Ever since my "Burning" post, I've been suffering from terrible heartburn on a weekly basis. So, yesterday I went to Mercy Hospital of Anderson to get an EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy). I had been dreading the day, but not for the reason you'd expect. The actual procedure didn't scare me at all - all they do is put a small camera down your throat and look around. No hacking away with a scalpel or anything. The thing I dreaded was getting an IV for the anesthetic. It's like getting stabbed deeply and you can't take it out. I can deal with getting shots because the instrument of destruction is immediately removed, but IVs make me sick. I know it's all in my head, but intrusive thinking is hard to ignore.

So anyway, I had to get an IV and wait for 20 or more minutes with the thing sticking into me. I was extremely uncomfortable. I told the nurse this and he said, "Good. People that like needles aren't good people." I thought that was pretty tite. My dad tried to distract me by talking, but I was focused on the thing. Finally, they wheeled me back into the surgery room where the doctor joked around with me and the nurse injected my IV with the anesthetic. Finally. Within seconds I began to feel drowsy and everything got blurry. I can very dimly recall saying that things "looked funky" and the nurse said it was a good thing. I woke up somewhere else with my parents around, but I can't seem to remember much of it. I can remember having double vision for a bit but it's all very hazy. I can't even remember them taking the IV out. I think I might have needed help getting to the car, but I can't remember anything from then until when I woke up on my parents' couch three hours later. At least I didn't hallucinate like when I had my teeth pulled many years ago.

So anyway, it sounds like nothing terrible has happened to me and I'll have to try something else for my GERD.