Re: Manometry – Horrible experience

[Guest guest]

Hi Jess,

I am so sorry you had a horrible Manometry experience! I don't

think it was all that " abnormal. " The test in and of itself simply

isn't pleasant....but it doesn't have to be horrible. Actually my

Dr. here at home knows that I am a weanie and wasn't even going to

perform it because he " didn't think I could tolerate it. I left his

office and discussed with my husband how horrible I felt proceeding

with a Heller without conclusive diagnosis that the manometry would

provide...me being a weanie or not....I needed the manometry and he

should have insisted on it. That is really when I came to the board

and discovered TCC. Dr. Rice placed the tubes through my MOUTH not

nose while I was sedated during the esophagus examination.....when I

woke up, then I walked over with the tubes sticking out of my mouth

(yeah I felt like something from Mars) to the other building where

they do the manometry) and it was just uncomfortable but tolerable to

have them complete the study. The worst part being the end where

they come out with all the yucky tasting black gunk on them.

There....for future manometry test takers...was I " visual " enough for

you. From one chicken to another...that's how it's done at TCC.

Joy (in Michigan)

[Guest guest]

Hi Jess,

I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience. Your definitely not a

wuse! How bad the test is usually depends on the technician doing

it. My first two experiences were horrible too. The first time I

threw up all over everyone in the room and the technician finally

gave up. About a week later my doctor did it himself. He jammed

the tube up my nose and yelled at me when I gagged. He told me that

every time I gagged and the tube curled he'd have to pull it out and

start over. He just kept shoving it in as fast as he could and

would pull it out when it curled, yell some more and start over.

Needless to say after that I found another GI doctor.

I had the test done a few months ago before my last surgery and it

was bad, but it wasn't horrible. The technician at St. Luke's in

Houston said that before she started doing the tests she had it done

to herself so she could see what her patients were going through. I

threw up and gagged, but she was extremely patient and gentle. She

put the tube in very slowly. She also tried to keep me distracted

by talking about other things.

Look at it this way, at least you probably won't have to ever go

through it again and now they can be sure what's going on with your

E.

Sharlene

> What a hideous day. From reading on the board, I went into my

> manometry thinking it would be no big deal. Now, I know I'm a wuse

> when it comes to medical procedures. But I can't imagine that my

> experience with this is so drastically different. Why didn't

anyone

> warn me???

>

> My Manometry goes in the top 5 worst experiences I've ever had.

First,

> the catheter was barely small enough to fit through my nasal

passage.

> The nurse was kind enough to point out that I apparently have

small

> passages, thanx. Then, I'm sipping the water like they say and

began

> vomiting the moment the catheter hit whatever triggers gag reflex.

> After 10 minutes of throwing up the couple of sips of water they

had

> given me, we tried again. Gagging & puking the whole way, we

finally

> got it in… or did we. The readings weren't coming out right, they

> didn't understand what they were seeing. The whole while I'm

trying to

> explain to these ladies that I have a distended esophagus and it

must

> be coiling. I KNEW my LES was shut tight cause nothing I'd eaten

the

> day before had made it all the way down. It didn't FEEL like it

was

> coiling to HER. It's distended! I've got enough room for my couch

in

> there! Finally she accepts my explanation. So, I stand up this

time,

> we pull back and try again. (I'm surprised they didn't make me do

> jumping jacks with this thing shoved down my nose)

>

> Finally, they push through. Now I spend well over a half hour

> breathing breaths that are never quick enough breaths, not

swallowing

> unless I'm told to, gagging, vomiting air, etc. So, we get to the

part

> where they pull it out… centimeter, by … centimeter. When the

sensors

> got to the back of my throat I could feel them there, they're

making

> me swallow with what feels like a marble in my throat… just a

couple

> more minutes. Then they have to yank the stupid thing out through

my

> poor narrow nasal.

>

> It's 11 hours later, my chest hurts, my teeth hurt (I've been

having

> spasms all day), my throat is killing me, ONE side of my nose

hurts

> and now I'm getting a migraine from all the other pains working on

my

> all day.

>

> This is one of the most miserable things that has ever happened to

me.

> Now, I'm not saying to not get one done. But I can't believe how

> nonchalant everyone acts about it. I just wanted to put my

experience

> out there so future victims could beware.

>

> -Jess

[Guest guest]

I had the same thing when mine was done! I will NEVER do it

again.

[Guest guest]

Jess.

I am sorry your first manometry experience was such a horrible one.

My first one was just like yours, because the technician who did

mine had never done it before.

Last May, I had to have another one before Dr. Rice at TCC would see

me to discuss a Lap Heller Myotomy. The nurse who did that one had

done over 700 and there was a world of difference, though

uncomfortable, it was nothing like what I experienced the first

time. At the end of this month, I go back to TCC for yet another

manometry study, and I am not dreading it very much at all because I

know the experience level of the nurse performing the procedure.

I would recommend to anyone who has to have the manometry study done

to find out how experienced the technician or nurse is that is doing

it. If they have done none or very few, I would find someone else

because it is a horrible experience if the technician

is " inexperienced " .

in Northern Virginia

> What a hideous day. From reading on the board, I went into my

> manometry thinking it would be no big deal. Now, I know I'm a wuse

> when it comes to medical procedures. But I can't imagine that my

> experience with this is so drastically different. Why didn't

anyone

> warn me???

>

> My Manometry goes in the top 5 worst experiences I've ever had.

First,

> the catheter was barely small enough to fit through my nasal

passage.

> The nurse was kind enough to point out that I apparently have

small

> passages, thanx. Then, I'm sipping the water like they say and

began

> vomiting the moment the catheter hit whatever triggers gag reflex.

> After 10 minutes of throwing up the couple of sips of water they

had

> given me, we tried again. Gagging & puking the whole way, we

finally

> got it in… or did we. The readings weren't coming out right, they

> didn't understand what they were seeing. The whole while I'm

trying to

> explain to these ladies that I have a distended esophagus and it

must

> be coiling. I KNEW my LES was shut tight cause nothing I'd eaten

the

> day before had made it all the way down. It didn't FEEL like it

was

> coiling to HER. It's distended! I've got enough room for my couch

in

> there! Finally she accepts my explanation. So, I stand up this

time,

> we pull back and try again. (I'm surprised they didn't make me do

> jumping jacks with this thing shoved down my nose)

>

> Finally, they push through. Now I spend well over a half hour

> breathing breaths that are never quick enough breaths, not

swallowing

> unless I'm told to, gagging, vomiting air, etc. So, we get to the

part

> where they pull it out… centimeter, by … centimeter. When the

sensors

> got to the back of my throat I could feel them there, they're

making

> me swallow with what feels like a marble in my throat… just a

couple

> more minutes. Then they have to yank the stupid thing out through

my

> poor narrow nasal.

>

> It's 11 hours later, my chest hurts, my teeth hurt (I've been

having

> spasms all day), my throat is killing me, ONE side of my nose

hurts

> and now I'm getting a migraine from all the other pains working on

my

> all day.

>

> This is one of the most miserable things that has ever happened to

me.

> Now, I'm not saying to not get one done. But I can't believe how

> nonchalant everyone acts about it. I just wanted to put my

experience

> out there so future victims could beware.

>

> -Jess