Endoscopy

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

Glad to hear you are doing well. Can I ask what kind of symptoms you had and how old you were when diagnosed?

25 years ago I was 42 years old, I suffered with "reflux" where acid from the stomach came into my Esophagus and over time burn't it from top to bottom.

Mainly caused by working the 3 shift system 6am-2pm 2pm-10pm and 10pm-6am over every 4 week period, with quick change overs etc, and basically eating shit at the wrong times.

I started to get food stuck on a regular basis, and after tests I was diagnosed with "Barrets Esophagus" (a pre cancerous state).

They put me on peptic acid blocks so Esoperole etc which stopped the acid reflux. I also had endoscopes every two years to monitor the Barriets.

Then for some reason I went 5 years without a check up, and never thought anything about it. At some stage later I was at my GP (family doctor) for something else and as I was leaving the room he asked if there was anything else. So I mentioned I hadn't had a camera for 5 years, so he booked me in.

Apparently my specialist had retired emigrated to Canada, and my case wasn't assigned to another doctor and I'd fallen through the cracks.

I underwent several procedures and they found I had cancer in there and it was close to my Esophagus wall but hadn't broken through. I underwent several EMR procedures which slowly removed cancerous cells, but they couldn't get close to the wall.

I was sent to Liverpool for the Radio Frequency Ablation because every time I'd had a procedure previously new pink tissue had replaced the cancerous stuff.

So they offered me RFA (they basically burn the Esophagus from top to bottom 3 times like a farmer burns a field) and new pink tissue replaced the old.

Like I say everyone get 2 procedures but I've now just had my 14th in October.

I was going every 16 weeks for treatment but now because I'm in a great place I only have to go in a years time.

Its been a long hard road but I'm so lucky and I can't thank the staff at the Royal Liverpool enough they have saved my life.

Hope your ok, and if you need further info don't hesitate to PM me.

 

[roy.or.r]

25 years ago I was 42 years old, I suffered with "reflux" where acid from the stomach came into my Esophagus and over time burn't it from top to bottom.

Mainly caused by working the 3 shift system 6am-2pm 2pm-10pm and 10pm-6am over every 4 week period, with quick change overs etc, and basically eating shit at the wrong times.

I started to get food stuck on a regular basis, and after tests I was diagnosed with "Barrets Esophagus" (a pre cancerous state).

They put me on peptic acid blocks so Esoperole etc which stopped the acid reflux. I also had endoscopes every two years to monitor the Barriets.

Then for some reason I went 5 years without a check up, and never thought anything about it. At some stage later I was at my GP (family doctor) for something else and as I was leaving the room he asked if there was anything else. So I mentioned I hadn't had a camera for 5 years, so he booked me in.

Apparently my specialist had retired emigrated to Canada, and my case wasn't assigned to another doctor and I'd fallen through the cracks.

I underwent several procedures and they found I had cancer in there and it was close to my Esophagus wall but hadn't broken through. I underwent several EMR procedures which slowly removed cancerous cells, but they couldn't get close to the wall.

I was sent to Liverpool for the Radio Frequency Ablation because every time I'd had a procedure previously new pink tissue had replaced the cancerous stuff.

So they offered me RFA (they basically burn the Esophagus from top to bottom 3 times like a farmer burns a field) and new pink tissue replaced the old.

Like I say everyone get 2 procedures but I've now just had my 14th in October.

I was going every 16 weeks for treatment but now because I'm in a great place I only have to go in a years time.

Its been a long hard road but I'm so lucky and I can't thank the staff at the Royal Liverpool enough they have saved my life.

Hope your ok, and if you need further info don't hesitate to PM me.

Wow this is a great and informative post. Thank you for sharing and glad you are feeling well. I just have a lot of health anxiety and I feel I may have left it too late. Should have done the endoscopy 3 years back when it started.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

25 years ago I was 42 years old, I suffered with "reflux" where acid from the stomach came into my Esophagus and over time burn't it from top to bottom.

Mainly caused by working the 3 shift system 6am-2pm 2pm-10pm and 10pm-6am over every 4 week period, with quick change overs etc, and basically eating shit at the wrong times.

I started to get food stuck on a regular basis, and after tests I was diagnosed with "Barrets Esophagus" (a pre cancerous state).

They put me on peptic acid blocks so Esoperole etc which stopped the acid reflux. I also had endoscopes every two years to monitor the Barriets.

Then for some reason I went 5 years without a check up, and never thought anything about it. At some stage later I was at my GP (family doctor) for something else and as I was leaving the room he asked if there was anything else. So I mentioned I hadn't had a camera for 5 years, so he booked me in.

Apparently my specialist had retired emigrated to Canada, and my case wasn't assigned to another doctor and I'd fallen through the cracks.

I underwent several procedures and they found I had cancer in there and it was close to my Esophagus wall but hadn't broken through. I underwent several EMR procedures which slowly removed cancerous cells, but they couldn't get close to the wall.

I was sent to Liverpool for the Radio Frequency Ablation because every time I'd had a procedure previously new pink tissue had replaced the cancerous stuff.

So they offered me RFA (they basically burn the Esophagus from top to bottom 3 times like a farmer burns a field) and new pink tissue replaced the old.

Like I say everyone get 2 procedures but I've now just had my 14th in October.

I was going every 16 weeks for treatment but now because I'm in a great place I only have to go in a years time.

Its been a long hard road but I'm so lucky and I can't thank the staff at the Royal Liverpool enough they have saved my life.

Hope your ok, and if you need further info don't hesitate to PM me.

That sounds brutal. Glad it’s worked out, but jeez!

 

[kaz7]

Had both done at once , no sedation , throat spray and it was so quick i didnt have time to think about it . They turned the table around and went for the colon , for that i had gas and air and it was fine , just a couple of ouch moments as she went round corners . She said i have a long loppy bowel that made it worse in places . Good thing is you get the results as soon as they take the cameras out and i could drive home

No need for sedation imo , gas and air is lush

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

Wow this is a great and informative post. Thank you for sharing and glad you are feeling well. I just have a lot of health anxiety and I feel I may have left it too late. Should have done the endoscopy 3 years back when it started.

The one lesson I have learnt over the last 6 years is that I now don't worry about anything that may not happen. There is always hope and the RFA treatment I have had although only on trial in the UK in America people have been getting it for a decade.

I know your health care system is different but hopefully when you get checked out it's not as bad as your fear it may be.

Feel free at anytime to contact me via PM if you need to know more info, Chemo and all that horrible stuff.