"Endoscopy & Colonoscopy"

Today I received the most exemplary care whilst undergoing both an endoscopy as well as a colonoscopy. Words cannot adequately describe the extent to which I was anxious about, and afraid of, what was to come, and yet, the staff at the endoscopy department were utterly brilliant, and my fears were quickly allayed. By far the worst part of the process was the preparation day before hand, and the only moment of true discomfort on the actual day of examination came when an anaesthetic throat spray was administered, making my entire mouth numb, including the tongue and the throat. For a few seconds I felt as though I was unable to swallow or breathe, which somewhat panicked me. Nevertheless, within seconds, the attendant nurses dispelled any notion that I would be unable to breathe and swallow, and indeed, they were absolutely correct. The sensation was rather unusual, and for that reason, panic had set in. Once calmed by the nurses, and once I settled down, I was able to breathe perfectly well, and I felt very much at ease throughout the remainder of the procedure. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the most pain I experienced all day was to my ego. It is, after all, difficult to undergo such procedures, for very obvious reasons, but the staff were utterly polite, gentle & empathetic. As you may imagine, I cannot speak highly enough of the care and attention given to me today! After the procedure I was given a wonderful cup of tea & an A-grade, chocolate-chip biscuit which truly seemed like manna from heaven after the previous hours of fasting and the mentally-exhausting & physically-draining preparation day. Thanks once again to all of the staff at the endoscopy department! Wonderful people that perform an incredibly difficult task with the utmost professionalism, and undoubtedly save many lives in the process. Thank you all! S. May