The Procedure

Well I made it through the ERCP.

I have no idea what happened, but when I got to the hospital at noon I had a sudden excruciating pain in my side. Sitting down wasn't an option. Oh well, I guess it's a good thing I was in the hospital! Truth be told, I think it was the drive there that did it. We have the luxury of living off one of the twenty worst roads in Ontario (last year we were second!). At least the road is undergoing re-construction, but that won't be complete until 2010. Anyway, there is a longer way around with a smoother road, but I was feeling so much better yesterday I suggested we take the usual road. Sigh... Thank goodness there's a turn to link up with the other road about 5 minutes in, I thought my insides were being milkshaked. Everything was vibrating! I think all the jiggling inside moved my tube causing the pain!

Anyway they ushered me right in (apparently I was supposed to be there earlier, though the appt card and the email from the Gastroenterologist both said to be there at noon) and I was soooo sore. They hooked up the IV, asked me some questions, had me sign my life away, and then the Doctor came by. He asked if I had a chance to see the cardiologist (no), but I introduced him to my new beta blockers. Told him it was so bizarre, I haven't felt my heart beat since Friday morning. He said "I think it's still working though". I really like him, he's a lot of fun. But it is really strange, I've felt my heart beat my whole life and now there's nothing. Something's missing! He went over the procedure again, and said he was going to put a stent in to keep the valve to my pancreas open, unless there was a stone there (which would have kept the valve open yet blocked for quite some time!), at which point he would take the stone out, drop it in my stomach to be pooped out later and cut the valve open as planned). This is called a sphincterectomy. Trust me, the first time it was mentioned I got a little nervous thinking "what the heck are they removing THAT for?!?" LOL.

The nurses wheeled me into x-ray (because the ERCP requires x-ray for the whole test), got me positioned (contortion anyone?) and sprayed my throat 10 times. YUCK. Such a strange sensation! You can swallow, but you feel like you can't.

The doctor came in and dimmed the lights. I said 'oooh mood lighting' and he replied 'of course! sadly, we don't have music today, but Gail here has agreed to sing'. He then popped the mouth guard in my mouth (the one with the hole in the centre for the tube) and hit me with some IV sedatives because I was out. Next thing I knew I was gagging. They told me to breathe (which helped), but then I gagged again, and again. Of course gagging when you're out of it is just 'there' and not horrible, you forget pretty quickly! Then I heard myself make a 'uhngh' sound and I was told they were filling my stomach with air, then I was out again, heard another 'uhngh' and I was told they were putting the balloon in (and I remember thinking - oh so they found stones!), then another 'uhngh' and they told me that they were cutting the valve. Next thing I remember was gagging again and they said they were done. And I went back to sleep.

I have no recollection of being wheeled back into the endoscopy area and then suddenly I was wide awake and feeling really bloated. The nurse asked me if I wanted a drink - I chose water. 5 mins later I was allowed to get dressed and they called Steve to pick me up. My stomach was still really sore from before the appt, and still is this morning, but not to the same degree. I saw the Gastroenterologist before leaving, he told me the procedure went very well (and fast! only 20 mins!), that I did great, the highest my heart rate went was 100 bpm (because I gagged), he didn't have to put the stent in because I had two stones, one or both blocking the pancreatic duct. If they weren't both there I have no idea which other duct it was blocking. I didn't think to ask. At least without the stent he won't have to go back in in 6 weeks to take it out!

I'm to stick to the as fat-free as possible diet to try to keep the bile production low, and the bile should stop coming out from where my gallbladder was in a few days. I have to call my surgeon today to book an appt with him to hopefully have the tube and Jackson-Pratt removed. I have no idea what the next step is if this doesn't fix the problem, but they seem to be very hopeful that this will fix me up. Fingers crossed! I've been plagued with severe itching in my torso, and when really bad everywhere, which is from too much bile in the bloodstream. I can't wait for this to go away! My back is really scratched up!

All in all, I don't remember much at all. If the procedure took 20 mins, I probably only remember 1 min total... everything else is gone. Thank goodness! Today I have a 'lump in the throat' feeling, but that's it. Would I have the test again? Only if I had to. Would I be nervous? Yup, because that's what I do ;).