Having my first Pill Cam Tomorrow! Gotta Question

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Jennifer

Jennifer

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I'm taking the fake capsule first to make sure the real one wont get stuck tomorrow morning at 8am. Getting my x-ray at 2pm on Wednesday (30 hours later I was told) to see if its still there.

I'm wondering though, since the directions say to go on a liquid diet for a while (started it this afternoon), should I do my usual routine? Normally on Tuesdays I help out my grandpa with his physical therapy so there's a lot of bending and lifting along with stress involved. I'm wondering if that would be a bad thing or a good thing. Could be good in case my normal routine affects the test in any way but could be bad since I'm on a liquid diet and I wonder if I would have the strength (wasn't able to go to the store and prepare for a liquid diet so I may not get enough nutrients, then again its only one day and I can eat again at 4pm tomorrow). What to do...

Also, is it hard to swallow? Feels huge in the bag.

Anything else I should know?
 
57 views, no replies yet. Oh well. Guess I'll just do my normal routine and just jump in head first. I'll check in tomorrow but I'll have taken the pill by then.
 
I was interested in the answer too as Im sure one day I will have one of these. Sorry I dont have the answers your looking for Crabby but I would love to hear how it goes for you. Good Luck.
 
Thank you SherryLynn. I'll post later to say how I'm doing and then will share about the x-ray results. :)
 
Didn't sleep well at all last night so I'm running low on energy. Still plan on doing my normal routine.

Got up and took the pill. It was about 5x the size of my multivitamin. :p Put some water in my mouth, dropped it in and swallowed. Didn't taste like anything but tried going down sideways then quickly corrected itself as if it were weighted on one end. Weird. So far I just feel minor cramping on the upper right.
 
I cramped with the real one, and was sick as well after taking the prep, the camera did it's job and went through with no problem.
 
I was sick while taking the prep as well. But, didn't have any problem with the camera and mine too went through with no problem. Hope all went well with you as well:)
 
So far this fake pill has done nothing but given me diarrhea. Why do we have to take so much prep for a scope when we can take a few little pills of whatever this giant pill is made out of? :p

Dunno if I've passed it or not but my entire abdomen has been cramping all day.

I was able to do my normal routine, just had to make frequent bathroom trips.

X-ray tomorrow around 2pm.
 
Had the x-ray done. So far no results. Didn't see anything obvious while lying on the table but I was told that the radiologist should get the results to my GI by the end of the day. Should hear something tomorrow and if I don't get a call by 4 or so then I'll call my GI and see what's up.

I was a tad concerned cause I hadn't gone to the bathroom all day until just about an hour ago and it wasn't much. I usually go more than that. Hopefully its not stuck in there. I sort of doubt it is cause I don't have any other symptoms but we'll see.
 
GI office has the x-ray results but GI hasn't looked at them yet. :/ Really? Waiting to get a call for the real pill cam appointment. If I had an obstruction I'd know what to do at least. :p
 
scrapnteacher - Still no call back on when I'll do the real pill cam. Probably waiting for insurance approval. So far all I've done is the fake pill to make sure I didn't already have a blockage. I don't like not hearing bout my x-ray results but I guess no news is good news, plus I'm pretty sure I don't have a blockage from it (still having BMs, no unbearable pain and no vomiting or nausea either).

Edit: I'm trying to contact my GI office and see if my GI will call me back and at least give me the x-ray results and while I have him on the phone I'll inquire about the real pill cam test. Too bad they have a 2 hour lunch so I have to wait another 35min. :/
 
The receptionist said she would give him my message to call me with the results. We'll see how long it takes to get a call back.
 
Got a call from the X-ray department at the hospital (dunno why they called me) and requested info on why I got the x-ray. :/ I told them why and what I did and all that and they said it was all clear though so that's good.

Then got a call from my GI not long after saying that my x-ray was all clear (ya, I heard :p). So he said someone from his staff will schedule me for the real pill cam soon. Just waiting for a call back. He asked how I did with the pill cam and I told him it gave me tons of diarrhea and he said, "huh..." as if he never heard that happening before. Oh well. My insides are special I guess.

