"Endoscopy"

I was booked at Mt Stuart hospital Torbay for an endoscopy today. The staff were wonderful, caring and helpful. We agreed that I would have sedation. Some where between that discussion & getting to the procedure room, my doctor had changed their mind and went ahead with the procedure without sedating me.

It was an extremely traumatic experience. My oesophagus is raw and swollen (which is why I was having the procedure) and they pushed the tube down my throat and twisted and manoeuvred it around. & into my stomach. I was gagging and was in such pain and shock that I find it hard to put into words. It took several painful and traumatic minutes, my eyes were watering, my mouth was running with saliva from the constant gag reflex...it truly was awful.

What allowed me to get through it was the wonderful nursing staff, who held my hand and tried to keep me calm throughout this ordeal. 

In my opinion this is not a procedure anyone should go through without some form of sedation. My doctor was a lovely person who spent time discussing my health and reassuring me and the nursing staff were tremendous but I’m baffled as to why I was put through it without our agreed sedation. To be honest it will take me some time to recover from this experience.