Tips for how to survive your upper GI (barium swallow)

[pomeerin 44]

Hi everyone, this is my first post ever but I've been lurking for a few months. I just started all the pre-op testing required by my surgeon (oddly enough the doctor requires me to jump through more hoops than my insurance does - weird!) and the first thing I did was my upper GI, also called a barium swallow. I did a lot of research on the procedure and there are some good descriptions of what happens on the internet, but NOWHERE does it say that you have to strip down to nothing if you are wearing blue Jeans or any other pants with a zipper/metal at the top, BUT if you wear something like yoga pants or leggings you can leave them on and retain your modesty and your dignity. I, of course, wore Jeans and had to be buck naked except for underwear and a crappy useless hospital gown. They make you roll around on the table over and over and over to coat your stomach properly with the vile barium suspension, so my a** was just flying in the wind. >:[ Anyway, I just wanted to post this as a warning to anybody else who will have to go in for the same procedure. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WEAR YOGA PANTS.

[Tisa 52]

Hi everyone' date=' this is my first post ever but I've been lurking for a few months. I just started all the pre-op testing required by my surgeon (oddly enough the doctor requires me to jump through more hoops than my insurance does - weird!) and the first thing I did was my upper GI, also called a barium swallow. I did a lot of research on the procedure and there are some good descriptions of what happens on the internet, but NOWHERE does it say that you have to strip down to nothing if you are wearing blue Jeans or any other pants with a zipper/metal at the top, BUT if you wear something like yoga pants or leggings you can leave them on and retain your modesty and your dignity. I, of course, wore Jeans and had to be buck naked except for underwear and a crappy useless hospital gown. They make you roll around on the table over and over and over to coat your stomach properly with the vile barium suspension, so my a** was just flying in the wind. >:[ Anyway, I just wanted to post this as a warning to anybody else who will have to go in for the same procedure. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WEAR YOGA PANTS.[/quote']

Omg I'm so sorry you had to go through that.. but on the bright side you've made a sacrifice to save the rest of us! I salute you *_____*

[FatFreeMe 37]

I didn't have to do this. They should have said something to you about what to wear for the procedure.

[Joy0125 95]

I had this in the hospital post surgery. I never would have known or would have been in the same boat. Thanks for sharing!

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

So sorry you had to go through this the way they did it! I've had many GI barium swallows and I also didn't know about the sweats or yoga pants prior to my first procedure, but I learned. Lucky for me they gave me scrub pants to wear and I was never asked to move around to coat my tummy. My worst part was the gallon ( ok, not a gallon, but it seems like it of barium you have to drink. It doesn't taste bad at all it's just the amount that got me