Bristol Stool Scale

The Bristol Stool Scale goes well with the pee color chart we had a while back.

Perfect Storm

Off-schedule + menstruation + holiday food + stress + sorrow = perfect tummy trouble storm.

Charming Charmin

Yay! Bathrooms for the tummy troubled in Times Square...ok so maybe not tummy troubled...but entertaining for all of us who spend time there. Look!

A Word to the Tummy Troubled Wise

When I first was diagnosed with tummy troubles, I read a certain tip in books and on the internet. I didn't take it. It seemed like a good idea for the really violently tummy troubled-but not me. I may have gone to the bathroom 20 times a day but I could always get there.
It was a me/them kind of thing. Yeah. I know. I am sorry.

Anyhow, have a bag of clothes, toilet paper, wet wipes and hand sanitizer in your vehicle and have one at work. Take my advice. Do it now. Also, when packing for a trip-pack an extra nightgown. (and extra pants too, obviously)

On a Sunnier Note

Next time you are antsy waiting for your colonoscopy because your doctor takes her time doing them...keep in mind...faster colonoscopies miss problems...which means down the line...you could be spending MORE time in the doctor's office...or the morgue.

London Potty?

Gone potty? I don't know. I do know that this bathroom is opening in London, near or in some shopping center. 10 pounds a go. I am a little alarmed that this was opened in response to a lack of public bathrooms (only 400 in London, which is not a small town) and uh, I have to at least go through London to see my kids in Feb. I better put tummy trouble toilet money in my trip budget I guess. sigh.

Safe Foods and Not-so-Safe Foods

There are some things that I love that I have come to accept as not safe tummy trouble foods for me; spinach, cole slaw, popcorn, nuts being the primary ones.

There are some that I have my doubts about being good for me...like peanut butter and cream cheese. (both manageably ok in just smear on bread or a dab or so elsewhere), lettuce-a leaf on a sandwich ok-more than that not good.

Then there are other foods that should be on the list but I keep thinking I can do in small amounts or maybe that wasn't a problem caused by the food but by the infection I had or some such. These foods, seem innocuous, very unproblematic and for goodness sake, non-replaceable diet components. (though spinach is hard...especially for a mostly vegetarian-next time you go out-look for a vegetarian-friendly dish without it-primary reason I eat more meat than I did 5 years ago)

The primary problem seems to be tomato-involved. 2 tomato slices on a sandwich-again ok, mostly. Puree those tomato slices and mix them with a nice friendly carb like say- noodles or pizza crust-arg. Not good.

My realization about this has been slow coming. (probably precisely because I eat a good number of tomato slices in a week-ok well maybe 5)

I have noticed the tomato sauce-bleack tummy effect before. I have put off pizza. I have even used this as an excuse not to eat "my specialty." (not that my specialty is anywhere near the top 10 list of foods, but the rest of the family seems to rank it highly) No biggy. I have never been a tomato sauce fan, but now I have a problem.

You see, once upon a time, there was a pizza place I loved. It closed when I was no older than 10. I burned my mouth on their pizza. I loved their pizza. Then other places nearby made pizza with similar crust, foldy, slippy, bubbly yummy crust. In fact, I thought this was how all pizza crust was created with the exception of the slightly odd and more expensive "deep dish" crust. I grew up with the bubbly, foldy crust.

Then I grew up and got married and moved away from home, not far at first so I didn't realize I was giving up good crust for good. Then we moved to the upper midwest where pizza crust in non-chain places was some sort of crackery thing. Hated it. Really hated it. Searched vainly off and on for good pizza but ok, it was the midwest. Things could get better. Then we moved to the west coast. The pacific northwest. Interesting pizzas, my first regular visits to 'gourmet' pizzas. I learned to love white pizzas of all sorts. We moved here. On our pre-move trip, we happened upon a great place, pizza nirvana. (with fab cannolis too) I think that decided the move for me. It closed a month after we got here. (with all the gossip that happens when busy, popular, really good Italian places vanish)

So, tonight we ordered pizza for the first time in months. Domino's special. I had seen the ad on the internet. Brooklyn Pizza. Ok, so it is Dominos but the ad looked promising. The pizza delivered (and was delivered) and it was wonderful (ok, other than the sauce, the toppings and the cheese, which retained the Domino's taste which I don't object to really-because well Domino's has often been as close as I can get to my version of perfect pizza in my adult life.) I was in love. I was going to budget for more pizza in our life without hurting our pizza restaurant working boy's feelings and without feeling guilty for supporting those Domino's people who have some views I don't like to pay for.

But, then.....sigh...the bathroom. Pizza-definitely on that list because I have actually done ok this week (well, bathroom-wise that way) GRRRRRRRRRRR. Finally, I can get decent crust for however many weeks until Domino's decides it is a bust and well, it isn't really worth the bathroom trips. Crohn's rots.

Happy World Toilet Day

In honor of the day...how about some urban legends. Or better yet.....play Urgent! The Game

Big Day in Toilets

Today is the first day of the World Toilet Expo in Bangkok. The theme is Happy Toilet Healthy Life. Now think about that for a minute. I did...and now I am wondering if my toilet is not happy with me.

Granted I can find something of interest in any conference but some of these sessions sound particularly great.

• Progressing towards gracious living
• The Happy Toilet: By Design, Not Chance
• Building Dignity, Not Toilets
• Toileting at Ease, Maintaining a Breeze
• And MORE!

Not only that there is an expo where you can:

"Discover effective hygiene solutions, as well as gain insights into the latest toilet-related trends, technologies, products and services from leading brands names."

Pretty cool stuff!

