[Bob Ireland]

***that’s very scary. Did you go to the doctor today? Did you tell them? What’s your son say?***

My son should probably have overridden my wishes and called an ambulance. He knew how much I valued my appointment today, an appointment I had waited some time for, which will set me up for something else in June.

After my appointment I came home and slept for two hours; IOW, no, I didn't call a Dr. However, I seem to be mostly recovered this evening, so... My primary Dr (for about 25 years) introduces me as a doctor; he trusts my medical knowledge. Unfortunately I am turning 80 in a few weeks; even I keep warning him I ain't as sharp as I used to be.

My GI Dr seems to only want to do colonoscopies and EGD's. I need to find a replacement. My symptoms were classic for a bowel obstruction but that would be a wild guess - and the obstruction will pass in time with a little care. I knew if I went to the ER they could give me a shot of muscle relaxant to reduce the pain of cramps and keep me in observation for a day - and I would miss my appointment. 😕 Also, my local hospital is not what it once was, and all these illegals pouring in are not helping that pitfall.

That sort of medically self assured thinking can lead to mistakes; if it happens again I will react differently - I hope. 🙏

[peteypupperdoo]

Yikes, Bob.. honestly I thought of obstruction, but NEXT time go to the ER or something.. could have been twisted!! 😱

Glad you feel better and didn’t miss your appt though.

[tang-soo]

That sort of medically self assured thinking can lead to mistakes; if it happens again I will react differently - I hope. 🙏

Some unsolicited comments follow and someone with a medical background can probably clarify my layman-type comments.

My mother-in-law died in 2003 at the age of 73 while using the bathroom during the middle of the night. My brother-in-law who is a retired nurse said that it was quite possible she died due to a compressed nerve.

Apparently, there is a large nerve attached to the bowel. When we (getting a bit gross here) feel like we are passing a watermelon and our eyes get tunnel vision, that process in some cases causes us to black out for a few seconds.

That happens because that nerve is being compressed. And in rare cases, that process can cause a heart-related event - not sure if he said heart attack, stroke, or something else.

The point is, we should be careful and not show impatience, rather try to relax and take our time - it could be a matter of life and death.