Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Change
When I first started working in my current job, about 5 years ago, absolutely everybody smoked. We'd all go out on our breaks together and a 5 minute smoke break easily became a 20 minute break.
Then oneday, quite out of the blue, a woman decided to quit. She'd had a major health scare, but chose not to tell anyone. She announced that she was quitting smoking. We all rolled our eyes.
One by one though, we all quit smoking for various reasons. I quit because of the Crohn's Disease and I was getting sick of being chained to this habit.
Now only one person in the office smokes and every time he goes downstairs for a cigarette, we all roll our eyes...
Then oneday, quite out of the blue, a woman decided to quit. She'd had a major health scare, but chose not to tell anyone. She announced that she was quitting smoking. We all rolled our eyes.
One by one though, we all quit smoking for various reasons. I quit because of the Crohn's Disease and I was getting sick of being chained to this habit.
Now only one person in the office smokes and every time he goes downstairs for a cigarette, we all roll our eyes...
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Glycoprep
I am one liter through the three liters of glycoprep bowel prep for tomorrows stricture dilation surgery. No matter how often I drink this stuff, it never gets any easier. And they've flavoured it with lemon now, yum! I'll never be able to look at lemons quite the same way again.
Every two months I'm going to have to do this. This is my third go at the dilation surgery. I have two strictures which need to be stretched out every three months, but instead of doing them at the same time (which would make sense, be less traumatic for me and mean less general anesthetic) they have elected not only to do them separately, but for them to be done by different surgeons. In practice it means I have to go in twice as often, which of course means I have to endure the bowel prep twice as often. It also means that I have to be the go-between for these two surgeons.
I know what you're thinking, how did she get so lucky?
Normally they tell me to arrive first thing in the morning and I sit around with my arse hanging out the back of a gown for most of the day before eventually being called in somewhere around mid afternoon. This time, I don't have to get there until 1pm. I'm hoping that means I won't have to wait around as long, that they've finally figured out that asking everyone to get there at 7am is a dumb policy and not that I'll still have to wait as long and will be leaving there at midnight.
Urrgh. Another couple of glasses down. I really hate the feeling of this stuff in my guts. My lower abdominal region just feels full and heavy... not to mention the burning ring of fire. How can I possibly still have 1.5 liters to go???
It's usually around this point in the process that I start to question whether this is the right course of action. Do I really want to keep going through this every 6 to 8 weeks? Maybe I should just take the resection and run. I remember there were all these good reasons why this was the better option, but damn if I know what they are in this moment.
I was asked on formspring recently what I would wish for if I had only one wish. Talk about a no-brainer, I'll take a cure's for $1000 thanks Alex.
Meanwhile, tomorrow the surgeon will also be taking a really good look around while he's in there, this will be the first evaluation of whether all the drugs are doing their thing or not. This time last year I was in hospital for 3 weeks in absolute agony and facing an almost certain ostomy. Now a year later, it's time to check in and see where things lie.
I'm quietly confident. I feel better within myself, so I'm certain the news will be good. In spite of the bad days and the regular feeling flu-like, generally I feel much better than I have in a very long time.
Good grief, there's still just under a liter to go. Maybe less typing more drinking is in order.
:-)
Every two months I'm going to have to do this. This is my third go at the dilation surgery. I have two strictures which need to be stretched out every three months, but instead of doing them at the same time (which would make sense, be less traumatic for me and mean less general anesthetic) they have elected not only to do them separately, but for them to be done by different surgeons. In practice it means I have to go in twice as often, which of course means I have to endure the bowel prep twice as often. It also means that I have to be the go-between for these two surgeons.
I know what you're thinking, how did she get so lucky?
Normally they tell me to arrive first thing in the morning and I sit around with my arse hanging out the back of a gown for most of the day before eventually being called in somewhere around mid afternoon. This time, I don't have to get there until 1pm. I'm hoping that means I won't have to wait around as long, that they've finally figured out that asking everyone to get there at 7am is a dumb policy and not that I'll still have to wait as long and will be leaving there at midnight.
Urrgh. Another couple of glasses down. I really hate the feeling of this stuff in my guts. My lower abdominal region just feels full and heavy... not to mention the burning ring of fire. How can I possibly still have 1.5 liters to go???