Toilet Paper

Toilet paper seems to have been invented in China in the 14th century for the Emperor's use. Squares were approximentally 60 cm x 90 cm. Do you think that the squares of toilet paper now should be bigger or smaller or are they just right?

Skeet has a Blog

Frequent tummy troubles commenter and good friend Skeeter has a blog! Go give it a peek, a comment and of course, subscribe to it because while she may claim she isn't interesting, she is very interesting and you don't want to miss a post.

Look What You Can Get

Perfect for the tummy troubled. Well maybe not since that can be messy and cleaning might be a bit more troubling. But, yes, you can make it operational and everything.

So, if someone in your house rules from their throne...make it look like one with this!

Prescription Drug Costs

This article reports on a study that says that doctors forget costs in prescribing only a third of the time. I am thinking that the only time a doctor has discussed prescription costs with me, I have brought it up.
Uh no, we can not do 30 days in a row of cortenemas, even if I loved them, which I don't. The insurance will pay for 5 and that will still cost me 40 bucks. What are our other options?

Of course, I don't know this until I show up at the pharmacy and they say "well the doctor wrote for 30 but first we need to special order them, second your insurance company will only let us dispense 5." "Ok, well do that and I will call the doctor" (which of course means the switchboard with press 52 followed by the # sign if you haven't passed out going through our options by this point and you still have something you want to say to our doctors)

Prescription costs are a problem, a big problem. They are one that really need to be addressed when the meds are prescribed. No one should have to think well, yeah, that script would help a lot and probably will save me much in the long run but I can buck up this month because we don't have the 40, 120, 260 bucks to pay for it this month.

If you don't remind your doctor this may be an issue...he/she may not have the foresight to mention alternatives. They get the nice samples and the literature and the newest drug may be the best option as far as meds, but it won't do any good if you can't afford it or can't sustain the blow to your budget. What has been your experience with doctors bringing up the cost of scripts?

Of course, telling your doctor, hey, wait a minute, I am not sure I can afford this, is hard. You want to get better. Obviously the doctor thinks that is how you will get better. You also have to deal with your shame over NOT having a life that allows for such expenses. Meds shouldn't be a luxury. Health care shouldn't be...but it is...even if you have insurance, even if you are not "in poverty." People make the decision whether to pay for electricity and their child's field trip as well as the presents for the 3 birthday parties their child got invited to this month or pay for their medications every day in this country. These are people with steady jobs, a car to drive and "everything" they need...except the $80.00 to pay for another prescription every month.

Teeth before Tummy

I had three teeth pulled. I knew these three teeth were in trouble but the scarey estimate to get them pulled was not at the top of my must spends...until they got evilly bad. They hurt.

Went to the dentist, yep, you still need them pulled...here is the oral surgeon because, well these aren't easy ones and see that there...that is where the root is wrapped around your sinus. Very dangerous.

They felt some better after that weekend, so I stalled. But not better enough I could dismiss them entirely, so I went and had the pre visit-woo hoo 1600 bucks to pull them. (in addition to the 6 k in regular dental work that needs to be done--well regular in the way that a regular dentist does it)

Uhhh let me figure out my calendar. Figured it out, made a nice appt for mid november. Well, then things went bad. REALLY, REALLY, mind-numbingly run a fever while on immunosuppressants bad. (This is really bad, if I spike a temp after years on imuran...not good)

Called the dentist, they called in antibiotics, come in right away. (in dentist terms, the next day)

Had them pulled yesterday. Mouth hurts, bled forever, still bleeding a little bit but all and all MUCH better than say TUESDAY NIGHT when I was pretty sure that it was much worse than any crohns pain ever. Really it was and leftover surgery pain meds, clove oil, ambesol, vanilla extract and everything else that I could think of or the internet thought of to cure dental pain helped. AT ALL.

Missed two days of work (yesterday and today) and a couple hours wednesday, officially overdrawing my sick leave--again. Damn it. I am doing everything I can to save vacation time so I can spend it with my kids before they go off for the spring (and so I can go see them in February)

In any case, years of yucky tummy, coca-cola and sucking on mints...combined with a previous really bad dentist and lack of money...bad for teeth. But, years of Crohns-they didn't have to give me a lot of info as to what was a soft cold food or a soft warm food.

Hospital Bill

The hospital bill for mystery lump removal came: 34,447.50. And the dentist wonders why 6000 in dental work is going to be problematic?

Better but Belly Button

I am nearly all recovered from surgery! Yay! No more aches and pains related to it, of course the crohns still has all its nice aches and pains. But...my belly button incision is increasingly not happy. It has gone from a nice mellow occassional ooze to a bright red yuckyness. No, nothing serious. Really it isn't, but you would think that since the other incisions are all but gone...this one could head that way too. Yuck.

On the plus side, the bathrooms at work upgraded the toilet paper and paper towels offered. The new TP dispenser is causing consternation among several women in our dept. (it rolls manically and by mid-day the tp is gone and we are left with a roll sitting on top of the dispenser.) No. I am not using all four rolls and covering it up with the new tp dispenser problem issue.

Back to Work

Back to work today. Belly button incision oozed a good part of the day. Other 2 incisions weren't delighted either. Muscles definitely didn't take well to sitting up today.

My office plant was all wilted over and half dead. Hopefully watering today will bring it back.

Busier than well something wretchedly busy today, catching up, looking on the ball. etc.

Follow Up Appointment and Path is Back

The nurse in charge of my GI doc called today with the pathology report. Benign tumor (with an evil sounding name) that could have grown to cause issues, just because it was in the way and stuff but is now gone so should be all peachy now. Yeah, they still would have wanted to take it out even if they had miraculously known without surgery that is what it was, but it still feels like a lot of fuss over a little mystery bump. Of course, it always felt that way to me. The thing is...75% of tumors in the digestive tract are not of the benign sort and even fewer are of the kind I had, so they like to check these things out.

