So my nightmare came true and I ended up having to stay overnight at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. I thought I ditched that place a long time ago for good! Turns out that I had to go through a triple scope procedure that required 24 hour supervision due to my medical condition. So what is it that they checked…

• Bronchoscopy with bronchial alveolar lavage: mini scope goes through my nose and allows a closer look at one part of my lung. They also got some fluid and tissue samples to check cultures, cell count etc for any signs of aspiration or bad bacteria growing in the lungs.
• Laryngoscopy: Checking out the condition of my airway (how collapsible it is and where) and whether trach tube is still right fit
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy: try saying that quickly 3 times in a row 😵 Mini scope went through my mouth to take a closer look at esophagus (swallowing tube/food passageway), stomach, and duodenum (first part of small intestine). They also looked at my gastrointestinal tract for symptoms related to vomiting, reflux, difficulty swallowing.

Fear not, my grandma made sure I would look good by trimming my hair the night before