8:56AM ET: So, we have arrived in Philadelphia. Arrived 20 minutes late, but they took Colleen back relatively quickly. Her testing is about to begin. It is going to be a long day & night, but here is hoping we get some more answers. She is having a more detailed gastric emptying study (6 hr) plus a small bowel motility study. The test will require Colleen to have a tube inserted that will not be taken out until tomorrow morning.
9:26AM ET: Tip: When you have a long day ahead of sitting in a waiting room, ration your Candy Crush Saga lives.
9:28AM ET: Doctor's offices are so "funny". One of the doctors requested a patient come back in 4 weeks. The girl at the front desk told the patient that the next available is in mid-December.
10:27AM ET: Colleen now has the tube inserted. It is going to monitor her small intestine for about 24 hours. She is experiencing a very uncomfortable/sore throat. It is going to be a long night for her.
10:28AM ET: Colleen just went back to eat her radioactive egg sandwich in preparation for her gastric emptying study. Another woman having the same study came out complaining about the sandwich while Colleen was sitting here. Thanks for that.
10:34AM ET: The husband of the woman who complained about the sandwich is now scolding her for not finishing the sandwich. I am far from perfect, but I at least know how insensitive it would be to yell at someone dealing with a stomach condition for not finishing the meal given to them.
10:48AM ET: Colleen ate the sandwich. They will be taking X-Rays at intervals all day, and she will need to fill out a questionnaire after each interval about how she is feeling, etc.
11:53AM ET: The half-hour intervals are now over. Now, she goes back for X-rays every hour for the next several hours. What they are measuring is how quickly the egg sandwich she ate earlier is digesting.
12:16PM ET: The couple mentioned above is still complaining about the egg sandwich. Perhaps next time they will offer you a menu of many different radioactive food options? I sense a billion dollar idea.
12:47PM ET: Interesting fact: The technician told Colleen that only Temple and Mayo Clinic do a 6 hour gastric emptying study. The accepted standard is 4 hours, and the 90 minute test (Colleen's original test) is not really considered useful anymore. The 6 hour test should show them exactly where her digestive issues are originating from.
12:50PM ET: Colleen was also asked to drink water in addition to eating the sandwich. They are also monitoring how liquids flow through her body.
1:47PM ET: Tiredness is starting to set in. Waiting an hour between intervals is torture for Colleen. The discomfort of the tube isn't helping matters. "Only" 3 more intervals to go.
2:37PM ET: A woman and her son are also here. He has been dealing with Gastroparesis since he was 3 years old. She described Dr Fisher as her last resort. It took them a year to get in to see him. Completely heartbreaking. They are going to undergo the same test Colleen is having now on Friday.
3:35PM ET: Everything is dying down here. Only Colleen and one other patient remains. Only one hour to go until we can finally get out of here.....
4:06PM ET: We are probably going to hit rush time traffic. Anyone who knows me would tell you I am not fond of city driving. City driving plus rush hour? Yikes. Colleen has been a trooper today. It has been a grind.
4:09PM ET: We have to come back tomorrow to get the tube out. Also, she will need one more image taken after the tube comes out. Should be a much shorter day, thankfully.
7:21PM ET: The patient is finally home. The tube is really bothering her....feels like there is something stuck in her throat, which technically is true. She is now resting after a very long day.
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