T.E.E. Test next week

[stilldreamin]

Thank you so much Deano89 for telling about your experience with the Tee... I am most definitely going to make sure I'm sedated!
The soonest I was originally able to get an appointment for a Tee test was the end of January... the cardiologist wasn't happy with that since they're still talking January for my surgery, so all of a sudden I got a phone call with an appointment for my Tee on the 23rd of December. I'm anxious to get these tests over with and have a date for the surgery... this waiting is horrible.
Mentally, most days I'm good, and am just accepting all this. Other days I go out of my mind, and still others I actually break down. If I could be physically active I don't think it would be this bad.

ok, more advice for this Tee test?

 

[Dawn-Marie]

Hi ~ There really is not much else to say about the TEE, except that you can't eat or drink anything after Midnight. I did have a sedation called Versid (i think that's how it's spelled) and it worked very well. Last thing i remember the nurse told me he was giving me "happy juice" and then i woke up in my room. I don't remember anything except swishing the liquid to numb my throat, which wasn't bad at all. They watched me for a couple hours and made sure i could eat and keep food down and then let me go home. It wasn't bad at all (and i had been scared at the thought of a tube being put down my throat).

I hope you have an easy time like i did.

Best wishes,

Dawn-Marie

 

[deano89]

hi
you have read my experience i made the mistake of not take the sedation .i think looking back i was almost fighting the process
if you are having theTEE you are not allowed to eat for 12 hours prior but are aloud to have sips of clear fluid up to 2 hours before the procedure, then your not allowed to drive for 12 hours they are the guidelines i was given
when i arrived they filled out questionaire about my history then got taken through to the room had a cannular fitted in back of my hand , then i just had 5 squirts of anestetic squirted at the back of the throat i had to swallow that then another 5 and swallow again its a really weird sensatation almost like u cant swallow ,they then fitted a bite gaurd put some gell on the TEE then fed the tube through the bite gaurd then down my throat which the doc moved to different depths to see the heart ,then they put a salt solution in the cannular made me cough and this shows wether there are any holes in the heart then they removed the TEE it was only in for approx 5mins i was then explianed what it showed then disharged and allowed to go home
hope this explains some of what to expect after reading the replies i had, i think everything is much easier with the sedation probably because you are in a very relaxed state good luck and hope it goes well for you

 

[ponytaila1a]

I was so worried I canceled the first scheduled TEE. When I finally had it done I felt silly for being concerned. Spray, swish.....sleep.....too easy. I realized later that this is the same as an "upper GI" that is done routinely for gastro problems. Only, of course, the upper GI goes on to the stomach. I thought when I was told about the procedure that it was some "special" heart procedure and that they may actually bring the camera close to my heart. I don't know how I thought it would get out of the esophagus!!
Relax....nothing to worry about.

 

[hall]

I had no trouble at all. I did take sedation. You will be fine. Sounds much worse than it is. I slept through it all. (gratefully).

 

[Kari72]

I just had a TEE done last Monday and it was a piece of cake. I slept through the whole thing and they let me go home right after I woke up and spoke with the Dr. My throat was a little sore the next day, but that was it! So good luck, and it's not bad at all.

 

[Nupur]

No fluid for 10 hours

No fluid for 10 hours

Just want to mention in response to deano that my doctor said no to any fluids for 10 hours. It was hard because my test was scheduled in the afternoon.

The procedure itself turned out to be fine, although I was very freaked out.
I opted for less sedative because I wanted to hear what she (the cardio) had to say afterwards. They did not put anything into the IV until I was wheeled into the room. After spraying the fluid, she asked me not to swallow until she says and then started putting it in, and I think I did swallow or have the gag motion but it was already in. I was awake through the picture taking process, which seemed to me about 15-20 minutes. A nurse stood by my side wiping the drool and telling me I was doing great. And then it was over, and I was taken back to the waiting area and released within 1/2 hour.

You should opt for full sedation, if you think it will be too traumatic. I had to take a Xanax which probably made it easier.

Nupur

 

[zipper2]

Jen,it's not too,too bad (really) the anticipation of the waits worse.

16 years ago before accepting all this and having the tee done

really they had to straight jacket me,cus i fought so bad but,all was

so negative back then for me,i had one done in 2006 when i caught

the endocarditis and just had one done in sept for 2nd upcoming,surgery

i found last 2 times better to relax,they give you as much sedative as

feel you need ,once down your throat it wasn't bad for me and like

Nuper i stayed easy calm,so i could hear them talk about the test

i had no food or drink for 12 hours prior and the test goes quicker if

you don't try and fight it,they sprayed my throat and i was so hungry

afterward,but they had to keep checking my gag reflex from freezing

before they'd feed me. To make sure i was able to swallow properally

from the freezing ,before allowed food,in my opinion id do a tee sooner

than a cath,but thats another story for me regarding the cath.

You will do fine,its the worse wear to wait,to have the tee.

Good luck,you will be fine and in my thoughts and prayers for test.

zipper2 (DEB)

 

[deano89]

you my want look at this explains things quite well http://www.heartsite.com/html/tee.html#preparing

does seem to be different guidlines given as to having clear fluids before procedure! but it was stressed only sips of clear fluids.