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Edna sits on the examination table in her doctor’s office.
Edna: A lot has happened lately. Yesterday at brunch, this morning my granola bar, the sandwich I ate in the car on the way here… It hurts when I swallow and it feels like the food is stuck.
Edna’s doctor nods and answers her.
Doc: That sounds like it could be your esophagus. It can be inflammation or a condition like GERD or eosinophilic esophagitis, which we call EoE for short. You only have one esophagus, so let’s examine that. I will order an upper endoscopy.
Edna looks uncomfortable. I’m still talking to the doctor.
Edna: That sounds a little scary.
The doctor explains the procedure to Edna using a model of the human neck. She could also access literature on her computer to illustrate the process.
Doc: It may sound scary, but it’s a pretty simple procedure.
GRAPHIC – ENDOSCOPIC TUBE
Doc: It’s done using a long, flexible tube with a camera and a light at the end that allows us to look at your upper digestive system.
Doc and Edna are talking
Edna: Will I be awake for this?
Doc and Edna are talking
Doctor: We will give you medication through an infusion to help you relax – it is not general anesthesia. You will be sleepy and probably not remember the procedure.
Edna looks at the doctor and answers her
Edna: Okay. That doesn’t sound bad.
The doctor answers
Doc: You’ll feel a little groggy afterward from the medication, so you’ll want to make sure you have someone to drive you home.
Edna asks the doctor
Edna: What happens if they find EoE?
The doctor answers her and tells her to get the test done
Doc: There are a variety of things we can do, such as medication or dietary changes. And you would have to have regular endoscopies and biopsies to monitor your esophagus and see how you are responding to treatment.
The most important thing is to make you feel better so that this doesn’t happen again and again and potentially damage your esophagus.
[SUPER] In the hospital …
Edna is now in the hospital where a nurse is preparing her for the procedure and explaining what is happening. They attach some monitors to their chests.
The nurse sprays some anesthetic spray into Edna’s throat.
Nurse: This will help us monitor your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing.
This is a small spray that numbs your throat before the procedure and provides you with greater comfort.
The examining doctor enters the room.
Doc: Hello, Edna. Looks like you’re prepared. I will use a flexible gastroscope with a light and lens to look into your throat and check for inflammation or narrowing. Maybe I’ll do a quick biopsy and send it to the lab. The entire process should take about 15 to 30 minutes.
[SUPER] In the operating room…
The doctor looks at the tissue of Edna’s esophagus on a television monitor and performs the examination. She speaks to the nurse who supports the procedure.
Doc: I see a little inflammation here.
The doctor turns to his colleagues and performs a quick biopsy.
Doc: I’ll do a quick biopsy. Give me the tweezers.
[SUPER] An hour later…
Edna wakes up in the recovery room. A nurse contacts her and brings her a cup of water to drink.
Nurse: Hello, Edna. You did great. We’re all done. You may feel a little sleepy or light-headed for a few hours. You may also feel a little bloated and have a slight sore throat, but you shouldn’t feel any pain. Call us if you experience further symptoms.
Edna answers. She is lying on a recovery bed.
Edna: Sounds good. Thank you very much.
Nurse answers
Nurse: You should take it easy for the rest of the day. Make yourself comfortable on the couch with a good TV. I may be biased, but I like Sister Jackie!
[Both laugh.]
Optional – picture of Edna curled up at home on the couch watching TV (curled up with a cat of course) if that seems to work.
For more information, visit HealthyWomen.org/EoE
This resource was created with support from Sanofi and Regeneron.
