So can you tell us about the bronchoscopy from the beginning?
Alright, we went into the theatre and I was lying flat, it looked like an operating table. The, presumably a doctor, she didn't look old enough to be one, they put an, (pause) injection into your throat. You're wide awake, there's, not given even anything to keep you calm, no sedatives or anything and I think it was her first day of ever doing them. She had five attempts at me, and by this time I wasn't very happy at all (laughs).
Was it an injection in your throat or a spray?
No the injection goes through into your throat, it's sort of, it's sprayed into and you've got to cough which that is then the anaesthetic for them to put the scope down.
So where does the injection go in?
Into your throat, [points to mid throat area] sort of yeah just below your voice box really.
How did that feel?
Painful, and of course with her having sort of five attempts at it, twice she tried with me lying down, then they sat me up and I had to put my head right back.
What was she trying to do, can you explain?
She was trying to get the needle into my throat, and in the end the consultant he said, "I'll do it." He was looking at the monitor, that was what he was there for to look at the monitor but he in the end didn't have much faith in her, I don't think that she was ever going to get it right. And of course I was getting very agitated by then and so he did it and he did it first time and I didn't feel a thing when he did it. I had to cough, which it's a real cough and splutter, which is the anaesthetic, that it just deadens your throat down and they put the scope down. You don't feel anything then at all.
Did anybody explain to you what was going to happen before you went down for the bronchoscopy?
No, whether that's a good idea or not I don't know because if I had to have to another one I should kick against it or say "Well if you're going to do it you'll have to put me out," because it was a terrible experience. But other people have had a lot more that I've spoken to since and you know it's not pleasant but they didn't have the experience that I had so
You're the first person that's told me that you've had an injection into the throat from outside. Other people have had sprays at the back of their throat.
Yeah, no this was, it went right, well I mean the bruise was there, sort of just down at the bottom, there.
Poor you.
I mean alright it didn't last long sort of twenty four hours later I was alright but I mean the bruise was still there (laughs) as if I'd been punched in the throat. |
