Adventures In Bronchoscopies

A bronchoscopy is a procedure where a flexible scope is put in your mouth and passed down your throat and into your chest area to get an inside look at your lungs.


To make a long story short... this procedure is to hopefully give me answers as to why I have had roughly:


45 respiratory infections
and 
pneumonia three times
and 
bronchitis 12 times


most since 1985 - but a few of those were from childhood.


Also, why I cannot lie down, laugh, or do anything cardiovascular without coughing and feeling short of breath.


But I am very well aware that it may not yield any answers at all.


Anyhow...I was taken back to the pre-op room at 6:45  this morning and changed into one of those lovely hospital gowns.  Just as a side note...those heated blankets they give you are FABULOUS!!!!  


I climbed on the gurney and had about 15 minutes of alone time that I could spend in prayer and I couldn't believe how calm I was.  Although this is considered a simple procedure...I had never even come close to going through something like this before. I had never had anesthesia before at any time.


A while later a talkative (and funny) man came in and got an IV started on me.  Then, after pushing mediactions through the IV, he gave me a shot in the leg. 


My only complaint: he never told me what kind of medications he was giving me.


After the shot he said, "I'm going to ask you a few medical questions quickly since you'll probably be sleeping in a few minutes."


Okay...I assumed the shot was the anesthesia that would put me to sleep.  I was naive.  


Within a couple minutes, the room started spinning and my body started tingling as I tried my hardest to make my mouth form words.  It was then I heard the nurse ask him what he gave me...8mg of morphine and benadryl!  


WHAT!  Why did I need morphine?  I was as calm as could be?  But whatever, I drifted in and out sleep as they got things ready for me....nasal canula for oxygen, blood pressure cuff, that little thingy they put on your finger to measure your heart rate and oxygenation levels. And then...I got this tremendous urge to use the bathroom!! Could not shake it off...and it was so bad that I couldn't get comfy...even with morphine.


So, I apologized profusely over and over again as they disconnected all the equipment and a nurse held me up with one hand and my IV bag with another as we walked down the hall to the bathroom.


More apologizing as I got back to the room.  The doctor came in then and I heard him say something to the anesthesiologist like "let's try a test dose of 1 or 1.25" or something like that...and then I. WAS. OUT.


I awoke about 9:50, used the bathroom once more, had a piece of toast and cranberry juice, and we were able to leave.  


Once home, I crawled in bed and slept from noon to almost 5:00.


Now I wait until June 19th when I have my follow-up with the doctor.  This is the end of the road for me.  These results will either give me the answers I have been searching for since 1985 or my answer will be "just live with it."


I pray that God will prepare my heart for the answers...whatever they may be.