Unexplained Rapid Haemoglobin Decline

Topping and tailing sounds unpleasant but if your main man wants it done, best get on with it. Hoping it will be over and done with soon.

Looking forward to seeing you at ‘The Mill’.

Take care, Janet, xx

In my case they spayed some anaesthetic in first. Then the cosultant said try to swallow. You cant actually swallow but the action of trying opens up your throat. As I did that he inserted the endoscope. I remember having to concentrate on relaxing and then saying "hell was that it" it was so quick. I have a very strong\sensitive gag reflex and it really was still OK. Its hard to explain but I didnt actually get that reflex, maybe because something is actually in your throat rather than approaching it like you describe with your fingers in you mouth.

Good luck

Cheers

Bill

I had the anaesthetic spray to the back of my throat for the endoscopy and as Bill has said this allows you to “swallow” the probe without too much fuss. In reality they had the endoscope down my throat so quickly I did don’t have time to react!

I found the turning of the endoscope in my tummy really weird and a bit uncomfortable but doable.

If I had it again I personally would opt for sedation, max dose please!

I had sedation for both colonoscopies, first time it meant I was really relaxed and hardly aware of what was happening.

I had my second colonoscopy four months after surgery and wasn’t sedated enough even to the point the nurse in the ward told me I seemed very awake for someone who has just been sedated.

The staff are wonderful and whilst it is not an enjoyable experience it passes relatively quickly and you get on with your life!

Ian

Hi George ,

I had one about six years ago, 

No sedation as I was on my own , 

They were really very good ,nurse told my just to do as I was asked 

The secret seemed to be breathing deep that keeps everything open.

Good luck

Barry

GREAT to hear from you!

I think of you often too, and I'm sure all your old friends here do the same.

Keep that terrific sense of humour (the times you've made me splutter out a mouthful of tea......countless!!).

Sending you a huge 'Geordie Hug'.

George

x

HI GUYS AND GODDESSES!

It's been a LONG time since I posted. It's all a bit of a blur, but I've just updated my profile, and you can see the full story.

Anyway.....Good news. My engine is ticking over again. Soon it will move from idling to gently accelerating.

After five months of very worrying (and even scary...a first for me!) ill health, I suddenly realised on Thursay night that I'd had a good day. Friday and Saturday were OK too, as is today. I'm not breathless and suffering dizzy spells all day anymore, just small episodes.

It's miraculous, and I’ve had absolutely no treatment.

I did see the consultant cardiologist (at last), on Fri 14th Sept. That was a full three months since the heart trouble was spotted on two scans. And the doctor was one of the good guys, I'm pleased to say.

He wasn’t keen to do any radical intervention, as there had been an improvement shown on my last echo cardiogram. And, believe it or not, he took me along (mid appointment) to have a third echo scan, and watched as the physiologist did the scanning.

When we went back into his office, he told me the fluid level had lowered again, and there was a good chance it would go away naturally. I'll be scanned again in a few months time ahead of seeing him next.

It seems all this has been caused by a severe chest infection back in April.

It hadn't completely cleared, and caused a gradual build up of fluid around the heart, to the point when I started feeling so weak.

Even more good news, he told me that my haemoglobin had finally risen to a normal level after plummeting from 130 to 70, and the blood transfusion that followed on 1st May.

It's taken a long time, but the doctor told me it was up to 124. I was, in football parlance,’ over the moon’.

Hey, speaking of football, perhaps it was Sunderland’s rapid drop down the divisions that set all this off.

Complete rest, no exertion at all and trying to keep stress and worry at bay have been the key to getting better.

i HATE to say this, but we have to remember we aren't young and fully fit these days. :cry: Trouble is, nobody can convince us of that. In our minds we are 19 (well I am!) and all too often we think we're supermen, We've been kidding ourselves.

I swear my recovery is down to the complete easing up on everything. No dashing here there and everywhere. Whenever I did try to over-exert myself, I paid the price for it.

Well, I'll finish now, with another motoring pun. I'm still here with engine idling, and feel like a learner driver, nervous and shaky about putting the accelerator down, BUT it will get pressed to the floor in the very near future!

I promise to be sensible. No more dashing about till I'm truly fit again.

Can't type quickly yet though (a bit dozy). I hear you all say "Nothing new there then"! :lol:

Stay well my friends, and remember, these glitches are sent to try us. Just get mad as hell and then plan your battle.

George

Edited by member 23 Sep 2018 at 16:28  | Reason: Not specified

What fab news - great to read

Clare

They claim that the lymph node trouble in my neck is very unusual, and they are not convinced it’s to do with my Pca. Up until now I’ve had nothing but praise for the team that is looking after me. Things have always happened so fast. Hopefully the Pet Scan I’ve got coming up on Thursday will sort things out, an FDG scan is a first for me.

However I’m convinced that they will finish up zapping the darn thing, and they were at this point nearly 3 months ago. I’d even had an appointment all set to make a frame work so that I couldn’t move my head whilst in th RT scanner, which they canceled in lue of the biopsy.

Every change of idea just keeps adding more and more weeks.

Stu