I have a reputation of being a bit of a baby when it comes to pain and illness. It is an undeserved reputation but nonetheless it has been hard to shake.
Well, today I think I got some ammunition for the next time I am accused of being a delicate flower.
Today I got an esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
Just so you know, an esophagoscopy is a procedure to view the inside of the esophagus. A gastroscopy is a procedure to view the inside of the stomach. A duodenoscopy is a procedure to view the inside of the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. These procedures are performed as a single procedure by a gastroenterologist and are collectively referred to as an upper endoscopy or esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).
Okay, maybe this doesn’t sound like a big deal but this was done without sedation of any kind. Yes, I was wide awake. No drugs. It was my choice. Drugs would have made me feel loopy for about 6 hours and I had other things to do today besides listening to 80s music and relaxing.
I’m fine by the way. No issues.
Okay — two issues — I need to lose weight and I need to stop worrying. Apparently stress — even small stressors — can manifest themselves in stomach issues. I don’t have any big issues in my life and I figured stress was not an issue in relation to the function of my central regions but my doctor thought otherwise.
I tend to dwell on small things — like will I ever find a light fixture that is pleasing — and this is bad for my gut.
The weight is a more obvious issue. No matter that I have already lost a lot of weight and now wear regular people sizes — I am short and I need to slim more.
No problem on both counts. I already feel less worried (I am practically mellow at the moment) and I had an apple for dinner. An apple and a hamburger. Some salad, too.