So, for
obvious reasons, I didn't blog on Saturday, and you'll understand in a moment
why I didn't blog yesterday. To say that this weekend was a little rough
is kind of an understatement.
Per my post on Friday, the majority of that day was spent prepping for the scope on Saturday. I will say that, in my opinion, the prep I had this time was probably the worst of the three preps I've had to do thus far. Drinking 2 liters of Crystal Light is NOT my idea of a good-time Friday night, but I did it and kept it all down. It took me a bit longer than expected, but the end result was the same. (I'll leave the details up to your imagination.) Friday night wasn't much fun, though I did watch a few movies while waiting out the inevitable (and between) - Dodgeball and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
Saturday morning, I followed the prep paperwork and stopped drinking 4 hours prior to the procedure timeline (which was 12:30 registration/1pm scope). After I got my shower, I started feeling pretty light-headed, so I was grateful that Levi was driving. We headed out, figuring that if we got to the facility early, we'd be better off. Thank goodness we did.
When we got there, we waited in about 5 minutes before someone came out to greet us - not a big deal. Except, she came out to tell us that the procedure had been cancelled.
Um, WHAT?!?!?!
Apparently, the office staff had left two messages on a number that I've repeatedly asked them not to call (i.e. not my cell phone), telling me that the procedure had been cancelled. I told the lady that that was too bad, because I wasn't leaving the facility until a camera had been shoved up my butt. She went back to see why my appointment as well as the other person in the waiting room had been cancelled.
When she came back, she indicated that the office staff had booked the procedures so that there were some gaps in the schedule, and they had moved my procedure up to 11am. I showed her the paperwork I had been given, which clearly indicated that I was supposed to arrive at 12:30. After much discussion, we came to the agreement that the office staff is fairly incompetent. (The outpatient center the scope was taking place and the office are two separate entities, hence the problem.)
Thankfully, the poor lady that I spent 20 minutes yelling at was able to get ahold of my doctor as well as the other folks that needed to be present for the procedure, and they all willingly came back to the office to get my scope and the other person's scope done. Whew. Crisis averted.
They brought me into the prep room, and I will say that this was BY FAR the quickest prep for a procedure I've ever been through. No questions about it. The two blemishes during this part - Blemish #1: they asked me when I had eaten or had something to drink last - eating was Thursday night, drinking was a bit of water and black coffee at 8:30 that morning. They all stopped and asked why I had something to drink that late. I pulled out the prep paperwork that I had been mailed from the office and showed them where it indicated I could drink up until 4 hours prior. They were not impressed. Apparently, you aren't supposed to drink 12 hours prior to the procedure. Well, not my fault - I was doing what I was told. Blemish #2: they missed the first IV. Because Arizona is so dry, and I was dehydrated from the prep, they had trouble getting the IV where it needed to be, and now I have a nice bruise on my right hand where the poor lady missed. She felt so bad! They did get the other hand done, which was a blessing, even though it hurt like a b*tch.
For the last couple of procedures I've had, they used propofol, which is an anesthetic that puts you in the twilight sleep. Gets out of your system pretty quickly, and I've had good luck with it. Yeah - that's on back order. I don't know what they used this time, but it was some pretty potent stuff. I don't remember much from the procedure at all... a bit here and there, but overall, it's a blur. I remember them waking me up in the room, and trying to focus on the nurse's face. It wasn't easy - I was so loopy, seeing double and triple. Dr. M came in to tell me what happened, and I told her that I wasn't in any position to take that information - please go tell Levi. She did. Getting dressed was quite the feat. It was everything I could do to stand up to put my shorts on. They got me into the car and I pretty much slept the entire way home. Well, except for the moment when Levi stopped to get me a drink and some chips - I woke up for those. :-) I was still felling light-headed and loopy (more than usual) yesterday until around 7pm. Then, I had trouble sleeping last night, probably because I slept most of Saturday away.
So, the results? (If you've made it this far through my rambling, I applaude you....) Two small polyps. Otherwise, a clean colon. Per Dr M, I don't have to go back in for another scope for three years.
I'm waiting to hear back from the pathology report on the removed polyps to determine whether I'll stick to that three years mark. If they are non-pre-cancerous, I'm okay with that. But, if those little bastards are pre-cancerous, I'm going back in next year. No way I'm going to let this get the best of me again.
Blood work this afternoon (routine CBC and CEA counts). PET scan tomorrow. Then, the waiting begins in earnest.
