Tenacious endoscopy capsule still stuck -- yuck alert!

I’m disappointed, but not surprised.

The capsule is still stuck. Or, rather, it’s stuck again, in a different place. No doubt, it’s entrapped by a different stricture farther along in my small bowel.

Here's an iphone photo I took of the image on the radiology tech's computer screen. The image on the right is the X-ray I had at Granger Medical Center in December. The image on the left is the X-ray done at the same clinic on Monday, January 14, two days ago.

It looks like it's retreated to a higher position. "Geographically," that's true. But remember that the small bowel loops around and up and down countless times in the abdomen. And peristalsis (the bowel’s normal contraction-and-release cycle) does not usually move bowel contents back toward the stomach, but rather toward expulsion.

Anatomically, the capsule is now probably lower than, or distal to its position before the double-balloon enteroscopy, during which the higher, or proximal stricture was dilated.

They want to X-ray again in two weeks to see if it passes by then. I have no reason to expect that it will, given my history. But if it does, Hallelujah!

Meanwhile, it’s obvious to me that the capsule is intermittently blocking the way, preventing normal movement through my small intestine, then backing off. I know this because my bowel patterns are alternating between brief, normal-ish (for most people) periods and “frequent flyer” hours or days that I can best describe as resembling a bowel prep for a colonoscopy. If you’ve had one, you know what I mean. If not – lucky you!

I’m not having complete obstructions, though. I’m grateful for that. In a partial obstruction, anything solid backs up behind whatever is in the way (a tight stricture, for instance, or in this case, the endoscopy capsule and a stricture), and only liquid gets through, causing the bowel-preppish experience, accompanied by cramping and bloating. Then, when natural peristalsis allows, it backs away, letting through the solids that can get through the stricture. This causes the normal-ish bowel movements.

Sigh. I know. More than you wanted to know.

I’m grateful for medications that help me through this. I’m hoping to avoid a full obstruction that would hike my Prednisone back up again, now that I’m almost off of it. But if a full obstruction occurs, I’m ready for it.

Praying for the best, and going on with life.

Take care of yourself!

Beth