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| My latest medical treatment, 1/2-1/5/2016 by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 01/05/2016, 5:35pm PST | ||||
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Paul Robinson on Jolt Country, Approx 10 AM Jan 2, 2016 wrote:Here are the details: I got up Saturday needing to go to the bathroom, and did so, to discover I had soft stools the color of red velvet chocolate cake batter; very dark red. Sp I cleaned myself up, posted a note on Jolt Country which appears above - in case I didn't come back - and called 9-1-1. As I pointed out to the agent, bloody stools could be anything from something minor all the way to "You've got 48 hours to live," or anywhere in between. They take me to Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park (I misstated its location, it's not in Silver Spring). I explain what happened and I state, quite frankly, that if it wasn't for the fact I had bloody stools I simply would have cleaned myself up afterward and went back to bed. I was not dizzy, I did not have any pain, no nausea, no indication that anything was wrong. They did a procedure which is relatively uncomfortable in which they shove a tube up your nose and you have to swallow it so it goes into your stomach so they can check for blood in the stomach. It's worse when it first goes down because the nurse tried it through my left nostril and couldn't get it, but had more success through my right one. Success may be a bit of an overstatement as it makes you want to retch because having that through your throat triggers the gag reflex. It becomes somewhat less over time but it's still there and off-and-on you want to puke. I was so glad when after what seemed like an eternity, there was no blood in my stomach so they can remove the tube. They've decided to do a colonoscopy so I'm being admitted. They put me on a light liquids diet - soup, juice, etc. - and then once the cardiologist clears me they'll have me take the colon cleanse prior to doing the procedure, which will happen Monday. So I will have a complete cutoff of anything as of 8 AM Monday morning. I had no idea that some of the drugs I now take include high blood pressure medication and a blood thinner so I won't have a stroke. Sunday evening around 5 or 6 the nurse has this gallon bottle of colon cleanse and between then and 8AM I have to drink it. Looks like water and should be labeled "LIQUID FILTH" as it tastes like spoiled milk. Between then and about 7:30 that evening I've drunk about 1/2 of the bottle, a few swallows at a time followed by a clean water rinse. so I can let it go for a while, as, understandably this stuff tastes so bad that it is potentially possible that one can puke from it, But then I realize I'm going to need a bedpan. The stench from my excrement is so bad they had to move the other guy in my room because it was making him gag! After about two loads and one cleanup I'm not dripping any more so I don't need the bedpan for a third try. The next morning around 5 I get started again and perhaps by 6:30 I've finished all of the liquid, shortly followed by a couple more loads of output. This is strange, I just typed all the information in and it has vanished. I thought I copied it but it's not here. Oh well, I'll retype it. By 5 of 8 the absolute last pills I can take are brought in because after 8 I'm under a nothing by mouth restriction. Around 10 of 12 they take me down to the room to do the procedure. They put me in the parking area and the doctor comes to see me. He asks me if I understand what they are going to do. I state that they're going to stick a camera up my ass to see what my colon looks like. He laughs and says yes, but they'll also put a camera down my throat after I'm asleep to view from the other side. That doesn't sound right so he explains that they are able for force another camera tube down my throat as part of the procedure. So I sign the consent form and I get taken into the room where they'll do the procedure. I get a nose insert like those things you get when they have to give you oxygen, and I can smell that it's giving off a gas, presumably the anesthesia. So, anyway, in what seems a few minutes later the nurse asks me how I feel, and I say fine, and she tells me that's good because I'm in the recovery room and they've already finished the procedure. I even get pictures of my insides to show me. If I hadn't been told I was having a colonoscopy I would have thought I had had a tonsilectomy because I didn't feel anything had been done to my rear end but I did have a sore throat. The anesthetic was damn good, I never even knew what had happened. I'm told it has some amnesia effect too. They took out two pre-cancerous polyps, one small and one large. The large one was bleeding which is what caused this whole incident. The doctor had to cauterize it to stop it from bleeding. I need to contact him in a couple of weeks to see how they turned out. I need to contact the cardiologist tomorrow for an appointment to see what I should be doing but in the mean time I'm not to take any more Eliquis - the blood thinner - and probably in about a week I'll go back on it. I had had anemia because of the bleeding, and, as I stated. I had no idea. I had no belly pain, no nausea, no vomiting and no dizziness. So, anyway, since 9-1-1 can't bring my power wheelchair with me I have to have transport home. The last time I visited the hospital after Medicare an ambulance cost me about $60. Well, Medicare won't cover this so they'll get me a wheelchair transport service, which should be less expensive. So I find out that it will cost me $95.00! So much for less expensive. Fortunately I did bring my wallet with me and I do keep one credit card unused for emergencies. Now, I have some refills of existing ones and some new prescriptions, so either they can give me the prescriptions to pick up myself or fill them with Walgreens and they'll bring them over. I figure it's probably the same Co-pay as going to Target so I have them do it. One of the prescriptions isn't covered so the co-pay is $38. The transport picks me up in a manual wheelchair and brings me over to my house. I can't reach anyone inside but I am able to find my key. My wheelchair isn't there; I figure it must be in my room, and I am correct. I find out later someone had called the landlord who had cleaned up my wheelchair - apparently he had to use bleach because of the blood - and put it back in my room. I realize I won't be able to transfer between chairs, the power chair is too high for me to do so from this manual wheelchair whose arms cannot be removed. So, the transport driver steers the power chair back, I am able to bring the manual close to the bed and swing the footrests clear, he locks the wheels and holds the chair in place, and I essentially flop out of the chair and onto my bed. He moves the manual chair out of the room, then steers the power chair over to the bed. I work my way back onto the chair and I'm back where I was Saturday morning. So now I'm back on my chair and belted in as usual. I will complete my story with the same line as from my escape from the rehabilitation facility. "And I am home, again." - Sir Elton John, Blue Eyes |
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My latest medical treatment, 1/2-1/5/2016 by 01/05/2016, 5:35pm PST  Re: My latest medical treatment, 1/2-1/5/2016 by 01/05/2016, 6:17pm PST Are you gonna make some health changes or what? by 01/05/2016, 9:37pm PST Re: Are you gonna make some health changes or what? by 01/06/2016, 10:15am PST I like that juicing can be steroids or an enforced juice diet. by 01/07/2016, 8:16am PST I don't think he took up juggling like I suggested. NT by 01/07/2016, 7:56am PST So tentacle rape with anesthesia? That would make it tentacle date rape, I think NT by 01/06/2016, 2:32pm PST Re: So tentacle rape with anesthesia? That would make it tentacle date rape... by 01/07/2016, 7:50am PST |
