GI Tests

I was booked for two tests today, a GI Motility Study and a GI Impedance Study. I prepared for the tests by not eating or drinking for six hours (so basically since bedtime). For the first test they thread a big tube down my nose to my stomach. It has lots of sensors and creates a picture of my esophagus and by swallowing sips of water they can see how well everything is working, including the two sphincters. Well, the nurse was a little cold and robotic. She rammed the tube (the size of my O2 tubing) quickly down. It was very uncomfortable, and I immediately begin gagging, crying and throwing up. I think she's used to people dry heaving on empty stomachs, so she had nothing ready for when I brought up loads of mucus that I must have coughed up and swallowed overnight. I threw up all over myself repeatedly until she finally gave me a towel. Ugh, it was awful and I couldn't help myself. After about 20 minutes I stopped coughing and could start settling down. I think the nurse panicked and the most experienced tech stepped in to continue. I did all of the swallows required, no problem. Pulling the tube was unpleasant, but it was out in a couple of seconds.

After a bit of recovery time, it was time for the next test. A thin tube was placed down my nose and positioned to sit above my stomach. The tech did a much better job inserting the tube, plus the tube was much smaller, so there were no issues. This tube will stay for 24 hours and is attached to a small computer that will record the pH, which determines if there's any reflux. I just need to press a button when I sit/lay down, start/stop eating, and if I cough, burp or have heartburn. It's a little uncomfortable because I can feel something stuck in the back of my throat every time I swallow. As long as I don't think about it too much, I'm okay with it. I had a wicked headache afterward and needed a nap. Looking forward to having the tube out tomorrow!!!

My clinic last week went much better and I left feeling like we had some solid possibilities to explore. First of all, I stopped the Spiriva. Secondly, I started an inhaled steriod, Symbicort. Thirdly, it looks like I have some form of sleep apnea. My husband has noticed that I stop breathing at night, which has developed in the last month or two. I will be booked for a sleep study at some point- I'm not breathing well to begin with, so sleep apnea is not a good thing! I continued to turn down the anti-anxiety meds, although we spent a lot of time talking about them. I did PFTs as well. My FEV1 was 27% and my FVC was 42%. No surprises there, that's what I expected to see!