My GI also told me that my CRP has changed since I lowered the Entocort. Went from a 3 to 5.5 in a month. I suggested it may be my arthritis, he said it was possible but hopefully the pill cam will shed some light on the real story. Neither of us are too concerned about the rising CRP as its not high at all really (normal is like 4.9...something or other...repeated) so for now continue with 6mg of Entocort and continue taper after 2 weeks is up to 3mg for 2 weeks then quit.
 
Doctor called me back yesterday, celiac disease was negative so I'm having pill cam on Friday. Most things I've read said no prep, not the case with my doctor! Oh well, at least it is just the miralax and duclolax prep. I can live with that. We'll see what the pictures find!!
 
Knowing my doctor he'll probably have me drink Moviprep, barium and then another test pill cam since I told him it gave me diarrhea. ;P just kidding.

Why can't we just eat tacos, salad or something we KNOW gives us diarrhea? :p
 
So I got a call today and the pill cam was scheduled to next Friday August 3rd at 9am.

I'm told the day before (you'll love this scrapnteacher), that I can eat breakfast and lunch then after lunch I go on a liquid diet until 10pm where I cannot eat or drink anything before the pill cam. No prep! :p Sort of.

Problem is I have another appointment that day (2:45pm in another city). Anyone know how long I'll be in the GI office for? I imagine I swallow the thing and wear some fancy belt or something and then get to go home (me thinks). Am I right or are they going to keep me there and stare at me all day? o_O

Edit: Reading this: http://www.givenimaging.com/en-us/healthcareprofessionals/pages/FAQs.aspx

"A patient fasts for 10 hours prior to the procedure, then swallows the PillCam SB video capsule with a glass of water. Images and data are acquired as the PillCam SB capsule passes through the digestive system over an 8-hour period. This information is transmitted via a SensorArray to the portable DataRecorder attached to a belt worn around the patient's waist. Once the patient swallows the capsule they can continue with their daily activities. After eight hours they return to the physician’s office with the DataRecorder so the images can be downloaded, and a diagnosis can be made."

I have to come back the same day?
 
You're right. It'll only take a few minutes for you to swallow the pill and for them to get you all hooked up. Maybe about 1/2 hour at the very most. They'll tell you what time you need to return for them to unhook you and then you'll be on your way to where ever you plan to go.
 
That is so not fair!!!

My doc told me they have you swallow the pill, strap on the jet pack, and send you on your way. I have to be there at 7:30 a.m. and return at 3:30 p.m. I hope I get to eat something after I take it. I'll update tomorrow night!
 
Oh please do update! Its starting to sound like I'm gonna have to change the appointment date because I don't have a car and my parents will be helping me get to my GI (like a 30 min drive after I take the bus to their place). But my other appointment is in the city I live in which means they'd have to drive me back home, then back to the GI, then back home again. I don't see this working out. Shoot! :angry-banghead:
 
I still had tp take a mlld "prep" drink at a set time (can't remebember exactly when) after swallowing the pill cam. This prep made me sick just before I was allowed to eat again, other than that is was ok. All the best for the 3rd August
 
I'm gonna call tomorrow and ask for more info. They never freely give up information at my GI office unless I ask. But if I don't know to ask or don't know the right questions, then I never get the info. :p
 
Called the GI office, was told that I'd have to come back at 5pm so I said I'd need to reschedule. Waiting for a call back from the woman who does the scheduling.
 
Sorry crabby, if you're still wondering, I was allowed to start clear liquids approx 3 hours after and solids maybe an hr or so later. I still have my notes at home if you'd like specifics... also, a somewhat humorous aspect, as my GI put the belt on me he said "no matter what you end up looking like you're wearing a bomb". This might actually get you some looks if you end up taking the bus... I didn't but my friend did w a holter monitor and he said he was getting some nervous glances
 
I've worn a holter monitor a few times but always had it under my clothes. I'll wear something baggy. Thanks!
 
This is so stupid. I called the GI office twice today saying I needed to reschedule and I was told they would get back to me this afternoon. Its after 7pm, there's no way they are calling today. Have to wait till Monday.
 
For my pill cam, I still had to be NPO for 2 hours, then I could have clear liquids (that diet coke never had a chance!), after 4 hours I could have a light lunch.

