere one can get Drugs and Medicines. Probably some stupid HHS Reg requires them to post something.