Other news: follow up with the surgeon...well, he got called back into emergency surgery so he didn't see me. Nurse looked briefly at the incisions, said what I told her walking back: they look good, really good considering. She was horrified by my arm and the bruises there. Good thing she didn't see them right after the last hospitalization. I have to go back in 1-2 weeks so he can sign off on me. ARG. Call if my fever goes over 101. (of course, if my fever goes that high, they will probably get a call from the ER, since I am on those nice immune suppressing drugs that keep fevers from happening)

One Week

One week and an hour ago they wheeled me into an amazingly large operating room. I have seen a number of them at this point and this one was HUGE.

Update: Instant breakfast went ok yesterday and I think vitamins sprayed on and artificial as they are, was a good thing. May try again today.

White rice with soy sauce went so-so, but at least made it to the morning before bathroom marathon.

ONE dorito with cheese (known as cheese n chips at this house) today-not so good. Immediately not so good-pokey in my gut owieness-which rots.

Incisions look good. Bruising is fading. Left hand no longer looks like I am trying out for the marshmallow man job or some other swollen fisted hand model.

Having trouble with really cold feet and sometimes cold hands as well as probably a bit of fever. Shhhhhh.

Update

Jello has too much flavor. (note: this could be a problem with only handi-snack jell-o like substance. )

Egg drop soup with crispy noodles and a fortune cookie last night for dinner had me spend the next four hours in the bathroom or desperately running for it while trying not to fall on my face. I may never eat anything other than too much flavor jello again.

Bruises are healing.

Mouth tastes like crud despite tons of brushing because...well...I am not eating. sigh.

After Surgery

I am home after surgery. I actually got home yesterday afternoon. The surgery went well. Gi doc was able to grab the mystery bump with the colonoscopy. Surgeon cleaned up scar tissue (from appendectomy 12 years ago? from Crohns? From some sort of girl part source? no idea) through the lap. They thought I would be able to go home the same day but it quickly became apparent this was not happening.

Pain control was a big issue as shaking everything up down there made the crohn's unhappy as well as all the jiggled parts screaming at everyone that they didn't deserve that sort of invasion, not to mention the parts that got sliced and diced. Oddly enough, you can't go home if you pass out from pain.

Then my blood pressure dropped way low. So, then I had to stay until it stabilized into something more normal but still lower than normal.

The mystery bump is still a mystery. G.I. Doc wouldn't say without pathology report coming back, which will be mid-week some time. So, for right now, it is a "cecal mass" still.

I haven't eaten yet really. Jello, broth, a graham cracker that made me most unhappy and a roll that mostly came up almost immediately. My hands and feet are swollen. My left hand is very swollen but looking better. The i.v. infiltrated. I told them to do something about it when it started to hurt, but they flushed it and claimed it was fine. Two hours later when it was all swollen and gross they acted like I had not ever mentioned this to them. Arg. It really just looks awful, not hurt, though typing is making it a bit owie in a stiff sort of way. Lovely bruises on my arms from failed iv attempts.

Biggest annoyance (other than never imagining this would hurt like the dickens) has been having trouble peeing. It is better now but at first, getting the muscles to work right to pee was not happening at all.

Biggest hospital annoyance: LOUD people. My roommates had loud visitors. The hallways were full of loud visitors. I was massively annoyed by the 12 or so yo boy hanging out in the hall when they wanted to transfer me from the gurney to the room. Uh...I know my butt is hanging out and I don't really want to flash that kid. He needs to go into a room or proceed quickly to a non patient part of the hospital.

Another annoyance: nurse arguing with us about my daily meds because they weren't on the order. I definitely need the imuran or I will be back here with more serious issues than this really soon. That nurse also had a hard time understanding what I was saying, a propensity for not answering questions about meds (sorry but I am going to ask what you are giving me and why) and 3 days into this fun still thought my partner was my mother.

What was interesting about the one roommate with the loud visitors was that she complained that she wasn't in a private room because I had to go to her side of the room to use the bathroom and the toilet flushing was loud.

The hospital kitchen is being remodeled so the meals seem to have taken a turn for the worse for visitors as well as patients. It was just as well that I couldn't eat because the boiled cauliflower and fried, mayonaise and gravy doused items that appeared on people's trays made my powdered broth look inviting. I don't know how they expect people to make healthy dietary choices when they can't offer them on a hospital tray.

Good things: nurse in surgery recovery was very good even though she had this thing for kissing my forehead. TLC in the hospital room. (even though I never stayed awake for a whole show and frequently had no idea at all about it) Finding out that the OR prep nurse had a colostomy and used to like ginger ale but gags when she sees it in the grocery store now too.

Below is the picture of the lap incisions. There are three. You can't actually see the one in my belly button. The small red line toward the middle at the top is the first. The third is the red line in the middle of the brownish (betadine) area at the bottom. They each were covered by a band-aid, with very little blood. (They traced the outline of the blood on the bandaid so they could tell if they were bleeding, and they definitely didn't bleed much.) The bottom bruise is pretty nasty but the incisions seem to be healing well.

A Wedding Dress for the Tummy Troubled

The Toilet Paper Wedding Dress collection...made from toilet paper.

Diagram of Mystery Bump

and possible cut.

