Yesterday I had my colonoscopy and my EGD done.  Let me tell you I have had nicer procedures done.  The prep was the shits and I mean that literally :)  I was given medication to put me totally to sleep and I woke to horrid pain.  My doctor told me to expect it because of the air they fill your gut with would probably really upset my diverticulitis, yuppers it sure the hell did.  I almost woke up screaming!   But 2mg of Diludid later I felt better.  I was released and puked all the way home. :(   Not a good fucking day.   My doctor told me that the colonoscopy showed exactly what we expected, my gut is a mess and I will have to have a colon resection done in the new year.  Other than that he thought I looked okay.

Then as I was driving to work today my cell phone rang and it was my doctor and he said, “I need to talk to you are you comiing in today?”  and I told him I was on my way and would see him in about an hour.  So we met in my office and he said to me….”It is a good thing we added on the EGD because Shannon you have Barrett’s Disease with dysplasia, and we have to start aggressive treatment now.”  Well that scared the shit outta me….again literally.

So what is Barrett’s Disease or Barrett’s Esophagus.  It is abnomal lining of the esophagus and if it is dysplasia that means it has cancer cells.   Doesn’t mean I have cancer right now, it means I am at risk and that I have pre cancer cells.  See I knew it.  I have felt this swelling or lump in my throat and my voice is getting very hoarse, I thought it was my thyroid but it wasn’t and it would not go away.  It was starting to affect my swallowing and at night my breathing.   I thought it was in my mind that I just had stress, but it would not go away so when I knew I was having my colonoscopy I just asked my doctor to add on the EGD to check cause I felt this swelling and pain and I have GERD……….AND I AM SO GLAD I DID NOW!

I am a nurse and never heard of Barretts.  GERD yes cause it is common, but not Barretts as it is uncommon affecting only 10% of the population and very rare in women.    And it is caused by GERD, or rather the repeated injury from the acidic fluid of the stomach.   I have eaten TUMS or Rolaids for years because of my gut, and always thought it was stress and that I was just like my dad who always had trouble with his stomach, only recently was I dx with GERD and put on proper medicine but too late for me, the damage to my esophagus is already done.  And also thanks to the GERD I have a very large hiatal hernia at the opening of my stomach which explains the bloating and constant full feeling.  :(  

My body is betraying me!

So I guess what I am saying is….if you have GERD and are still having problems see your doctor and insist on a upper endoscopy.   Because of the increased risk of cancer with Barrett’s Esophagus it is important to get early diagnosis so that treatment can be started and routine EGD can be done to monitor for cancer cells.  

So right now I am feeling a little stunned.  A couple months ago I was as healthy as a horse and now it seems like I am being hit with a lot to handle.  Just proves what I always say, “life as you know it can change in a second”…mine sure as hell did