Monday, February 22, 2010

The perfect shade of pink!

I can't tell you how many colonoscopies I've had in the last eight years. If there is such a thing as a good colonoscopy, it is when your colon is only an inch long.

I agreed to let the doc take one more look before I pulled out my tube and the quickest way was in the office without any medication. I laid on the table, pants around my ankles, TV screen in front of me. After messing with some equipment, the exam began! For not being sedated, it wasn't THAT bad.... Well, lets just say, I've had worse exams!

He asked if I could hold on while the nurse gets the other doctor. Apparently, this was too good to miss. The door flung open behind me; we waited; door still slightly open. "It is more entertaining when I have something to watch..." So, he continued with the exam and explained everything we could see.

I have seen my colon before- Nasty, red, white, ulcerated colon. Not this time. It was the perfect shade of pink. It looked fantastic. Until I saw the BLACK HOLE!! At the very top of my j pouch was a little black hole. Maybe the size of a pinto bean. Just pulsating and breathing. "That little guys is what is causing all our problems."

When the second doc finally came in they began to discuss... Unfortunately, they can't just clip it. If they did it in the office, the tool they use is the size of a fist! So, we decided to go back into surgery.

March 1st.

The time has come!

I called my doc on Thursday to leave a message. I don't recommend you leaving a message like this unless you have a good relationship with your doctor...

The nurse assistant answered the phone and I politely asked to leave a message for the doc. She recorded my name and phone number and asked, "What's the message?" Without hesitation I said, "Can you just tell him I am going to rip this tube out if he doesn't take it out soon." "Oh my! Are you in a lot of pain?... I am so sorry. I'll let him know."

Of course he called back and acted like he just got a message to call me until he said, "How about, before you rip it out, I take one more look inside and see what our options are?"

I love my doctor!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Comes and goes

I had a rough night. Sweats, rolling on the bag at night, soooo many trips to the bathroom... Today, I'm down. I don't get a lot of sleep last night these days, even when I want to. I can't wait to get this thing off me and get some rest!

It is so hard to stay motivated just to do daily things. I don't have a demanding life but it takes so much energy to just do the dishes, or take the car in, or get out of bed.

What happened to good olde fashion Milk?

This morning, as I was preparing my coffee, I opened my refrigerator and was ecstatic to find a brand new, unopened half gallon of 2%. Ahhhhh. The thought of plain milk and coffee percolated feelings of joy in belly! I was even willing to forgo the chocolate mix-in.

We have a roommate who prefers rice milk; Eli bought plain soy. Am I the only left who buys plain milk?

Its the little things...

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Testing, one, two, three, four

I just had my fourth exam in this horrible room at the hospital. Three gastrgrafin enemas and a fistula gram. They are pretty much the same exam- they just inject the dye in different ways!

My last gastrografin brought me to tears. The doc promised they would not hurt me too much this time... I was not impressed when I had to walk into the same room as last time for the fistula gram. The fistula gram- indifferent about it. I did love that my surgeon and the technician were both in the room and were chatting it up about my intestine. "Do you think it's at the top? Are you worried if it's at the top?" And Nic knowing I'm listening to everything they say, responds, "Well, I'm not worried about it! I just wonder if it is..." I really didn't walk away with any more knowledge than when they aren't in the room, it was just unusual.

What have we learned from this exam? Not a thing... except that it is way better than the gastrofrafin. Still have the draining bag. No call from the doc yet.

With friends like these, who needs a colon?

Eli and I found out that some of our friends are playing music and raising money for my medical bills! I am brought to tears when I think too much about it. With everything that has happened the last couple years, I wouldn't trade it for my friends.

My life is pretty good!