Per my post on Friday, the majority of that day was spent prepping for the scope on Saturday. I will say that, in my opinion, the prep I had this time was probably the worst of the three preps I've had to do thus far. Drinking 2 liters of Crystal Light is NOT my idea of a good-time Friday night, but I did it and kept it all down. It took me a bit longer than expected, but the end result was the same. (I'll leave the details up to your imagination.) Friday night wasn't much fun, though I did watch a few movies while waiting out the inevitable (and between) - Dodgeball and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
Saturday morning, I followed the prep paperwork and stopped drinking 4 hours prior to the procedure timeline (which was 12:30 registration/1pm scope). After I got my shower, I started feeling pretty light-headed, so I was grateful that Levi was driving. We headed out, figuring that if we got to the facility early, we'd be better off. Thank goodness we did.
When we got there, we waited in about 5 minutes before someone came out to greet us - not a big deal. Except, she came out to tell us that the procedure had been cancelled.
Um, WHAT?!?!?!
Apparently, the office staff had left two messages on a number that I've repeatedly asked them not to call (i.e. not my cell phone), telling me that the procedure had been cancelled. I told the lady that that was too bad, because I wasn't leaving the facility until a camera had been shoved up my butt. She went back to see why my appointment as well as the other person in the waiting room had been cancelled.
When she came back, she indicated that the office staff had booked the procedures so that there were some gaps in the schedule, and they had moved my procedure up to 11am. I showed her the paperwork I had been given, which clearly indicated that I was supposed to arrive at 12:30. After much discussion, we came to the agreement that the office staff is fairly incompetent. (The outpatient center the scope was taking place and the office are two separate entities, hence the problem.)
Thankfully, the poor lady that I spent 20 minutes yelling at was able to get ahold of my doctor as well as the other folks that needed to be present for the procedure, and they all willingly came back to the office to get my scope and the other person's scope done. Whew. Crisis averted.
They brought me into the prep room, and I will say that this was BY FAR the quickest prep for a procedure I've ever been through. No questions about it. The two blemishes during this part - Blemish #1: they asked me when I had eaten or had something to drink last - eating was Thursday night, drinking was a bit of water and black coffee at 8:30 that morning. They all stopped and asked why I had something to drink that late. I pulled out the prep paperwork that I had been mailed from the office and showed them where it indicated I could drink up until 4 hours prior. They were not impressed. Apparently, you aren't supposed to drink 12 hours prior to the procedure. Well, not my fault - I was doing what I was told. Blemish #2: they missed the first IV. Because Arizona is so dry, and I was dehydrated from the prep, they had trouble getting the IV where it needed to be, and now I have a nice bruise on my right hand where the poor lady missed. She felt so bad! They did get the other hand done, which was a blessing, even though it hurt like a b*tch.
For the last couple of procedures I've had, they used propofol, which is an anesthetic that puts you in the twilight sleep. Gets out of your system pretty quickly, and I've had good luck with it. Yeah - that's on back order. I don't know what they used this time, but it was some pretty potent stuff. I don't remember much from the procedure at all... a bit here and there, but overall, it's a blur. I remember them waking me up in the room, and trying to focus on the nurse's face. It wasn't easy - I was so loopy, seeing double and triple. Dr. M came in to tell me what happened, and I told her that I wasn't in any position to take that information - please go tell Levi. She did. Getting dressed was quite the feat. It was everything I could do to stand up to put my shorts on. They got me into the car and I pretty much slept the entire way home. Well, except for the moment when Levi stopped to get me a drink and some chips - I woke up for those. :-) I was still felling light-headed and loopy (more than usual) yesterday until around 7pm. Then, I had trouble sleeping last night, probably because I slept most of Saturday away.
So, the results? (If you've made it this far through my rambling, I applaude you....) Two small polyps. Otherwise, a clean colon. Per Dr M, I don't have to go back in for another scope for three years.
I'm waiting to hear back from the pathology report on the removed polyps to determine whether I'll stick to that three years mark. If they are non-pre-cancerous, I'm okay with that. But, if those little bastards are pre-cancerous, I'm going back in next year. No way I'm going to let this get the best of me again.
Blood work this afternoon (routine CBC and CEA counts). PET scan tomorrow. Then, the waiting begins in earnest.
Comments:
change-is-possible.net said...
Oy!
What a day! I'm glad it all worked out. Do you know if the other person in the
waiting room also had the procedure done?
Good thing you had all your directions with you! Are you planning to go back to the same place the next time you need one of these done?
Here's to polyps that are nothin' *clink*
Good thing you had all your directions with you! Are you planning to go back to the same place the next time you need one of these done?
Here's to polyps that are nothin' *clink*
June
28, 2010 at 11:20 AM
For
God's sake, don't you ever go back to that surgeon's office. Go somewhere else
for your next Colonoscopy. That is absolutely ridiculous!!!!!! My blood
pressure went up reading that post. No one should be treated that way. No one.
June
28, 2010 at 8:30 PM
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