The red x is vague and now that I am looking at it probably on the wrong side of where the appendix is shown. I had my appendix out right before my son turned 1 and so that isn't there...unless the mystery bump is actually crohns inflamed appendectomy leftovers. (could be) Red line is also approximately where they will lop off intestine if they can't just lasso the mystery bump with the colonoscopy. I wish I knew where the doctor's funny little sketch was, I could scan that in.

And...just in case you weren't sure what the cecum did...

The cecum, the first part of the large intestine, is a sac with a closed end. It occupies the right iliac fossa, the hollow of the inner side of the ilium (the upper part of the hipbone). The cecum, also spelled caecum, is a pouch or large tubelike structure in the lower abdominal cavity that receives undigested food material from the small intestine and is considered the first region of the large intestine. It is separated from the ileum (the final portion of the small intestine) by the ileocecal valve (also called Bauhin's valve), which limits the rate of food passage into the cecum and may help prevent material from returning to the small intestine.

In humans, the cecum's main functions are to absorb fluids and salts that remain after completion of intestinal digestion and absorption and to mix its contents with a lubricating substance, mucus. The cecum's internal wall is composed of a thick mucous membrane through which water and salts are absorbed. Beneath this lining is a deep layer of muscle tissue that produces churning and kneading motions.

The structure and function of the cecum varies in other animals. Vertebrates such as rabbits and horses, which live on a diet composed only of plant life, have a larger cecum that is an important organ of absorption and contains bacteria that help digest cellulose. Animals that eat only meat have a reduced or absent cecum.

In Honor of Prep...Bathroom Quiz

What Your Bathroom Habits Say About You

You are a giving soul. Way too giving in fact. You often get stuck doing the dirty work that no one else will do. Your idea of fashion is jeans and a t-shirt. Clean, if you're lucky. You have the perfect blend of confidence and class. You're proud of who you are - but you don't broadcast it. In relationships, you tend to be very romantic and demanding. You'll treat your partner like gold, but you expect a lot in return.

What Do Your Bathroom Habits Say About You?

What the Doctor Doesn't Tell You

about getting ready for a colonoscopy. Ok, about getting ready for bowel prep. About 18 hours before prep is to begin...depending on your appointment time and doc's rules...they leave out an important pre-prep step.

The doctor or actually the "scheduler" at your g.i. doc will probably give you a long list of do and do n't do instructions when you get your marching (to the bathroom) orders. These involve things like drinking lots of water, not eating red foods and not taking aspirin in the days leading up to your prep. Check your own instructions for your particular doctor's rules.

What they don't tell you to do is this: clean your bathroom. This may seem counterproductive, after all, you may get it a bit messy during prep. (especially if you vomit, some people do) However, cleaning the bathroom, the night before prep, is a very, very important step. You will spend a lot of time in there. You will feel wretched. When you feel wretched, bathroom crud will annoy. Important details: sit on the toilet and look around. Anything you actually see from the toilet should be wiped down or washed. This includes the wall, light switch, toilet paper roller thing, grout lines, door, etc. Nothing like focussing on odd dirt specks while hoping your guts settle down a bit. You will not feel like wiping them while in prep. You should do this important step yourself, do not foist it on some unsuspecting family member, friend, or cleaning lady. You do not want to growl about their housecleaning during prep or during those nice hours after anesthesia when you are not permitted to sign important documents. It isn't nice.

You may also wish to stock magazines for the bathroom at this time. Food magazines are not a good idea. Vegetarian Times=BAD colonoscopy/bowel surgery prep reading. Books likewise=bad colonoscopy prep reading, particularly if they are of the literary type or the sort you have to follow. I have heard that the Uncle John's Readers are good for colonoscopy prep, but have not tried this method. There are also some intriguing toilet seat shaped books at Barnes and Noble that I look at every so often that might be suited for prep. Magazines really do seem to work well for me. Reader's Digest, Entertainment, other sorts of light, non-food reading.

The up side to all of this is: prep is the worst part. Cleaning the bathroom means you will have a clean bathroom and a productive way to spend your time the night before you start prep!

Look! The Future is Here

Look what I am doing tomorrow! Well, actually, the surgeon involved likes to start things off with a bang, so tonight (despite going to the bathroom 7 or 8 times today) I get to take two of the laxative tablets. Then tomorrow...more laxative tablets (generic Dulcolax) and the bottle of wal-phosphate (generic phospho-soda).

Then on Thursday, I get to bathe with special soap. (ok Dial, but they gave me my very own hotel sized bar this morning at pre-admission.) Then, go to the hospital by 8 am, where I will commence waiting for at least 2 hours. (Surgery isn't scheduled until 10). Then, colonoscopy, guided by laparascopy...culminating most likely in a bowel resection followed by a couple days in the hospital followed by two/two and a half weeks at home before returning to work if all goes well...which it may not because of course this is Crohn's and well, Crohn's and resections don't go smoothly a significant part of the time. (as he hastily reassures us that he hopes it will this time)

Sigh. I will be out of sick leave by Monday afternoon. Hopefully, the rest can be worked out with vacation time (not much more of that than sick leave) and a dispensation to work from home. (cross your fingers).

Meeting today with the surgeon was in his office...not in an exam room. That was made up for by a four room extravaganza in admitting at the hospital, complete with bright red hospital bracelet I was worried I would have to wear until surgery. (I don't, they made a second one) The blood draw was the easiest in YEARS. I asked her if she could do the i.v. on Thu. LOL.

Worst part will be missing open house. I never miss school stuff, ever.

Guts in an Uproar

LOL, great phrase isn't it?

Update: mystery bump surgery scheduled (don't even get me started about how we learned this! ARG!) for 9/7. Pre-op 9/5.

