Camera Update

I have been meaning to get here with the newest update on the camera endoscopy. My doctor called Wednesday. She first spoke with my partner since I was at work and she called me at home. She gets high marks in my book for actually speaking to my partner, especially at length. Then she called me at work.

We spoke for quite a bit. Camera endoscopy looked good as far as all that small bowel stuff. She was also reassured about the mystery spot. She has decided that at this point surgery isn't necessary to remove the mystery spot. YAY!

However, my stomach looked to quote her "bumpy and inflamed" She says the camera isn't such a hot way to look at stomachs so she wants to do a regular upper endoscopy.

Since I have been doing relatively well over the past few weeks she also has decided to hold off on the remicade for as long as we can. Another yay for that. I think she also perhaps concerned about the hives and how remicade and hives won't mix well.

All and all, pretty good news. Upper endoscopy is not my favorite idea of how to spend a day but it could well be worse.

It's a Waiting Room That Keeps Patients Busy - New York Times

I wish this was like my GI's Office: Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health

Beepers for when the doctor is running late would be great, as would internet access!

Hives

I hate HIVES. Really hate them. I didn't like them when it was a clear cut thing. I didn't like them when my munchkin brought home chicken pox to my immunotherapied body and I had them. I really don't like them when I get a virus. I REALLY REALLY don't like them as part of the fun of being on an antibiotic I am apparently now going to be adding to my list of no no antibiotics. (For those keeping track Cipro is now added to: penicillin, sulfa, and flagyl as no no antibiotics) Ok, so I took my last dose of Cipro this morning, so surely after 10 days of scratching like a monkey, I shouldn't itch anymore? noooooooooooooo still itchy. Still hive-y. Hives BITE.

Flashing lights...

Test went ok. Prep was sucky but I survived. Swallowed the camera easy peasy. The leads kept pulling and the belt was less than comfortable but all and all not bad. No results until the pics are uploaded and the doc reviews them.

Testing, Testing 1-2-3

Tommorrow is the big day for the capsule endoscopy. All well and good except for one thing: when the doctor chatted this up she failed to mention prep. I thought 8 hour fast was it. Nope. The fun and games start this afternoon with a delicious bottle of magnesium citrate after 5 hours on clear liquids. (probably longer because as soon as my coffee is gone, clear liquids it is) I am not looking forward to this at all since Mondays are the day when I have something to look forward to after work. (EVEN if the whole cleaning out my insides was at all appealling which it definitely is not)

Last night while my brain was spinning on tests, family and life in general I had an idea though. I think I will start taking old magazines over to the ER and put them in the magazine racks for folks to read while they wait. There were no magazines at all when I was there last week. It was really sad. Maybe I will also take my bookcrossing books there.

Hospital

The lesson to be learned here is that there are other options for what is causing wild puking beside the flu or Crohns.

I finally went to the doctor yesterday,(Puking, no bowel movements for a WEEK!) I went to the family doc, not the gi doc. Dehydrated. She thought Crohns and wanted blood tests, an iv to rehydrate and someone else to poke around my stomach.

Went to the hospital er. They were busy so that part took a while. They draw blood, and put in an iv line. Nurse tries first on my left wrist. If I say oww, especially repeatedly and tears come to my eyes, it aint a good spot woman. I am not a needle/iv wimp unless they draw blood gases which kill me. Still she persists. Runs to get the saline to flush it because it won't complete the draw. Uh no, and it collapses. She gets one in the right arm in a place that often fails on me but it worked and lasted all night.

Then Mr Smart Ass doctor who had decided on a ct scan before he even talked to me finally saw me. Smart Ass because he tried to tell me contrast is contrast and no big deal. Clearly he hasn't drunk a variety of types because 8 oz of chalky barium is a lot better and easier to handle than a quart of bitter yucky stuff mixed with juice and "sipped" over 2 hours. At least for me.

Then the radiology woman comes. Decides that since nutra-sweet/aspartame is a no no I should drink a huge amount of contrast mixed with CRANBERRY JUICE. Umm I have been puking everything since Friday but whatever. Give me nausea meds and I will give it a shot. Nausea and pain meds given. Start working on the deluxe cocktail. Alternate drinking it, puking it, drinking it, puking it even with more nausea and pain meds.Continue to get nagged to pee in a cup for them. Ummm I am dehydrated and haven't peed for 18 hours or so at this point. Finally managed a few drops to make them happy.

Get the ct scan. No blockage. Well, that is good, but leaves me wondering why I have been puking for days. I mean a bit of nausea is pretty much the norm. Eating something too rich, fried, or containing the smallest bit of taste and nutrients (umm make that green)or just too much of anything means puking. I am accustomed to that. This was different. ER doc says "well, it could be just inflammation".

Ok, so what can we do here? Two options, go home and do what you have been doing, and it might go away.(fluids, anti nausea meds, no food) Basically on the premise that the iv fluids might have gotten me stable enough to get better. Stay here, basically do what I had been doing with an iv on the side. Well, the hospital option had no particular charm but being at home meant not being in the hospital which is a definite plus. It means possibly being able to work which really is a plus, even if I have to be a zombie on nausea meds. It also meant that I can gather myself together and see my baby girl in her Greek Wax museum thing which is tomorrow (and was my clearest reasoning for skipping what could be an interminable hospital stay, kids). So, check out time it is.

Uh oh, here comes the doc again. Seems he has changed his mind. The urine came back showing a Urinary Tract Infection. He wavered on this whole going home thing but went for the iv of levaquin and a hmmm, which soon started to BURN LIKE HELL all up my arm. Umm nurse, nurse, we can't do this, baaaaaaaaaad. She comes back. Doc comes back. iv Benadryl and a slow, slow drip. Ok ok, we are back in business, still burning, and starting to spread burning to weird places (side of my nose, ears, some toes)Nurse says doc is set on this particular antibiotic so can I deal? sure. Will deal.

Finally got sprung at 6 am. Fist full of prescriptions (sublingual nausea meds (four pills for 40 bucks) pain meds and Cipro for the UTI, with a do what you have been doing, call your doctor/come back if you get worse or are not better in a couple of days.

Either the fluids or the levaquin is a magic laxative because I have gone to the bathroom a zillion times since I have been home, starting right after I got home. Still pukey especially if I move around. Slept all day. Hope I don't have trouble sleeping tonight.

But, a UTI. Never crossed my mind. Related to the Crohns only in that they are more likely because of the immunosuppressants. (at least I think that is the only way they are related)

Puking Sucks

And I hate it. Especially when the only solid food I have had since Friday is a mini bag of pretzels.

Miserable

Miserable tummy weekend. Throwing up. Fever. Exhaustion. Owie Stomach. I think I spent the weekend a nice color green, not unlike Elphaba. Weekend of fun crashed into weekend of kid cuddling and puking (not at the same time) and trying not to puke. Still not better. Anti puke meds do not work. Still ignoring the call your doctor now advice. Mostly frustrated and sad.

We did see chicken little though. Kids loved it.

Chewing Gum Speeds Surgery Recovery

Chewing Gum Speeds Surgery Recovery: "In the study, 102 patients undergoing elective colon resection surgery were divided into two groups. Those in the control group received the standard fare after abdominal surgery -- sips of clear liquid. The patients in the study group were also given gum to chew at mealtimes."

Interesting stuff. I wonder if it can be replicated or anything. (While imagining chewing gum all gunky in my teeth.

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