Posted on 05/05/2014 12:31:39 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
I was diagnosed with diverticulitis, watched what I ate as directed by the doctor, and I still ended up with a perforated bowel four years ago. I had no prior symptoms. The day the pain started, I had begun to take Cipro for a bladder infection (no symptoms for that either). I took one pill, and two hours later I got bad cramps on my left side. They gradually went away, and I felt good enough to make some supper. Took the second Cipro with my supper, and again, within two hours, I was in full-blown agony. Went to bed early because of the pain, got up at midnight and threw up my supper. The pain became more subdued, and I finally fell asleep.
The next day I felt better, but had tenderness in the area above my pubic bone. Thinking I was having a reaction to the medication, I called my Urologist. I had taken Cipro before without any problems, but they prescribed a different medication which I never actually got to take. That second night I lay in bed wondering if the pain and tenderness I had could be more than just a bladder infection or drug reaction. At 2 a.m., I got dressed and drove myself to the hospital. They did a CT scan with contrast, and shortly after told me I had a perforated bowel and would have to have a colostomy. Fortunately I ended up with only a temporary colostomy, and three months later was able to have it reversed. I eat no seeds, raisins, corn, popcorn or nuts. My doctor has never restricted me from seeds, but after my previous problem, I've stayed away from them totally. That means no strawberries, seeded rolls, etc. I take between 10-12 prescribed medications a day, and I often wonder if any of them could have contributed to my problem. I asked the surgeon who operated on me both times, but she said she didn't believe they played a part.
Having one in two weeks. Saved my life last year so I am grateful. Yes, the worst part is drinking ALL that fluid but now they have two smaller bottles you drink twice in a day. Not nearly as bad. Or so I hope!
A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis.
Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner.
I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, quote, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!'
I left Andy's office with some written instructions, and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven.
I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America 's enemies.
I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous.
Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation.
In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less flavor.
Then, in the evening , I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one-liter plastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons). Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.
The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose, waterybowel movement may result'.
This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.
MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here, but: have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the commode had a seat belt. When you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have not even eaten yet.
After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep.
The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, How do you apologize to a friend for something like that? Flowers would not be enough.
At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts; the kind that, when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked.
Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep.
At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this, but then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.
When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point.
Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in my hand.
There was music playing in the room, and I realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA. I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' had to be the least appropriate.
'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me.
'Ha ha,' I said. And then it was time; the moment I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.
I have no idea! Really! I slept through it! One moment, ABBA was yelling,'Dancing Queen, feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood.
Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that It was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal organ.
-Dave Berry
Remember Congressman Billybob! Have a colonoscopy.
Colon cancer is one of the least enjoyable cancer to have.
When I do not eat I get really bad migraines. With my migraines I get very nauseous. 2am was not pleasant---
Two things...1)having had two colonoscopies I can truthfully say.."the procedure itself is a piece of cake,the preparation....yikes!" 2) I had a hip replacement a few years back,the first surgery I had ever had and the first time I ever stayed in a hospital overnight.I was discharged by a physician's assistant on my third day.He asked me how things were and I said "this hurts...that hurts...etc,etc".He replied "all normal,it will pass.Remember,you've just had major surgery.Bones were cut,as were muscles and tendons.If patients knew,in advance,what was going to be done to them during a hip replacement nobody would ever consent to one".He was smiling as he said that.
FWIW-
The number itself is less important that the change and speed of change of the number (although a high number may indicate that additional testing is needed.)
What kind of ‘meds’ do you think they give folks for prostate cancer? (Hint, the treatments are either radiation or surgery).
My work partner had a bout with diverticulitis last year. They took half his large colon out. He was told to lay off anything seedy or nutty. But he has increased his intake of high fiber foods.
Sorry for the late question.
Are you saying the procedure helped you by diagnosing colitis, or that you suspect it caused it?
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/druginfo/prostatecancer
I got to mix Miralax with whatever I wanted. They recommended green or yellow Gatorade. I got yellow. I think I will use green tea in 10 years when I’m supposed to have another one. The Gatorade was just too acidic.
I had symptoms of periodic urgent diarrhea for about ten yrs until I saw red blood at which time the MD said to get a scope. At that point, the pathology report showed “infectious process”, and I was given dx of UC. I was 58 yo.
I was treated for several yrs with no success, then last resort was a yr of clinical trial which also failed. Colon removed 2009 and after two months of outside bag I was reattached with internal J-pouch.
I am sure that I was in remission all my life and after menopause the UC became active. During the whole process, I became very weak with poor immunity. I got C. Diff after a stay in hospital. Judgment was poor.
BUT I survived and am back to “normal”. God is good
wow! Glad to hear you are back to relatively normal.
I have a colonoscopy tomorrow for the 5th time in life.As it turned out... my system wasn't flushed out well enough. I had a cold, bad timing, whatever... doctor is a great guy and wasn't mad. Had me do the whole procedure again for today and went very well with nothing found. Don't need to test again for 10 years. Thank goodness... seriously had enough of that.
Just ordered Greek dinner. :)
Seriously recommend everyone 40 or 50 years-old get checked. Do it for yourself & loved ones!
Sorry, 5 years, I need to be tested in 5 years. We had talked about 2, 5, 10 years. My paper says 5 years... it’s all a blurr!
Still good. :)
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