Endoscopy

Am having some trouble with my stomach, throat, digestion. My GP decided it was serious enough to both provide me with a new medication to try and to get an endoscopy to see if there was anything physically wrong. As luck would have it, my GE had an opening and could get me in much more quickly than my GP thought, so I had that done yesterday.

I've had two other endoscopies done in the past, for similar reasons. In one they found a large ulcer in my throat and discovered I have a hiatal hernia, in the other they could not figure out what was causing my issues. In both cases, however, since I was under the effects of the "twilight" medication (a drug derived from Valium used to keep you conscious but make it so you don't remember the procedure (or discomfort/pain from it)) the doctor spoke with my mother about the dos and don'ts, gave her an overview of what happened and what they found, and gave her the plan for going forward.

This time, however, they told ME all that information. While the doctor did provide me with a sheet that showed the main points and the going-forward plan for my medications, he, or one of the nurses, told me all of the immediate things while I was in a drug-induced haze. Even though I kept asking for them to go get my wife, who was waiting in the waiting room, they said no and kept talking to me. So, here it is the next day, and I can only barely remember bits and pieces of the conversation. I know I'm supposed to stay away from certain foods and drinks (I remember acidic drinks, but that's it), I'm supposed to watch for something, I'm supposed to go to my GP or the ER if something else happens, but I don't remember what those things are because I was medicated.

It makes no sense to me that they would sit and explain this stuff to me, especially after being very careful to tell them how well I react to the medication, that it knocks me out for the entire day, and that I do not remember most of either of the other two times I had endoscopies done because of the medication. Knowing that, as a medical professional, wouldn't you listen to your patient and go get his wife, for whom he keeps asking? Wouldn't you write everything down for him, at the very least?

Overall, I like my new GE. He's a young guy, seems to genuinely want me to be as healthy as I can be, and cares about the medications and quality of life of me (and, I assume, all his other patients). But in this one area, he and his staff really seemed to let the ball drop.