Alright, alright, I know what everyone's thinking ... hey dude this forum is for problems with the OTHER end of things :) But since we're all butt-buddies here, I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
BACKGROUND:
I'm scheduled to have an upper endoscopy with biopsy on 6/24. It's for some ongoing stomach pain I've been having for the last 8 months. My maternal grandfather died from stomach cancer at the age of 50, but other than that, there's no other cancer history in my family.
The doctors all attribute my pain to anxiety (i.e., it's psychosomatic), and honestly, I tend to agree (I've had an anxiety disorder my entire life but that's another story). Hence, at my recent request, I'm currently on a SSRI plus an escalated dose of benzodiazepines. But so far, the pain is still there, and the side effects from the SSRI are pretty nasty. So I'm looking at doing the endoscopy for peace of mind.
The doctor typically does the procedure under conscious sedation. But I gave him notes from my other doctor indicating that I woke up during my previous colonoscopy, and that any similar procedures in the future should be done under general anesthesia. So he has agreed to put me completely under using propofol.
So I won't feel a thing during the procedure since I'll be out cold. But I'm still friggin' out about it And it's still weeks ago hahaha. Damn I'm a chicken you-know-what.
QUESTIONS:
So alright guys, those of you who have had an upper endoscopy before: tell me all about it. Tell me something nice, preferably. But also tell me the truth. Will the biopsy hurt? How do you feel after? Any bloating, aches, or whatever from the site of the biopsy? My pain is in the middle abdomen, so I imagine they'll be clipping a piece of either the stomach or the duodenum. Any horror stories ... share those with me too
Oh yeah ... and please feel free to call me a huge sissy because I'm whining about something so small when others are going through so much worse every day. Thanks for listening!
Signed,
Senor No Tengo Cojones

P.S.
To give you guys an idea of just how big of a scaredy cat I am ... some of you may remember me talking about getting circumcised a while back ... yeah ... never happened because I chickened out of that one too

NG, I've got good news for you!
My mother has had quite a few of these (like 6 in 5 years!) and I've been there to drive her home..it really is not bad at all. It sounds much worse than it actually is. You'll be put out and I don't remember her having any problems thereafter.
p.s. I know you're a chicken, but seriously, don't sweat it!

p.s.s. and my mom is a major complainer who definitely would be whining till Kingdom Come if there had been "pain" or ANY discomfort!
I know everyone is different, but I'd say chances are excellent you'll have the same experience.

Hey, N. Guy!
I've gone through an upper-end before. I have a history of ulcers, and did have a biopsy. I had a bit of a sore throat and a small stomach ache afterwards, nothing to really complain about. I was up and moving within an hour after the procedure. Granted, I was 18 at the time and had a heck of a lot more bounce than I do now at 24.
The worst part of my procedure was the banana-flavoured numbing spray they gave me before administering the twilight anesthetic. Ick!
Good luck, and here's hoping you have good results.

NG,
If my son with autism can go through with this procedure, so can you!!!!! I'm not sure how sedated he was, however, and I think his GI doc (who I love, by the way) stated that the next time he would have to be OUT b/4 he would do it. But my son, obviously, is not at your level cognitively and was probably very apprehensive about the whole thing. Good luck and let us know the results. I think you should have been an investigative reporter. You always have such an inquiring mind! :) Lastly, I've had my upper stomach x-ray'd 3 x's (over the decades). And now I think they don't do that very much--drinking the barium, which does cause one to be very constipated. So, be glad the docs have moved on to a different type of procedure!

Hey guys, thanks a bunch for all your responses! I'm now confirmed for the upper endoscopy this coming Friday 6/24. I've still got some anxiety over it, but as you've all said, it's such a minor thing that so many people have had done, I really shouldn't worry. My mind just tends to be overactive, I suppose, and I've had an anxiety disorder my entire life so I guess the paranoia comes with the territory (bleeding to death from the biopsy or puncturing my esophagus are the fears I have and can't get out of my head).
Funny part is I'm also seeing my urologist the day before to schedule my *DRUMROLL* adult circumcision, yay! Both the upper endoscopy and circumcision are things I've been dodging for a long time now, as those of you who know me already knew, but I figured it was finally time to "grow a pair" and do the needful. Life has been careening a bit out of control lately (a tour bus hit my wife's car while she and the kids were in it earlier this week which only added to things), so I'm trying to get a few things back on track. Square away a few things so there's less to worry about, I suppose.
MAURICE: I'll be sure to watch out for the numbing spray! Maybe they'll let me choose a flavor. Hmmm how about single malt flavor numbing spray ... administered by Jessica Alba ... hey a guy can dream, right?
CHERYLK: I've done the barium song 'n dance 2x myself as well. Once for an upper GI series and another time for an abdominal CT scan. The first time I got constipated and pooped little white bunny rabbit pebbles for a day or two. The second time, I wielded my trusty Miralax and slayed the constipation like a hot knife through butter. Miralax > Barium! Haha.

sidra1968 wrote:NG, I've got good news for you!
My mother has had quite a few of these (like 6 in 5 years!) and I've been there to drive her home..it really is not bad at all. It sounds much worse than it actually is. You'll be put out and I don't remember her having any problems thereafter.

Thanks Sidra! This is great to hear ... if your mom has had 6 in 5 years, I'm sure I can survive 1 in 32 years :) It's more the thought that freaks me out as opposed to any possible pain, I think. I wish they made a pill that just made you teleport into the future so you can get the procedure over and done with rather than think about it for weeks.

sidra1968 wrote:p.s. I know you're a chicken, but seriously, don't sweat it!

Thanks again ... I think *CLUCK CLUCK* :bigcluckingchickenicon: hahahah

Hope all was well with your wife and kids after the tour bus!
I know what it's like being chicken about various medical stuff. I am terrified about a colonoscopy as have so much scar tissue/adhesions inside me, that I just cannot do it. So, CT colonography is what I plan next, and there it is.

Just wanted to thank everyone again for the support! Endoscopy done, and no obvious GI issues found. Biopsy results will take a few weeks, but the doc doesn't expect anything out of the ordinary there.
One incidental finding, however, is that I apparently have a vocal cord polyp. So now I've been referred to an ENT to get the polyp on my vocal cords (just on one side of them) assessed. Fun stuff ... not really the finding I expected, but yeah...