It's usually around this point in the process that I start to question whether this is the right course of action. Do I really want to keep going through this every 6 to 8 weeks? Maybe I should just take the resection and run. I remember there were all these good reasons why this was the better option, but damn if I know what they are in this moment.
I was asked on formspring recently what I would wish for if I had only one wish. Talk about a no-brainer, I'll take a cure's for $1000 thanks Alex.
Meanwhile, tomorrow the surgeon will also be taking a really good look around while he's in there, this will be the first evaluation of whether all the drugs are doing their thing or not. This time last year I was in hospital for 3 weeks in absolute agony and facing an almost certain ostomy. Now a year later, it's time to check in and see where things lie.
I'm quietly confident. I feel better within myself, so I'm certain the news will be good. In spite of the bad days and the regular feeling flu-like, generally I feel much better than I have in a very long time.
Good grief, there's still just under a liter to go. Maybe less typing more drinking is in order.
:-)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
International flight
About a week ago, my boyfriend had to make an unscheduled flight to England. 32 hours. The first pictures he sent me were of the toilet on the international flight and the meals on the plane. I think it's awesome that he thinks to take pictures of interesting restrooms and inedible food!!! The side effects of Crohns disease effects people other than just the one with the illness.
It's looks small, but almost cosy, which is good because for someone with Crohn's, I'd probably spend as much time in there as I would in my seat!
The top one is an Omelet with mushrooms and a hash brown, the bottom is apparently steak. Looks slightly better than hospital food, I wonder if they use the same caterers?
It's looks small, but almost cosy, which is good because for someone with Crohn's, I'd probably spend as much time in there as I would in my seat!
The top one is an Omelet with mushrooms and a hash brown, the bottom is apparently steak. Looks slightly better than hospital food, I wonder if they use the same caterers?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
New Year's Eve
It's December 31st, New Years Eve.
For some, this is just another day in the year, nothing to write home about, nothing to even think twice about. For others it's a good excuse to catch up with friends, have a few drinks and celebrate. Then for others New Years Eve symbolises all kinds of wonderful. It could mark a time for new beginnings and welcomed change, a time on the edge of the future, filled with all kinds of delicious possibilities. New Years Eve could bring with it the promise of a better tomorrow. Now, personally, I've always lived in hope, so I'll admit that I am definitely one of the latter.
I'm hopeful for a cure. I'm hopeful for remission. I'm hopeful for a kitten (wink wink, my love) and mostly I'm hopeful that 2010 brings peace, health, happiness and good fortune to you and your loved ones.
For some, this is just another day in the year, nothing to write home about, nothing to even think twice about. For others it's a good excuse to catch up with friends, have a few drinks and celebrate. Then for others New Years Eve symbolises all kinds of wonderful. It could mark a time for new beginnings and welcomed change, a time on the edge of the future, filled with all kinds of delicious possibilities. New Years Eve could bring with it the promise of a better tomorrow. Now, personally, I've always lived in hope, so I'll admit that I am definitely one of the latter.
I'm hopeful for a cure. I'm hopeful for remission. I'm hopeful for a kitten (wink wink, my love) and mostly I'm hopeful that 2010 brings peace, health, happiness and good fortune to you and your loved ones.
Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
"A Medical Condition"
Just prior to Christmas and right smack in the middle of our move, I had to go into hospital for minor surgery. It really was no big deal, I've had it done a few times in the past and by the looks of it, will be having it done a few more times before 2010 is out. I had intended to insert a picture that illustrates where my strictures are, however, Photoshop hates me and I have chosen to keep my sanity rather than argue with it anymore. I have a stricture around the ileum and one lower in the rectum.
The surgery involves dilating a stricture, or essentially stretching out the narrowed bit of intestine. Normally this is nothing major, but sadly in my case one of the stricture's is very low down the large intestine towards the rectum and there is a real danger of tearing it open completely. In fact the surgeon who dilated the ileum stricture back in November refused to do the lower one because he said it was too tricky. They called in the expert. It was funny, when I met him prior to it I said "Just tell me it's going to be shit easy and I won't wake up with a bag." He smiled and winked at me and said "It's going to be shit easy and you 99.99% won't wake up with a bag." good enough for me.
As I was going into theatre, the anaesthetist asked me what kind of pain killers worked for me. By this point I'd already been given the initial 'light sedative' and was happily giggling away at the fuzzy shiny things in the operating room. The next thing I was aware of was being awoken afterwards.
