(9) I like my teeth ....

2 minute read time.

FormerMember

10 Dec 2009

...... and I wasn't ready to part company with them!

No, I wasn't about to join the local rugby team, not even the ladies one! This is the story of the hospital's one and only attempt to perform an endoscopy on me. Somehow I don't think they'll bother trying again!!

It has to be said the hospital porter was lovely, very chatty and cheerful as we whizzed along the corridors. On arrival in the sparkling new endoscopy suite the welcoming committee were nice and cheerful too. Lots of reassurances and "over in a flash" type comments. Then the consultant arrived and quick introductions made. That's when it all started going wrong.

I was originally referred to this consultant but as I needed seeing urgently and he was on two weeks holiday I was referred to another consultant. Not a problem in itself but why was he here now and about to stick a camera down my throat when he should be on holiday? So I asked. Maybe it came out as gobbledegook but my question went unanswered and I was wheeled into his lair.

Standing there was a miniature nurse, ok she wasn't miniature but she was little! She wasn't much taller than me and I was lying on a hospital bed. Nice calm words about the sedative going in and blah blah blah ...........then miniature nurse tried to do some unexpected dental work on my gnashers.

Now I'm quite fond of my gnashers, we've been through a lot together, like the day when I was seven and tried to knock all of them out on the playground. (My mum cried. Interestingly she didn't cry when I came home from the park with a gaping hole in my scalp!) I'm now the proud owner of some long standing crowns and a number of character defining chips and cracks. In my hazy, sedated mind miniature nurse was trying to push my prized and superglued front teeth down my throat with great force aided by a piece of black plastic. Well I wasn't having that, so in good Bad Fairy fashion I put up a fight and tried to move the black plastic weapon away. I'm sure I tried politely and calmly to indicate that I'd prefer her not to ram the offending bit of plastic quite so hard against my teeth but it seems that the message didn't come across like that. Mr Consultant didn't want to risk his expensive camera ending up a mangled mess so called a halt to the proceedings.....miniature nurse agreed (well she would wouldn't she?)

As revenge they left me as "nil by mouth" for the next 24 hours .......grrrrrrr!!!!

Bad Fairy x

P.S. For anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of an endoscopy, they put a plastic guard in your mouth. It has a lip at the front which stays on the outside of your teeth and the rest lies inside your mouth to guide the camera down whilst protecting the camera from any inadvertent bites!

FormerMember over 15 years ago

Hi BAD Fairy, i remember when i had a

gasdoscopy, the first time i was well

sedated so i never felt or knew a thing

about it. But the second time this doctor

nearly finished me off trying to inject the

sedative, that didn,t work and it was a

nasty experience having a tube rammed

down your throat, and i swore never to

have that again unless i was knocked out.

I really feel for you, its enough to put the

bravest person off.

With Love Lucylee. xx
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sue G over 15 years ago

Hi Bad Fairy

I had an endoscopy but insisted they put me out. Luckily I kept my teeth intact.

Sue x x
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FormerMember over 15 years ago

If It Helps,

Anyone who has an endoscopy examination and if during the proceedure damage is done to your teeth you can make an appointment with a Dentist get the Damage fixed and its the Hospital policy to re-emuburce any cost to you the patient.

Some Hospitals may differ but I can assure you its happened to me a few times and any damage that was done during the endoscopy was paid for by the Hospital.

P.S. keep the receipts and forward them when the Dentist,s finished. for reimbursement to Consultant.

Take care and be safe. Sarsfield.xx
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FormerMember over 15 years ago

Bad Fairy - I Have to ask, but is there a 'Tooth Fairy' in the family anywhere ??

You know - I think some of these blogs should be printed & put together in a journal of peoples experiences.The could be made available to people when they are sitting in the waiting rooms / having treatment. I'm sure that to read the lighter (hope choice of word is ok ) side of this would help a lot of people to see a way through and realise people do & can cope with this (those with C & their carers / family). To me it's more personal & real than somebody in a uniform telling us things when they haven't really endured any treatment etc (as good & caring as they are).

Jewels x
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FormerMember over 15 years ago

Thanks for the comments again everyone.

Sarsfield, that's good to know they'd pay up if needed. My last crown cost nearly £400 ... hence why I wasn't keen to have it knocked out!

Jewels, "lighter" is fine with me! I try to look on the lighter side of things otherwise life can become very dark and dismal. We all have to deal with reality but there isn't a rule book that I've found telling you the "right" way of coping. I can only hope that my personal accounts and thoughts of dealing with cancer and all of its baggage will maybe let one person see that it's ok to have a sense of humour about a serious subject if it helps that individual. On the other side of the coin I hope it makes one person who maybe has a friend with this disease remember that that friend is still the person they always were.

Oh and the Tooth Fairy sleeps during the day (she only does night work) on a little Tooth Fairy sized four poster under Miss Bad Fairy's bed. She occasionally has a holiday and goes to stay with a couple of naughty Pixies we know!

Bad Fairy x
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