Sunday Sunday - And colonnscopy news

Today is a lazy day. I think I am still working on recovering from my colonoscopy last Thursday because all I have done today is watch football and sleep. Oh Bills won by the way - yeah! Anyway, sleeping during the day is such a luxury. I was on the sofa, under my electric throw blanket and I said to Phil, "Life is good!"

Electric throw blankets are wonderful. Phil gave it to me for Christmas last year. This is definately the gift that keeps on giving. Several times, I'd sleep a little, wake up and proclaim, "I love my blankee!" Then I'd watch a some football, then go back to sleep. It was wonderful.

The colonnoscopy, for those who have been putting it off, isn't that bad. The preparation is the worse part. Even drinking the 16 eight ounce glasses of whatever isn't that bad. I got the power stuff that you can mix with water, juice, tea, coffee, even coke (but it takes the fizz out of it, so you might not want to go there) The power is indeed tasteless. But drinking 64 onces of anything is hard. I mixed my stuff with this orange drink from Minute Maid or some similiar OJ company and it wasn't bad. Of course, I have no interest even now to consume this drink even without the powder. Not at this time.

The instructions I received from the doctor's office did not say you have 4 hours to drink all this. I called them when I was on my 13th glass and 45 minutes had passed. I was relieved to know I had several hours before it had to be all consumed. I decided to get it over with and just finished the last three glasses. Shortly there after....the games begin. My advice: stay very close by to the commode...bring in plenty of reading material.

Hunger is your next biggest enemy. Jello really does fill you if you consume enough of it. And it can stay with you for 20 minutes. You just have to keep shoveling it in. Try not to watch TV because the Subway commericials will make you cranky. Between shoveling Jello and doing all that reading...time will fly.

I found it amusing that the waiting room at the ASC is a good 30 seconds running from the restroom. This is a design flaw for sure. I mean, you probably won't need it by the time you get there, but after your prep experiences you know to not trust this.

After filling out all the paperwork and being asked for the 15th time, "are you allergic to any drugs," you get into the room. As I sat there, this one man comes in and says "Hi, I'm John, I'll be helping with your procedure."

"Hi John," I say, "I'm Eva. I'll be your patient today."

John laughs.

"So John, what are your credentials?" I ask.

"I'm a Gastroentologist Specialist. I help the doctor out with the equipment," John says.

"Oh," I pause, "So you won't be seeing my naked butt, right?"

He turns from the equipment and I can see the wheels turning in his head. "Well, actually....yes, I will."

"Oh. But I'm just another face in the crowd, huh?"

John laughs again.

I get undressed and get in bed. John comes back in and says he needs to get the scope. He comes back with this hose thingy and attaches the one large end to the machine.

"I'm glad to see that end goes in there." I point to the machine.

The nurse explains that another nurse will be in to administer some drugs to my IV so I will not be aware of much. The doctor comes in and talks to me a bit and then says, "Okay, lay on your left side."

"Wait!" I blurt, "I haven't gotten any drugs yet."

"Yeah, you will."

Sure enough a lady who tells me her name is Lesley comes in and adds some lines to my saline circulating IV. It will sting a little, she tells me. It does. The TV is in front of me and I think this will be cool to see what my colon looks like.

I never see my colon. I never see John seeing my naked butt. The next thing I know, Phil is sitting at my feet and the first nurse is telling me it's over. I knew nothing.

On the way home we stop at Subway. I wait in the car and think about getting home to my "blankee."

It's not that bad.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, I made it half way to 90! Yikes. How can I be 45? I was in class last Tuesday night. I was talking to one of my classmates. We got on the subject of birthdays.

"I'm going to 45 on Saturday," I said.
"Oh really," she offered all bubbly, "My mom just turned 40!"
"Oh righty now."

To top off the start of my 45th year, I'm schedule for a colonoscopy on Thursday and a bone density test on the following Tuesday. Oh righty now...yes, let the games begin!