Current tummy status: bleah! Mucus! Blood! Bathroom trips! Woo-hoo. Not too unmanageable but gross.

Ultrasound Today

And it is a ....................does anyone know? I know.

Blogher Bathroom Wrap Up

Well, Blogher is now over and I am about to step on a plane headed home. Yay! Boo! Blogher was overwhelming but bathroom troubles were not too overwhelming. Yes, I had them. (duh.) But, I rarely encountered a real line.

Best of all: NO WET TOILET SEATS. None. 700 women using a public bathroom and not leaving pee all over the seats. Really. Picture that. Was everyone afraid Dooce or Grace would come into the stall after them and see their pee on the seat? Was it the lack of anonymity in person and all the blog crushes? I have no idea, but it really made my weekend.

Thanks to everyone for being handwashers too. I would like to think it was everyone who read Denise's Be Prepared post. (goodness knows enough of you did, I was vastly amused by everyone who told her they took her advice and brought a heating pad and were appreciative of that advice.) I think it really is the peer pressure of having groups of women in the bathroom. Or it could have been all the sticky finger food served.

Blogher, Blogher06, bathrooms

Blogher Bathrooms

The bathrooms have not been overcrowded thus far. This is good because I have been a LOT. 4 times in the first session. Sigh. z

TRUE GUTS: Struggle and Triumph Over Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

TRUE GUTS: Struggle and Triumph Over Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

Just in case you didn't see Josh's comment a couple weeks ago or didn't go to visit, go! Do it. He has got a cool Crohns/Ulcerative Colitis dvd/movie and a TrueGutsForum too! Go wander, whether you have tummy troubles or not.

5 Days to Blogher

5 days to Blogher and I am worried. There will be a passel of women there. That brings up a huge issue: bathrooms. Have they arranged to commandeer the men's bathrooms? If not: attention Bloghims: women will invade "your" bathroom.

As for the tummy troubled (and I know I won't be the only one) I am hoping that our room is relatively close to the action. Travel isn't friendly to my gut most of the time.

pepto-bismol ice cream

blogjam » Blog Archive » pepto-bismol ice cream

Ice Cream for the tummy troubled?

August? September?

Well, as mentioned ct scan was fine except for the vexing ovarian cyst that showed up and caused the GI to send me to get a nice pap and pelvic before surgery. "When did you last have one?" "ummmm err a couple years ago" "Who is your gyn?" "Ummmm well, family doc does it I guess, I think she did my last one but before that ob's NP did them her name was Jeannie." "You don't seem too sure" "uh well, I am sure I have had one." So, I am scheduled for one right before Blogher.

But surgery is on the plate for probably August. Strange mass in the intestine near the ileum for the ct scan but that could be normal "stuff". We will go with the normal stuff option even though as we all know I did an awful lot of bathroom visits pre-ct scan.

Surgeon and GI seem to be having a difference of opinion on process but I think they are working it out. If not, from the looks of GI today, she will probably ever so nicely take one of her heels to his private parts to encourage him appropriately. Starting to wonder about choosing another fine surgeon in town.

Oh, and back on protonix and lab work. woo hoo. My favorites.

CT Scan Update

Scan went off with few hitches. Guy tech trying too hard to be personable, asking too many questions, just do it already. He also couldn't get the iv in good so while it returned well, it wasn't past the valve, so I have some pretty nasty swelling/soreness and an ugly bruise. The double dose of barium really works better for me than the hypaque, but still bites. I am zonked and have been to the bathroom triple the normal number of times for me. I also have a migraine. I think this is related to the iodine iv since I seem to get one every time regardless of prep.

Nurse called and said things looked ok, they would see me Monday and work on scheduling "things" with the surgeon. Sigh. Ack. (particularly since guy tech threw the words partial colectomy into his chatter today which sounds much more yucky than snagging the mystery bump.) Why couldn't they just say woo hoo mystery bump has vanished.

BTW-official name of mystery bump has been upgraded to "cecal lump" but I think I will call it Bob.

E-Z-EM : CT Imaging : Smoothies

E-Z-EM : CT Imaging : Smoothies: "Great Smoothie Fruit Flavors!
Apple, Banana, Berry, and now … Creamy Vanilla"

I have the extra special Berry Smoothie. No Hawaiian Punch this time, just a double dose of Berry. mmmm mmmm good.

CT Scan Friday

Which means prep tomorrow night and bright and early Friday morning. (that steady sip thing I love!) Bought the Hawaiian Punch Mixer this evening. Woohoo. Nothing like a gallon of red sugar water to make me look forward to waking up on Friday!

Advil! Yay! Boo!

Health News Article | Reuters.com: "Regular colonoscopy with follow-up treatment if needed can help prevent colon cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis, new research suggests. Likewise, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, seems to reduce the risk as well."

Ha! Well, what they don't mention is that aspirin and ibuprofen rank as no-nos of high order for the tummy troubled. Hmmm maybe I should say "Bring on the Advil! Less pain! More Blood! No colon cancer!"

GAH! *

Apparently, the surgeon tracked down my doctor at the hospital and cornered her or some such. Now her nurse is tracking me down to schedule ANOTHER CT scan. Oh goodie! Souvenier cup! Do you think you get a new one for a repeat visit?

My gut was not happy before news of the call, now it is having a full scale protest.

*Title comes from my word of the day along with Squee!

Updates

Surgeon wants to talk to gi doc before scheduling. Uh, I thought he already had?