"How'd it go?" I asked the surgeon, who gave me the thumbs up and said "We got it, it went well but don't be surprised if there's a lot of bleeding." With that he gave me another thumbs up and left. Um... ok?
Next someone else came over to me and said "I'm just going to give you something for the pain." Then she injected something into my IV line and within seconds I was feeling all warm and fuzzy and giggly again. "How do you feel?" She asked. "Really quite pleasant" I replied and she laughed. For whatever reason she decided to give me a little more and I fell asleep very soon after that.
In recovery, the pharmacist came and gave me a cocktail of painkillers, which scared the crap out of me. What exactly did they do in there??? Especially when you consider my GP and specialist just refuse to prescribe anything for pain. I was given five different pain killers. Interestingly enough, I had very little pain at all in the days that followed. It's either feast or famine.
Now at least four or five times during this process I'd asked for a medical certificate. My boss had made it quite clear to everyone, that given the holiday period and that fact that we were short staffed, all sick leave was to be accompanied by a medical certificate, as per HR's policy. In recovery, waiting to be discharged I asked after the medical certificate and was told they hadn't left me one. I somehow managed to keep my cool and politely remind her that I needed one for work and that I had asked five times now. She went off and tracked down a doctor.
A few days later as I was filling in my time sheet and preparing to fax off the medical certificate I noticed that the doctor had given me a week off, instead of just the one day which basically meant I either had to take the week off or abandon the medical certificate. To make matter's worse, in the spot where they usually just write "a medical condition" he had written "having an EUA & dilation of a stricture in the anus with probable heavy bleeding for several days post surgery" Jesus buddy, why not just attach my friggin file. He doesn't need my life story!
Sometimes less really is more.
The surgery involves dilating a stricture, or essentially stretching out the narrowed bit of intestine. Normally this is nothing major, but sadly in my case one of the stricture's is very low down the large intestine towards the rectum and there is a real danger of tearing it open completely. In fact the surgeon who dilated the ileum stricture back in November refused to do the lower one because he said it was too tricky. They called in the expert. It was funny, when I met him prior to it I said "Just tell me it's going to be shit easy and I won't wake up with a bag." He smiled and winked at me and said "It's going to be shit easy and you 99.99% won't wake up with a bag." good enough for me.
As I was going into theatre, the anaesthetist asked me what kind of pain killers worked for me. By this point I'd already been given the initial 'light sedative' and was happily giggling away at the fuzzy shiny things in the operating room. The next thing I was aware of was being awoken afterwards.
"How'd it go?" I asked the surgeon, who gave me the thumbs up and said "We got it, it went well but don't be surprised if there's a lot of bleeding." With that he gave me another thumbs up and left. Um... ok?
Next someone else came over to me and said "I'm just going to give you something for the pain." Then she injected something into my IV line and within seconds I was feeling all warm and fuzzy and giggly again. "How do you feel?" She asked. "Really quite pleasant" I replied and she laughed. For whatever reason she decided to give me a little more and I fell asleep very soon after that.
In recovery, the pharmacist came and gave me a cocktail of painkillers, which scared the crap out of me. What exactly did they do in there??? Especially when you consider my GP and specialist just refuse to prescribe anything for pain. I was given five different pain killers. Interestingly enough, I had very little pain at all in the days that followed. It's either feast or famine.
Now at least four or five times during this process I'd asked for a medical certificate. My boss had made it quite clear to everyone, that given the holiday period and that fact that we were short staffed, all sick leave was to be accompanied by a medical certificate, as per HR's policy. In recovery, waiting to be discharged I asked after the medical certificate and was told they hadn't left me one. I somehow managed to keep my cool and politely remind her that I needed one for work and that I had asked five times now. She went off and tracked down a doctor.
A few days later as I was filling in my time sheet and preparing to fax off the medical certificate I noticed that the doctor had given me a week off, instead of just the one day which basically meant I either had to take the week off or abandon the medical certificate. To make matter's worse, in the spot where they usually just write "a medical condition" he had written "having an EUA & dilation of a stricture in the anus with probable heavy bleeding for several days post surgery" Jesus buddy, why not just attach my friggin file. He doesn't need my life story!
Sometimes less really is more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
