Tuesday, November 22, 2016

My first and last colonoscopy

What is this? The end of the line. Perhaps they included this photo to prove they went all the way there. Looks somewhat like a rose, n'est-ce pas?
Perhaps a glass representation of  appendiceal orifices
or a glass bead coil representative of a digestive system

Done and done! At my current rate of getting a colonoscopy, I won't need another until I am almost eighty. And as they could find nothing the least suspicious yesterday, I assume I am at low risk for colon cancer. As I seem high risk for additional breast cancer, I will concentrate screening efforts there. Steve on the other hand, is at much higher risk with family members who have had it. Plus it is much more common in Ashkenazi Jews.

I stopped taking my baby aspirin more than a week in advance. I take it as a breast cancer and stroke preventative. Also it allegedly protects against colon cancer. On the other hand, it probably contributes to my heart burn. Three days before, I was to stop eating anything with seeds (goodbye big bowl of raspberries)nuts, beans, and corn. Then 24 hours of fasting. I prepared a gallon of vaguely lemon flavored, nausea producing poly vinyl alcohol solution. Half was to be consumed during the early evening before; the other half in the middle of the night. I began gulping this stuff down a cup at a time every 15 minutes per instructions. Aside from feeling nauseous, nothing seemed to be happening. I asked friends but everyone had a different prep. Finally consulted the net. They said something for sure will happen in less than an hour. If not, I should call somebody. On a Sunday night? And what would they tell me? Anyway, it took more than 3 hours for this solution to take effect and it was not pleasant. Maybe I have a very slow system. Sleep was impossible.

I was so drugged with the fentanyl and Versed, I felt nothing and remembered nothing other than being introduced to the doctor right before I was drugged who looked like he just graduated high school. They also had trouble finding a vein probably because I was dehydrated. I pointed out the good one on my right but they had my records right there; nothing ever should  be done on the right side due to the cancer on that side.

I had been keeping my weight secret from myself to no good effect. I did think I weighed a lot less a year ago a judged by how baggy clothes were on me versus bursting at the seams 7 weeks ago. Include in the print-out was my weight  a year ago when I went to a pre-surgery physical. Yep I was a lot lighter but now, especially after this awful weekend, I am down 20 pounds. Still a long way to go. Maybe March I will be Svelte Sue.

I slept the rest of the day. Naomi was over but I didn't even talk to her. Josh and Allie  came for dinner. I told them I couldn't go out so Steve brought stuff in. Then I went to sleep again not waking until 2 am.

It is cold out there but as it is sunny and windless, I will go for a long run. Plus it is late enough for the traffic to have died down on that major road I have to cross.

1 comment:

Teri Bernstein said...

the colonoscopies out here are done with propofol, which both knocks you out and produces a mild euphoria that lasts the rest of the day. It is ALMOST worth the prep...though I understand that this was the drug that was fatal to Michael Jackson...BTW--I am in the same boat as you--perfect results and not much risk. Also, the older one gets, the less likely the disease will progress with enough speed to be a life-threatening problem.

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