Gastroscopy - the verdict

I went for a gastroscope recently and chalked up “huge” hospital bills (in my opinion lah, haha, $500 is a lot!). However, thank God, it’s claimable through my company’s insurance. Was given 1 day’s hospitalization leave as I had to undergo sedation, was not in condition to go to work after that.

Basically, a gastroscope is a test whereby the gastroenterologist will insert a tube-like instrument through your throat and down to your stomach to check for any abnormalities such as gastric ulcers. I was asked to rest on the hospital bed and was pushed by the nurse to the waiting room, with a name tag around my wrist. The nurses kept asking me; “Are you so and so?” which irritated me after a while but they have to ask, if not, they may get the wrong patient! Haha.

Before I was pushed to the waiting room, a cute, bespectacled young doctor, Dr Zheng so-and-so came by to check on me and explained to me the procedures. I could not help but stare at him. However, he was not my specialist. Haha.

After I was “trolleyed” (what a word, but…) into the endoscope room and given 2 horrible tasting medicines to swallow to numb my gagging reflexes and injected with something to keep me drowsy. I was asked to lie on my left and bite a mouthpiece. But that’s all I can remember.

The whole process probably took about 20 minutes, during which I fell asleep and the next thing I found myself in the hospital ward, awake. My head was still groggy, so I slept for 2 hours after being served breakfast. I had wolfed down breakfast as I had fasted since midnight. Surprisingly, warmed butter bread slices and hot Milo never tasted so delicious before! Then 2 hours later, a nurse came to check on me, explained to me the doctor’s diagnosis and discharged me.

Ok, thank God, I do not have any gastric ulcers but some weird sounding disease called “acid reflux” disease (GERD) which simply means hyper production of stomach acid which results in upper abdominal pain after I eat. Which may most probably be due to work stress? Also, it seems that there is a muscle which will close when the stomach acid digests food but my muscle is not completely closed when digestion starts. Well. Anyway, I was given some expensive medication to take for a month, which I can claim under insurance. Thank God again. Hopefully after 1 month’s medication, I need not take any more! Pray hard.

Remind me not to take too heavy meals. Avoid taking food 2 to 3 hours before bedtime (which means no supper, no Yakult). Avoid citrus fruits. Try to avoid/ reduce chocolate and caffeinated drinks like soda, tea, coffee (gasps! – my favourite hot drink is milk tea, which I must have at least 1 cup everyday. Or even chocolates. No, no, no. I love chocolates. Help!) Maybe I sit too much in office – need to walk around more after eating and not slouch.

Just remind me. Just restrict me if you ever see me eating all these stuff. Remind me to exercise too.