I am sitting quietly on my couch downstairs listening to kids play outside. I am being a bum at the moment since my body, mind, and emotions are still recovering from anesthesia, hunger, and results. After the very normal colonoscopy post a positive Cologuard test, I was craving a chicken sandwich, so Laura took me to OK Cafe, a yummy Atlanta staple. My hunger subsided, but is coming back. Thank goodness I have half of my chicky-sammy waiting for me. The anesthesia takes time to shake, so I am moving slowly and carefully. The results, well, they are well printed here next to me.
With my packet there are several areas to note. I’ve got a “Patient Card” that I am supposed to show if I need to get an MRI or go through a metal detector while traveling since I have a few clips/staples somewhere in my colon holding me together. “They will pass eventually and you won’t feel it.” said the Doctor B. and I believe him. He and the staff were amazing-excellent and while I was mumbling with Laura and coming around, I’ve decided to sent them a thank you card. That will be added to my bullet journal. Other things in my packet include instructions, results, and next steps. Midway through the packet are photos of my insides and it’s really cool (to me)! They said I did a great job cleaning myself out and I think I should have gotten a sticker or something to show off. “No poop in me!”
The polyps that my doctor discovered had a couple Instagram worthy photos, glamourous before and after shots. Before one polyp was replaced with some shiny hardware, it got measured and was a walloping 12mm. The other came in at 10mm and its after photo doesn’t have any bling. It’s okay polyp 2, you will not be forgotten! I’ve got temporary hardware and drowsiness to show, and my polyp friends are off to their second home to be tested for pathologies. When they get this big I guess we need to make sure they are nothing to be scared of – it’s Halloween and all!
What’s next? Now I recover, wait for the pathology results, and eat the rest of that chicky-sammy.
A few thought provoking questions that came up:
- “Do you have a will and health directive? “
- Yes, but holy crap, I don’t know where it is and it’s old. L and I talked about updating it. This is something I am going to add to Helper-ID‘s list of things to consider acknowledging.
- “Is there a history of gastrointestinal issues in your family?”
- No, not that I know of. AND, the big mystery, what did my mom die of several years ago? While I didn’t do an autopsy to find out the cause of death, they were certain that she had severe internal bleeding when she passed. So maybe, just maybe she had some gastrointestinal issues that finally were too much for her.
- “Do you eat a lot of fatty meat?”
- No, I do not. I eat quite healthy, lots of veggies and fruits. Low alcohol and plenty of water. I talked briefly with Dr. B about this and he mentioned that my diet, physical health, and weight might be why these polyps aren’t any bigger. Potentially genetics at play here, but no conclusions.
Closing thought, being a human is beautiful and messy AND we cannot afford to ignore either.
We’ve got to talk about our health realities so that we can reduce the shame people and our culture heap on us when something happens. By sharing our stories we normalize life’s occurrences and help others invest and investigate, with others. We’ve got to talk with family & friends about our health so that we can compare notes and hopefully stop bad things before they get worse. This is part of building a community that we so desperately need. We need the diversity of people, diversity of experiences, and diversity of ideas in order to lead the lives we all desire.
Hello, I am Shelton. 