Tummy troubles have seemed miserable lately. Maybe just this lingering for a month infection makes it seem that way? Ob la di ob la da


By the way: if you have Crohn's, do not run an infection for a month or so, (oh good grief, I have crohn's AND am on immunosuppressants, who am I kidding? I always have an infection.) watch it progress a bit, then spend a week or so, knocking yourself out, because well, it is your only chance and you wouldn't miss it for the world, then be surprised when you fall miserably, grossly ill afterwards. (especially combined with menstruation) (still would do it all over again, no question)

Happy 100 Years of Food Safety!

The USDA is celebrating 100 Years of Food Safety. How important is food safety to you? Do you think about it only after you have a raging tummy ache? Do you think about it only at picnics with mayo? Do you think about it only when you go to scummy seeming restaurants or do you consistently think about it whether preparing food at home and eating away from home?

Can your kitchen pass the food safety test?

Interesting Things about Today's Colonoscopy

Ok, well I thought they were interesting:
1. Being asked if I had been on a poultry farm or handled live birds recently. (bird flu questions)
2. Had I been out of the country in the past 10 days
3. New colonoscopy/endoscopy center at North Florida-new large waiting room and admission area, new prep waiting rooms that are rooms with bathrooms/tvs/etc.
4. Truly awful wallpaper borders and art, though the art and borders are a nice touch
5. Being told I am tiny all over. Hmmm...
6. The sedation wore off very quick, much quicker than at my usual endo/colonoscopy haunt.
7. The doctor blowing me up like a balloon and leaving me to deflate on my own. Geez, she doesn't normally do that or if she does she deflates me.
8. The doctor talking to my partner while ostensibly telling me all her thoughts
9. The doctor getting mushy with my partner.
10. The complete humorlessness of the staff in the colonoscopy room itself. Usually folks in that field tend to be quick with humor.

Colonoscopy Update

I am here. Not dead. No new holes in my colon.(well except for I suppose all sorts of scrapes and whatevers from multiple biopsies.) Surgery looms big time now though. Sigh. Don't they know I have no sick leave, need a zillion dollars in dental work, AND want to take a real vacation with my babies. :-(

Mystery bump no less mysterious and growing. Doc also wants to up the imuran.

Is Colonoscopy Prep Really That Difficult?

Editorials - Is Colonoscopy Prep Really That Difficult?: "Try it. You might like it."

Truly bizarre line in a prep article.

There's Always Room for Jell-O!

There's Always Room for Jell-O!
The title of this article made me giggle. What was I doing there? Well, ummm I HATE PREP and was hoping that searching for colonoscopy prep would spill some unknown secret to less horrid prep. Nope.

Then, I saw the title of this article, had to click. Certainly, with a great title like that, they would have a suggestion for clear liquids that I had not considered. (like I feel like eating ANYTHING with this headache, nausea and camping out in the bathroom with a bottle of gingerale and phospho soda waiting for the final "omg I hate this" drink). Nope, no dice there either, but a great title and info on the clear liquid diet if you haven't got a handle on it.

I am glad this is early in the morning though. I feel almost as death-like as I did with my first prep and wandering the hospital much later in the day feeling like this might be not such a good thing.

colonoscopy, prep, clear liquids

I don't want to do this colonoscopy

At all. The "lets do it in the hospital this time" is completely troubling. And! Didn't I just HAVE one? Bleah.

Cleaning Up One Flush at a Time

First Coast News - Strange & Unusual - Cleaning Up One Flush at a Time

3 minutes and it burns the waste? Yep, just what I want to do, sit on a home incinerator. How about you?

The Bathroom Snob

The Bathroom Snob

This is a cool blog for all of us who spend a lot of the time in the bathroom and even pretty cool for those who spend an average or very little amount of time in the bathroom.

She even alerted me to the extra special self cleaning toilet which led me to the scotchguarded SINK! Very cool.
Now go visit!

toilets self-cleaning bathroom snob

More Toilet News

Malaysia Wants to Flush Dirty Toilet Rep - Yahoo! News: "Malaysia will try to flush its long-held image of having foul-smelling public restrooms with a National Toilet Summit to educate the public about the importance of clean commodes."

"The vision ... is to establish a clean toilet culture,"

Wow, can we have any more toilet news? Toilet summit leader sounds like a job for someone with tummy troubles doesn't it?

toilets, bathrooms, Malaysia

Fun Germ Facts

Fear the Phone
Fun Germ Facts for Your Day:

• Germs do not stick where people believe they will.
  
• Doorknobs are usually on the low side as far as bacteria because they are not usually moist. "Never fear a doorknob."


• The average desk harbors 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat


• Short-cycle, cold-water laundry washing leaves viruses and bacteria largely intact.


• There is a 10th of a gram of feces in the average pair of underwear, which then swishes around to get on all the clothes washed with them.


• Viruses such as hepatitis A, rotavirus and bacteria such as Salmonella -- all of which cause stomach upsets and diarrhea -- can easily survive the average 28-minute drying cycle

Wash your hands before and after laundry and meal prep. Touch the doorknob. Sit on the toilet seat. And for goodness sake, clean your desk!

germs, toilet seats, doorknobs, laundry, bird flu

Happy National Plumber's Day

Happy National Plumber's Day! Do you live in one of the United States of America's Cloggiest Cities? Are you like us and have a toilet that requires tlc?

Bad Tummy Trouble Blogger

I haven't had much to say lately. The tummy troubles seem to have hit a nothing new point. Most days they are not too bad. More and more weeks go by where I don't go for a couple of days then make up for it all in one night. I really won't complain about that, since as we all know, it is easier to deal with tummy troubles at home than at work.

