UGI update

Well I am back from the UGI series - it only took about 25 minutes.

After reading WebMD, I wasn't surprised with what the UGI was going to entail - the How It Is Done" section of the WebMD website hit it right on.

The first step was that I had to 'throw' some crystal type of things to the back of my throat and follow it by a 'shot' of water to get the crysals to react. The mixture kind of tasted like 7-up, interesting. The radiologists told me the crystals will make me want to burp (yup, they did), but to try and hold them in until after the tests are complete. I told the tech 'I had to let one out but I held the rest in' :)

Then I had to drink the barium mixture of whatever. The first glass I had to drink was chalky and thick. I then lay on the xray table and had to roll from my back in a clockwise motion until I was laying on my back again. This was done so that the mixture could coat my stomach.

Then after they took some x-rays and all, they had me take a few sips from a straw of the barium mixture again, but a way thinner version. I also was instructed to move into poses that showed the liquid moving allowing additional x-rays. While I as laying on my stomach I could see one the x-ray machine called fluoroscopy. (Fluoroscopy allows part of the body to be studied in motion and recorded on a video monitor.) It was pretty cool to see the little sips of the thinner-mixed liquid I had just swallowed go down my esophagus and stuff.

I asked when the results would be in so I knew when to start bugging my doctor, and the tech assistant said they should be read today, and ready tomorrow. Until then, I will continue to take my Prilosec OTC.

Do you ever have those times where you wonder 'what else can go wrong'?!