Medical Have you ever had an optical fiber shoved up

[Dr Lots-o'watts]

... your nose and down your throat?

I had a throat ache that wouldn't go away, and so to see what was going on, they did this medical procedure.

The interesting part is that I never saw it coming. They asked questions, cleaned away ear wax, sprayed a liquid in my nostrils, and out of no where, a nurse came along with push-cart instrumentation, the physician brought a tool to my face and said: "you can close your mouth, I'm going through your nose." No anesthetics, nothing. Saying :"EEEEEEEE" on demand and taking very deep breaths were my distractions during the 1 minute procedure, except if I dared to glance at the live broadcast pharynx network on the monitor next to the nurse, which I wasn't really in the mood for at the time.

It does show how people skills are important for a physician, along with hi-tech tools. Had I known what was coming, perhaps I wouldn't have been so "cooperative". (hard to run away once the pipe is in there...)

The good news is that pills should make the ache go away, and there should be nothing to worry about.

And no, sorry, I didn't ask for the .mpeg

 

[lisab]

What was the diameter of the instrument? Did it make you want to sneeze? Or gag?

 

[Proton Soup]

maybe the spray up your nose had anesthetic?

i'm a bit confused about the earwax thing, but maybe that's the point.

 

[Dr Lots-o'watts]

I didn't get a good look, but certainly smaller than my little finger or a pencil. It wasn't a snug fit, in the sense that it didn't touch the entire "tunnel circumference" simultaneously. I could sort of feel it "bumping walls".

There was no pain, but it wasn't comfortable. No sneezing reflex, or gag reflex during the procedure. I just felt like running away, but rethinking the entire pre-exam, everything seemed to make so much sense. The assistant who examined me before the head physician came did depress the tongue far enough to provoke the gag reflex. He seemed so incompetent, but while I had the instrument inside, I was thinking :"That's why he's going through the nose instead of the throat!" "That's why he asked me if I had a stuffy nose!" "He cleaned my ear to distract me, so I wouldn't plan an exit strategy!"

I got out with a quite a heart rate, a little sweaty, and a little shaken, but with a big smile, and very impressed, saying to myself "Dang! They got me gooood!" and being very thankful. First time I was truly impressed by a physician. (as far as my own medical history is concerned.)

 

[Dr Lots-o'watts]

I think the ear wax cleaning was exactly to confuse me. The nose spray was most likely lubricant. Not sure if anesthetics can be administered this way.

 

[hypatia]

I guess that's still better then a surprise enema...