I am scheduled to have another colonoscopy on May 17. This time at the hospital so I imagine they are going to lasso the mystery bump at that time. I am not thrilled about it but maybe once that is done, doc will chill a bit.

tummy troubles, crohns, colitis, IBD, colonoscopy

Tummy Turn Offs

The people at Pennington Biomedical Research (Part of LSU) are doing studies on why the GI system shuts down and reject nutrition...for instance creating nausea and the like. This is all very interesting since of course, I as the tummy troubled one have my issues with nausea. I think also if they can solve all these mysteries, the research could lead to treatments for IBD as well as other GI problems. (YAY!)

It seems that the immune system uses a protein called TNR to fight disease, in part by causing normal GI function to stop, all well and good until it goes a bit overboard.

Thalidomide blocks TNR, however, that isn't really a great drug for a number of reasons, primarily really bad birth defects related to its use in the 1950s.

thalidomide, lsu, research, tummy troubles, Crohns, IBD, Ulcerative Colitis, autoimmune

Hand Washing

Washing hands is not fun, not usually. Getting sick is less fun. Getting sick because someone else didn't wash their hands happens ALL. OF. THE. TIME. It happens to you. It happens to me. It happens to folks with even less immune protection than me. I won't even tell you the horrid things I have learned from working in food safety land. Let us just say...the mayo in potato salad isn't the biggest food safety thing you should worry about at the party.

So, of course, at least I, would like for better handwashing habits to catch on like wildfire. So would the folks at Iowa State University Extension. They currently have a survey about which handwashing billboard you most would like to see, so go wash your hands and VOTE for your favorite.

food safety, food poisoning, billboards, handwashing

Spa Of Embarrassing Illnesses

UKTV Style : TV Guide : Programmes : Spa of Embarassing Illnesses : Spa Of Embarrassing Illnesses: Episode Guide: "It's estimated that 75% of people in the UK suffer from an embarrassing illness such as IBS, excessive sweating, bloating, obesity, psoriasis and piles."

Interesting idea for a reality tv show, though one has to growl about the fact that presumably these folks are going to be fixed with these alternative treatments...thus leading the "caring", "concerned" folks to have just one more thing to point to when they say "I saw on tv where all that someone with _______ had to do was stop _________ (or take up yoga, go to a ___________) and they were cured!" It might be true in some cases, but in more cases I think it tends to make the person feel like they are sick because it is their own fault.

On Target

On Target by Marcel Neundörfer: "Recessed into a urinal is a pressure-sensitive display screen. When the guest uses it, he triggers an interactive game, producing images and sound. The reduced size of the “target” improves restroom hygiene and saves on cleanings costs"

Ok, not tummy trouble related, but bathroom related.

Update

I survived kid weekend in not too bad of shape. Saturday night and a bit of time Sat afternoon was a wee rough. It didn't slow me down though, YAY. (but after not sleeping Sat night, I was dead last night.)

Stool color has changed. In fact, I am hitting the rainbow this week. Yeah, the black is not so good. Especially considering I am a vegetarian who couldn't eat large amounts of spinach, beets and wouldn't eat licorice and don't take an iron supplement that does that.

Still unhappy gut, not assisted by the potluck today at work. An evening of bathroom fun seems to have quieted for now though. Cross your fingers, because I am once again out of sick leave and I want to save vacation for when my kids are home.

tummy troubles Crohns IBD Ulcerative Colitis

Cleanest Restroom Contest

Now here is a contest we are all equipped to judge. I can tell you one thing, the winner won't be in Tallahassee. It seems to be the city of filthy restrooms AND mostly singles.

Viagra?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!

A new study is saying that Crohn's is not an autoimmune disease but rather a deficient immune disease. (which could be why people in developing countries who are exposed to all sorts of wild germy things young don't seem to get it. hmm just thought of that)

The solution: Viagra. Yes, the little blue pill. Bob Dole could have something besides left-handedness in common with ME! Ok, so I am not signing up yet. Little study, but fun to read the side effects of Viagra and wonder about what an extended erection reaction might be like.

Viagra IBD Ulcerative Colitis autoimmune CrohnsCrohn's

The Stool is black

The toilet paper is white. The flu has been such a fright. (and has led to aforementioned tummy troubles.) Cross your fingers that I keep them mostly at bay for my kid weekend.

Mechanical Bowel Obstruction

Mechanical Bowel Obstruction

Nice job by these folks. Just because that Mayor has some tummy troubles they are all the rage I suppose.

BTW-mine hasn't been happy today but nothing amazing about that is there?

Fatigue

I haven't been around much lately. Busy for a while, nothing much to say but more than that lately...mind-numbing fatigue. Now, this would make sense if I was getting no sleep, but I am sleeping just fine.

I am not sure if it is a cold, busy days or something tummy related. The only notable tummy stuff of late has been horrid cramping at 3:30-4 every afternoon for the past few days. I tough it out and it goes away.

Poopy Potty Rule

New York Post Online Edition: news: "Teachers at a Bronx public school are pooh-poohing a school potty policy, charging that they are being discouraged from allowing children to use the bathroom outside of a set schedule.
Administrators at PS/MS 95 last month began enforcing a bathroom schedule for first through third grades that provides a daily 15- minute window for kids in each class to do their business."

UGH! Hope they don't have any kids with Crohn's or other tummy troubles.

Fried Mushrooms

Fried mushrooms are BAD...especially a number of them dipped in yummy horseradish sauce. So are falafal with sesame seeds ALSO fried...even on my baby's birthday. Sigh.

Technorati Tags: friedmushrooms, falafal, sesameseeds, crohns, crohn's, colitis, badfoods

Tuckered Tummy

I am sitting here wondering whether to post about my craving unfulfilled for over a WEEK for a McDonalds hamburger. (yeah, yeah, I am a vegetarian but umm lapsed).

