London with Tummy Troubles

Well, I did it. I went on a lonnnnnnnnnnnng plane trip and stayed in a foreign country-took the lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggerrrrrrrrrr trip home and survived...with crohn's. I even drank the water a couple of times.

Here is the update on London toilets: not bad. Hard to find in places, sometimes key places. But, I survived with no mishaps. (better than my trip last year to PA where there was one)

Places and foods to eat that are relatively safe also easy to find. (one unfortunate meal in Oxford set off an afternoon of bathroom trips-of the run and wish for really good toilet paper sort and also the sort where you wonder whether it is worth it to actually leave the bathroom.) shrug...so not really bad.

The rest of the trip was my normal good and bad mix. I did ok for the most part by being really careful about food choices but overtiredness and such caused problems (ok such=my period which is never tummy friendly)

Plane wasn't bad even though I had tummy troubles on the way home. I swear they let you use the toilets sooner and later on the long distance flight.

Now that I am home though...ugh. I think my body decided that it can fall apart. We had to stop several times on the way from the airport to the house and I am becoming intimately reacquainted with the bathrooms at work and home. sigh.

Only other tummy trouble comment is FOOD SMELLS and PEOPLE SMELLS. If your tummy troubles are aggravated by such things-prepare ahead. One museum smelled like a crockpot starting at about 10:30. Perfumes, colognes, cigarette smoke and people sweat/wet smells are omnipresent at the museums and on transportation as well as at any shop or restaurant. (speaking of the more lung aggravating of the smells-note that you can't get a primatene or similar inhaler from a drugstore there, so don't leave yours at home.)

More Down to Earth

A new bathroom just about anyone can afford...from Playmobil

Tummy Trouble Throne

I hate the word John and the word throne for these items. I will learn to love them when I win this-the ultimate tummy troubled contest!

Well I went to the doctor

To the general practice doctor. It wasn't a UTI, which is what I was figuring. At least the quick test didn't say so. I saw a different doctor in the practice, new guy, wet behind the ears.

He kept asking stupid questions like: have you been running a fever? Umm no, I am on nice meds that would mean that if I had run any sort of significant fever I would BE IN THE HOSPITAL. Any blood in the stool? I have crohn's that is a daily if not hourly occurrence. Any nausea, vomiting? Again, I have CROHN's. Any stomach pain? ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGh At one point after I said I have crohns so it is hard to say, he said he did go to medical school. At which point I was DONE. His answer was he thinks I have pulled a muscle. (Was I in a car accident? Was I sure I hadn't been in a car accident?)

He wants me to get an x-ray. Why??????? That never was clear why. and come back in a week. Sigh. It felt better-like vanished-for about 24 hours, but now it is back to hurting like hell. sigh. I wanted it to be a simple infection-antibiotics. all better. But no, instead, tests.

I don't know whether I want to waste the time going back. I 99% sure the xray will show nothing, which will mean more tests. More money. More time off work. Fairly certain though it isn't a pulled muscle. Pulled muscles don't make you exhausted. They don't make you pee all the time. They don't last for 3 months.

Bleck

Ok, I guess I should say something but of course saying something makes it real and that is what I have been avoiding since November. I need to go to the doctor. The strange possibly kidney related back pain isn't going away and has led to an interesting host of other issues now...a new variety of poop coloration, and exhaustion. Serious, mind numbing sleep a lot exhaustion...which I would blame on other things but really don't think that is the case.

Of course, the problem is this...as with any unclear issue...do I see the regular doc or the g.i. doc? (are there any votes for just waiting some more to see if it goes away?)

Maybe I need to add one

In Spain...they add a pooping peasant to Nativity Scenes. For a picture go here