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WHAT UP DOC? : TAKING THE PANIC OUT OF PROCEDURES TIPS
Procedures will never be fun...but with the right information and the following insider
secrets, you can make them much easier to handle.
- Ask Questions
- Prep For The Prep
- If You Hate Needles
- Know What To Expect When It's Over
- If You're Having An MRI Or CT Scan
Ask Questions
As in:
- How bad is the prep?
- Will I feel anything during the procedure?
- Can my parents be with me?
- Will I be completely asleep?
- Can I bring stuffed animals or something else from home that will be comforting?
- What will I feel when I wake up?
- Can I take a tour of the endoscopy suite beforehand?
Prep For The Prep
- Do what you can to make drinking Fleet Phospho-soda, Go Lightly, or Miralax
easier. Mix it with something that has a strong taste, but make sure it's clear and
not red. But don't mix it with something you love, because it might ruin that drink
for you! If you still can't stand the taste after mixing it, plug your nose and chug.
- Chicken broth is a good way to feel like you're eating something real while you're
prepping. For a better taste, take chicken noodle soup and drain out the noodles
and vegetables instead of just drinking plain canned broth.
- Icees and Slurpees count as clear liquids, so if you like these, you're in luck.
- Eat foods you don't like anyway, so you won't associate them in the future with
procedure prep.
- Get your bathroom ready. Put a pillow in there, water, magazines, a book, music.
You'll be in there for a while.
- After you drink your prep solution, don't go anywhere. Stay very near or in the
bathroom, because the urge to purge will hit very quickly.
- If you get cramps, squeeze a pillow, stress ball, or towel to deal with the pain.
- You may throw up, too. Keep a bottle of water in the bathroom with you to wash
away the bad taste.
- Don't be surprised if you don't sleep the night before a procedure because of the
gas, cramps, and pooping. On the bright side, you'll be able to sleep while the
test is going on.
If You Hate Needles
- Remind yourself that the pain of a needle stick isn't nearly as bad as stubbing
your toe, getting kicked in the shin, or even getting a paper cut. You might even
keep in mind that compared to the pain of stomach cramps and diarrhea, a sharp
little pointy thing is small potatoes.
- Don't look. Close your eyes or stare at something. Look at an interesting poster,
person, or even just a cool-looking blob on the ceiling. If it helps, ask the
technician to tell you when she or he is about to stick you.
- Distract yourself. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly, then take another. If
you'd rather, chat with someone or ask them to tell you a joke.
- If the person inserting the needle, either for a blood test or an IV, doesn't get the
vein in one or two tries, it's okay to ask for someone else to do it.
Know What To Expect When It's Over
After a scope test, you might wake up feeling:
- Groggy. Maybe even a little happy or silly.
- Like you don't know what the heck just happened to you.
- Like you have no idea how much time has passed.
- Bloated and gassy. Go ahead and pass gas in the recovery room. Nobody will
laugh; in fact, it's a good sign and they'll probably encourage it.
- Hungry and/or thirsty. You'll be given snacks like cookies, juice, crackers, and
even popsicles. If you want, bring your own pre-approved munchies.
You might be in the recovery room for a while. Then you'll be able to go home and eat
normally, and even go back to school later that day or the next.
If You're Having An MRI Or CT Scan
- You don't always have to wear a gown. If you don't have anything metal on you
(that means jewelry, belt buckles, and even pocket change), you can probably
wear your own clothes.
- If you're claustrophobic or just can't stand lying still, close your eyes and use the
power of your imagination to take yourself someplace else. Maybe you're on a
beach listening to waves crash. Maybe you're taking a walk with your newest
crush.
- If the "tube" factor really freaks you out (and that's normal), ask your doctor if you
can have the test done at an "open" MRI facility.
- Although nobody can be in the room with you, know that the technician is just
next door and can hear and see you at all times.
- During an MRI, you'll hear super-loud thumping noises, but you can usually
request earplugs. You might even be able to listen to music that's piped into the
MRI tube.
- Try to lay really still during the scan. This will actually make the test time much
shorter.
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