Or maybe I should blog about how colds are evil things and make my already yucky tummy magnify yuckiness.

Or maybe about my craving for peanut sesame ramen noodles which I don't want enough to get over my sniggling suspicion that pantry pests are afoot...not roaches but those little grain bugs and such that you only really see in the Gardens Alive catalog. In any case, I know that I have low tolerance for these showing up when I toss noodles into boiling water and have particularly bad reactions to them when I am sick. My mother suggested ramen to me when I was sick one time as a teen. As I cooked them, I saw the dead and half dead wriggly larva or whatever and didn't eat ramen for almost 15 years. (including during the poverty stricken college years, but not including the an infant and a toddler and no money but the then husband was forever away on a business trip complaining about the quality of food at conferences, the scheduling of meals, and feeling bloated after too much lobster days...where I ate many bowls of ramen.)

Technorati Tags: mcdonalds, hamburger, sesame, peanut, ramen, bugs, pantrypests, cold,

Scrabble Score

Pholph's Scrabble Generator My Scrabble© Score is: 22. What is your score? Get it here.

Wear Red Day!

The blog is red in support of the Go Red for Women Day event.

Technorati Tags: wearredday, reddress, women, heartdisease

Do NOT

take 1 imodium if you think you would rather not use the bathroom 5 million times a day. The crohn's punishes you by not going for days on end while threatening to do so WAY TOO OFTEN.

Technorati Tags: crohns, crohn's, imodium,

Heredity, history, Need to know and more

CBS 2 / KCAL 9: Your Source For Southern California's Breaking News, Weather, Traffic and Sports: Disease May Have Caused Lincoln's Gait: "Terry Smith and Laurie Crary — both ataxia sufferers and descendants of Abraham Lincoln's uncle Josiah Lincoln — said they would like to know if the president had their disease.

'If a president had it, and he was disabled but still running the country, maybe people would lighten up on disabled people a little bit,' "

Geez, well this is where I am often with Crohn's is it a need to know thing or do I want to be amazing just because I manage to get out of bed in the morning? Neither.

Tummy Troubles

Tummy trouble update. Lagging at getting my follow up with the doctor appointment. I am kinda thinking I need to actually make a ummm I am having an issue appointment. Then again, it isn't so bad that I want to do so. On the other hand, the price of toilet paper ought not go up any more.

Also, I have been having bouncy back and forth migraines the past couple of days and the accompanying queasy feelings suck almost as bad as the headache.

Diapers relieve China train travellers

Aljazeera.Net - Diapers relieve China train travellers: "Many supermarkets in southern Foshan had reported a 50% increase in sales of adult diapers for the train trips"

Frightening idea to be on a train trip for 24 hours or more with nearly impossible to reach toilet trips. I can't imagine doing such a thing with Crohn's.

Technorati Tags: diapers, crohns, depends, tummytroubles, China

Potty Palooza

Charmin Offers Events - [ Potty Palooza ]

I want to go see Potty Palooza! Way too cool! Why hasn't this been at any festival or event I have attended?????????? Surely all us tummy troubled folk would like to see this at all of them!

Technorati Tags: pottypalooza, tummytroubles, crohns, IBD, toilets, Charmin

Poop on Traffic!

Stinky Traffic

Ok, this is just scatalogical...not really health related. Tummy related. Troubles related but not MY tummy troubles.

Bleah!

I swear, I am never, ever going to think I am doing good with my Crohn's ever again, much less say so. The past few days have sucked with yesterday and last night ROYALLY bad. Crampy. Painful. Lots of nasty, pudding is thicker diarrhea. Aren't you glad I shared that?

Is it because I started taking my Forvia vitamins again? Is it just chance? I would like to blame it just on bad food choices butttttttt it really started before that. ARG! Oncoming menstruation? Maybe, but last month I did ok pre-menstruation. (granted that was an anomaly) Stress? Well, maybe, but that can be argued too. Endoscopy? Well, they didn't exactly go "down there." Lingering cold for a month? Maybe. Infected teeth. Maybe.

BLEAH! BLEAH! BLEAH! In any case, I want some clear cut causation and cure. If x happens, then y results. Chronic disease SUCKS.

Technorati Tags: Crohns, crohn's, colitis, tummy_troubles, IBD, menstruation, forvia, endoscopy, diarrhea, chronic

Upper Endoscopy

The upper endoscopy was on Tuesday. I know. I have sucked at keeping everyone up-to-date but I have been broody and the like. It is January, you know.

Anyhow, the endoscopy went well! No problem prep, no food after midnight, clear liquids until 4 hours before but really I didn't have anything but clear liquids for like 15 hours before. Sore throat afterwards complicated by my cold. (see below)

The stomach showed extensive edema but nothing alarming so no changes see her in two months! YAY! They even sent home souvenier pictures. I will scan for your enlightenment at some point. The kids have certainly enjoyed them!

Christmas and New Years went well. I even managed to snag some greens without paying the Crohn's price. I have had a horrible cold that started 12/23 and has not gone away. I was just sitting here wondering if my ear might explode. I suppose I should call my regular doc but geez.

Technorati Tags: crohns, crohn's, IBD, endoscopy

Crohn's Ups Risk of Intestinal Cancer

Health News Article | Reuters.com: "Crohn's Ups Risk of Intestinal Cancer" maybe... at least according to a new report but even it concedes that this is based on people with Crohn's who have been treated with all natures of different treatments (back to the 1940s)

Of course, my question without looking here is that seeing as how the small bowel is not that readily visualized, could it not be that people with Crohn's are more likely to get it noticed just because of a higher freq. of imaging of that area?