I had laparoscopic hernia surgery 2 weeks ago, and today, I
had a follow-up exam with the surgeon.
The surgery went very well, and the pain was relatively
minor...far less than expected. So much so, that I only
needed Tylenol and Ibuprofen to take care of things. I
am wearing a girdle/binder for support, and while I can
drive again, I'm still using the girdle/binder when lifting
am wearing a girdle/binder for support, and while I can
drive again, I'm still using the girdle/binder when lifting
Take it very easy...even after getting rid of the girdle. Am glad to
hear it went well without all the drama & such.
Even had to take a colon test a couple of months ago. At 58...they said
I was normal. Hearing that...I cried for joy. The reason...have had the "truck driver's syndrome" since my early 20's & didn't want anything causing more pain than what I feel through the years.
Daryl Stout wrote to Don Lowery <=-
Even had to take a colon test a couple of months ago. At 58...they said
I was normal. Hearing that...I cried for joy. The reason...have had the "truck driver's syndrome" since my early 20's & didn't want anything causing more pain than what I feel through the years.
I've had several colonoscopies over the years...some have had
nothing, and others had benign polyps...but no cancer. I doubt any
family has escaped that scourge. I lost an uncle to colon cancer...my
Dad and his sister to pancreatic cancer...and my grandmother to lung cancer.
I hate to see the overnight hospital bill...but with no family member
to stay with me, and all our friends working with families, it's nearly
I am taking it easy...I surely don't want to undo the surgery.
While the prep work for the colonoscopy is a PITA (especially with hemorrhoids), unlike most other cancers...colon cancer is one of the
most preventable. But, it is the second greatest killer of men and
women, right behind (no pun intended) heart disease and breast cancer.
But, the abdominal pain from diverticulitis is worse than a woman's monthly cycle.
"Not quite". When she talked to her Mom (who's black, and her Dad is white...but they're both a couple of nuts <G>), she said "I'll bet you didn't think you had a son that looked like him!!" <BG>.
Colon cancer runs in my family on my mom's side - 2 great uncles died
from it, and my mother was successfully treated years ago. I've been
getting regular colonoscopies since I was 40. I'm 54 now.
The laxative prep is a pain, but given that beer is OK beforehand,
living on jello, broth and beer is an interesting experience.
... Twist the spine
Having been alone for decades...this never bothered me. What surprised
me was when co-workers/friends came to visit me.
Good to hear!
The last 1 you mentioned was something else men should be tested for as well.
Had friends with this & it's worse. My kidney stones the 1st time would beat both of these.
"Not quite". When she talked to her Mom (who's black, and her Dad is white...but they're both a couple of nuts <G>), she said "I'll bet you didn't think you had a son that looked like him!!" <BG>.
;)
surpriseHaving been alone for decades...this never bothered me. What
What was strange is that before I got married, I was happy being
single. Then, when I got married over 17 years ago, I was happy. But, after being a widower over 13 years, while I'm busier than I was when I was married, some days, it does get awfully lonely. At this stage of
life, so many folks have "too much baggage and drama" to deal with...and
I don't want, or need that.
all my friends work, and have families, it's difficult to get a ride
to and from the facility, but impossible to get someone to stay with
me overnight at the house. Both parents are dead and gone now.
One woman told me that she would rather have quintuplets (5 at once),
in hard labor, with no anesthesia or epidural...than 1 kidney stone.
That pretty much sums it up.
Another woman told me "If we women can pass a kid, you men can pass
a kidney stone". I told her "But, unlike the female cervix, the male
penis can NOT dialate".
When talking to her Mom nowadays, and I make a real bad pun, etc.,
I'm told "Go to your room!!" <BG>.
In my case...back in the 80's...it was endless marriage this...marriage that. Just bothering with that was enough to drive anyone crazy.
Know fully well about the loneliness. Am by myself & have no one to
talk to...except for on here. Add on all the garbage from someone else...that Mystic Rat was right...don't marry or sleep with anyone
else with more problems than you have.
Yep! It's almost to the point that you better hope you have a taxi
there & back. In terms of parents...been estranged from those Klan scumbags others call family for 30 years & am better for it. Don't even know who's still alive or dead or care. They are not part of my life or even want them to be part of any type of my life.
1st time with stones was the only time I've been given morphine. Even
30 years later...never had another shot...since it's the greatest stuff
in the world & I would abuse it like crazy.