Crabby - with my monitor, it was still on my hip but it just looked like fanny pack except for the 8 wires coming out from under my shirt going into it! :) It wasn't bad though. I was just so tired from prep night that I had a migraine. When I got home, I ordered pizza for the family and crashed at 6:30 p.m., sleeping for 14 hours! I feel a lot better today but the gurgling is REALLY loud this morning. :)

Hope they call on Monday, stay on them, that's how I got mine within a week. Now I just have to wait for results...just, what a funny word.
 
At this point I'm just gonna try and keep the appointment but I have to convince my parents that its a good idea. Lucky me even my parents aren't answering their phone. This is crap! I don't want to push the pill cam further back. Sooner, fine, but not weeks later.
 
Mom just called me back. She said to keep the appointments and we'll just drive back and forth all day. :p Don't want to wait any longer on either appointment cause that's my Rheumatoid specialist and I've been waiting like 3 months for that appointment.
 
I just want to warn people, please be very careful with Pillcam's if you might have Crohns, you want to be very sure it doesn't get stuck. I currently have one stuck in my SB for 4 weeks now and it is bothering me a lot... Food is getting past and I don't have any symptoms, but clearly there are problems down there and there is a very real possibility it might move and cause a serious blockage elsewhere.

Long air travel is a worry; going on vacation is a worry, and even being any distance from a hospital is a worry. If it doesn't come out soon I will need to schedule surgery but the timing isn't good, and abdominal surgery is not generally not to be taken lightly.

I would recommend
- definitely take at least one dummy capsule to test (unfortunately I was not offered it)
- has the SB been carefully analysed by CT for any issues that might cause it to stick?
- consider the real chance that you might need serious abdominal surgery to remove in a few days or weeks

Apparently the risk is 5% that it might get stuck for Crohns patients - that's too high if you ask me!
 
Crabby said:
So I got a call today and the pill cam was scheduled to next Friday August 3rd at 9am.
Click to expand...

I'm not crazy. I see it right here in my post and on both calenders (one in the hallway and one in my purse). They all have the same date and time. YET when I called the GI office today telling them that I don't want to reschedule and to keep the appointment AS IS, I'm told that my appointment is TUESDAY the 7th. WTF? I haven't been drinking (I swear!).

How could I mix up Friday with Tuesday and the 7th with the 3rd? I think they switched the appointment without asking what time and day I wanted like the jackasses they are.

What the hell man???????????????? D:

:voodoo: :mad: :angry-banghead: :runaway: :facepalm: :quack: :crab: :cry: :pale: :emot-nyd: :( :shifty: :frown: :mad2: :yrolleyes: :ybatty:
 
Aw Man Crabby I'm sorry!

sounds like someone got your message, rescheduled and then forgot to let you know then when you called they just saw your new date...

I'm glad you didn't have to do a prep, but an all liquid day is not fun either!

Gnarly, for what its worth, I just had both, a trapped pill cam and surgery (although I went into it with the purpose of testing if I needed surgery). I also had a blockage last year and I'm so glad I did the surgery. I spent the same amount of time in the hospital for both and I feel so much better after I healed from the surgery
 
So was supposed to start fasting today for the pill cam tomorrow but got a call from the GI office this morning saying that the request was denied by my insurance (Medi-Cal). They are appealing the decision but so far, no pill cam.

I'm worried that they will also deny the Humira too. :(
 
I just don't understand. It's not like surgery is cheaper or anything. :voodoo:
 
Grr

I can confirm it is significantly cheaper than surgery from looking @ my bills
Insurance companies can be so infuriating!
 
I can pretty much assure you that there's some sort of actuarial based algorithm that spits out "Deny" when the numbers make them think it'll make them more money, especially in the short term when executive bonuses are at stake. Who cares about the long term, "We'll just raise everyone's rates 15% lol". And the "do what is best for the patient" variable has very little weight.
 
Me too. I got a letter from my insurance stating why it was denied.

"This test is used to diagnose Crohn's disease. As you have already been diagnosed with Crohn's disease, capsular endoscopy is therefore not approved."

"This service is not considered medically necessary based upon InterQual and/or California Medi-Cal Criteria rules."

Guess I don't have to have anymore scopes or any other tests ever again. :p
 
Nope. Welcome to Medi-Cal. :D Its free but certainly isn't easy. I've been jumping through their hoops since I was a kid. I will give them a bloody nose if they deny the Humira though. :mad2:
 

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