inside

Hey-yo.

Got a minute to sit down and gather some thoughts.

Endoscopy went well. I was dreading it, mostly the part where they numb your throat and you feel like you can't breathe. Happily, they skipped that part this time, woo! They put the mouth guard in and off to sleep I went.

I was sent home with pictures this time. Very cool. The initial discoveries were patchy inflammation in the stomach, as well as the entire esophagus. That's new, and also explains the new type of pain that's been more localized and in my chest.

Same as last time, a bunch of biopsies were taken and I won't know anything solid for a few weeks. Much different than last time is the recovery period. I don't remember anything too bad after the procedure last time, but this time around I was in some serious pain for a couple of days. Swallowing was painful, and the pain in my chest was worse. I think because of the tissue samples that were taken from the esophagus. Ouch.

The other Ouch: it cost $2,000. Which pisses me off because the last one cost maybe $200. Different insurance plans. I chose a high-deductible plan this year because I've been healthy lately. This is coming at a time when things have been very financially tight, and I feel like I can't get ahead. Fortunately I had enough in my HSA to cover it, but it still pisses me off how fucked up our healthcare system is.

Anyway, still trying to take it easy because this new, enhanced pain is slowly going back down to the pain that's become the new normal.