At least 1 good thing...we have our toys there & can't get them taken away. Even have a half bag of fake corn chips beside me on the
desk...so I have food. ;D
It's like the taglines "Marriage is SAME SEX -- the same sex all over again!!", and "Sex is a Misdemeanor. The more ya miss, da meaner ya
get". <G>
take you home, and stay with you overnight. Otherwise, you have to do as
I do...spend the night in the hospital...which the insurance companies don't like to pay for...but they refuse to consider that "I basically
have no family left".
They gave me that morphine, and it shut my colon down. It was a bear to "clear the plumbing" as it were. :P
kind of squelches that idea. The thing is, if it's a possible tornado
to my southwest, I'm going to stay awake for it.
It's like the taglines "Marriage is SAME SEX -- the same sex all over again!!", and "Sex is a Misdemeanor. The more ya miss, da meaner ya
get". <G>
Very true. The 1st question I asked myself when I got served was who am
I going to have sex with now?
There is 1 more option...wonder how the hospital/insurance companies
would like to have reporters bringing this on the nightly news?
I can tell you that the walls are not naturally that color...because originally being white or something close to that doesn't match what
you should've ended up with at that time. ;D
kind of squelches that idea. The thing is, if it's a possible tornado
to my southwest, I'm going to stay awake for it.
That is something I never missed all these years.
Very true. The 1st question I asked myself when I got served was who I going to have sex with now?Well, aside from masturbation, abstinence, being with a faithful partner, and "one safe humping another", that's the only "safe sex" available. :P
The laxative prep is a pain,
but given that beer is OK beforehand,
living on jello, broth and beer is an interesting
experience.
Ardith Hinton wrote to Kurt Weiske <=-
Hi & welcome, Kurt! I recognized your name from other echoes but don't recall seeing it here before. Recently you wrote in a message to Daryl Stout:
Yeah. I didn't find the stuff tasted too bad if it was well chilled beforehand, but it took me 5 1/2 hours to get through 4 litres (about a gallon in US measurements) of it.
Uh-huh. I often found myself tempted to grab a morsel of
real food. But I see you neglected apple juice, which contains a good balance of minerals and which seemed to help me while I was in the
process of doing the prep.
--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)
Argh - yes. The older prep, which apparently had some bad side
effects was much easier - I think it was 32 oz?
I don't recall apple juice being on the recommended list where I
went. The prohibited foods were mostly anything dark or red. I'll
need to try apple juice, as I'm about due for another one.
I recover well from the anaesthesia, so always look forward to the
first meal afterwards. Last was a San Francisco-style Carne Asada
burrito. Gotta have something to look forward to...
Hi & welcome, Kurt! I recognized your name from other
echoes but don't recall seeing it here before.
I think this was my first post here,
been on Fidonet since 1991. :)
I didn't find the stuff tasted too bad if it was well
chilled beforehand, but it took me 5 1/2 hours to get
through 4 litres (about a gallon in US measurements)
of it.
Argh - yes. The older prep, which apparently had some
bad side effects was much easier - I think it was 32 oz?
I don't recall apple juice being on the recommended
list where I went. The prohibited foods were mostly
anything dark or red.
I'll need to try apple juice, as I'm about due for
another one.
I recover well from the anaesthesia, so always
look forward to the first meal afterwards. Last
was a San Francisco-style Carne Asada burrito.
Gotta have something to look forward to...
Ah. So I'm not losing my mind... or at least not
completely. :-Q
1988 in Dallas's case, 1990 in mine. We started this echo
in 1990 while our daughter was in treatment for leukemia & I noticed
many people were returning home from the hospital to small communities where they had a lot of well-wishers who crowded the local airport to welcome them back, but where it might be difficult to find anybody with related knowledge or experience. Our focus changes as various people bring up various issues. IMHO SURVIVOR is an attitude inspired by the work of an oncologist, not a medical diagnosis. :-)
IOW, about 1/4 of the amount. I imagine that may be what a friend was using when she told me she'd spent three days on the toilet
& said "Never again!" She had a second colonoscopy a few months ago, however, and reported that the newer prep was a considerable improvement.... :-)
In my case the instructions from the hospital were rather sketchy, but Uncle Google provided further details. ;-)
I found it very helpful when... roughly 3/4 of the way
through the prep... I began shaking uncontrollably. My self-diagnosis
of low blood sugar was confirmed within minutes after Dallas brought me some apple juice.
