Thursday at 8am Joe is to have a Barium swallow test...I thought it was called an upper GI. The doctors want him to do this to "map" his esophagus. Then at 9am he sees the surgeon who'll be doing his surgery to remove the tumor.

It's a 1 1/2 hour drive to Iowa City, so, we'll be getting up real early tomorrow.

Joe's never had this barium swallow test before, if you have, you'll know it's nasty thick glop they have to drink, then watch this junk flow through your digestive system via xray. Once it's done, you have to wait quite a long time for the barium to exit your body. It constipates you so this could be a while. Blechhhhh!!!!!!!Glad it's not me having the barium swallow test.

When Joe had colon cancer, one doctor wanted him to have a barium enema, another said for him to have a colonoscopy...which would have to be done as a follow up to the enema. So, I'm wondering if this barium swallow is just a ruse to suck more $ from Joe's health insurance.

I hate to be cynical but, I have to wonder.