Another thing which both Dallas & I found helpful, although
he was using a split dose & I wasn't, was decanting the prep into empty soda bottles ... appropriately labelled, of course. That way it's
easier to fit the stuff into the fridge & to keep the next installment cold.... :-)
Although I love halibut the season is limited, and although the fries could easily have been replaced by a salad I had a yen for them. The
fat content was risky... but I'm alive to tell the tale. :-))
If you believe life is still worth living despite your medical problems
I reckon we're on the same page.... :-)
Even had to take a colon test a couple of months ago.
they said I was normal. Hearing that...I cried for joy.
The reason...have had the "truck driver's syndrome"
since my early 20's & didn't want anything causing
more pain than what I feel through the years.
Even had to take a colon test a couple of months ago.
Seems to me you're in good company... [wry grin].
they said I was normal. Hearing that...I cried for joy.
Uh-huh. Although I didn't think it was likely I had colon
cancer I was quite relieved when my gastroenterologist found no
evidence of it.... :-)
Uncle Google says very little about it, except that it
affects many people who spend a lot of time in a seated position. If you're a truck driver who has to eat & sleep whenever the opportunity becomes available I understand how these things can interfere with
one's digestion etc. because I'm in a very similar situation. What
made the matter more urgent in recent months was that I'd developed chronic diarrhea... beginning around the time people who used to eat
out a lot started remaining at home & learning to bake bread. The
grocery stores (for this & other reasons) often couldn't meet the unprecedented demand for so many things I won't try to list them. I reckon the situation in the US was probably much the same. I saw no complaint in this echo WRT how difficult it was to obtain xxx, yyy, or
zzz for quite awhile. But I remember what Daryl said about joking with his nurses & AFAIC we're on the same wave length there.
It was easier years ago to cross the Canada/US border than
it is to get into a hospital nowadays. I remain patient while security guards ask me a bunch of questions about where I've been recently,
whether I have any symptoms of COVID-19, and what my business is with
the hospital. When I finally get to the outpatient clinic I have to answer the same questions all over again... so the moment I can be sure I'm talking to a nurse I let it all hang out & add to the simplistic responses other people expect. Do I have blah blah? Yes, I've had it
for xxx months... that's why I'm here. The nurse who interviewed me in the gastroenterology clinic didn't miss a beat & we got along very
well. :-))
Actually, the color of ones [poop] can be an indicator
of something more serious.
If it's black, it means internal bleeding...
and if it's another color, it's a bile issue with the
liver.
Actually, the color of ones [poop] can be an indicator
of something more serious.
Makes sense to me.... :-)
If it's black, it means internal bleeding...
Or it may be a side effect of the type of iron supplement
people are often given on the understanding that +/- 200 mg will go
down the toilet. :-Q
and if it's another color, it's a bile issue with the
liver.
Yes, an off-white or pale yellow shade may indicate liver damage. I read that somewhere & noticed it a month before it showed up
on our daughter's liver function tests while she was in treatment for leukemia. IIRC this was a side effect of methotrexate which is usually reversible. I mention it because Dallas & I knew a guy years ago who
was prescribed the same drug for arthritis and I suspect it may be used WRT various other medical conditions too.... :-)
There's an article that I have from WebMD, that I'll post (along
with other items every few days, recycling every 90 days), on that.
I just wanted to get permission to do such. The majority of the
Regretfully, permission denied. Survivor echo is not a place for regurgitation of published (or unpublished!) articles; it is a place
for people to discuss their issues and to offer support to others.
There are other places to get detailed medical information. WebMD is
very good for that, but frankly, the gruesome details of someone's
illness aren't what we're here for.
Thanks for asking!
I decided not to do it after all...and that was before I saw the post
you made.
Even had to take a colon test a couple of months ago.
Seems to me you're in good company... [wry grin].
My next one is in April. But, I'm going to do the Citrate
of Magnesia, and the Ducolax. That My-Lytely stuff sucks
...the acid reflux I had reacted so with it, it felt like
my esophagus throat were on fire...so I couldn't finish
the prep work.
When I first had the rectal bleeding (red), I thought it
was cancer. But, if it's red, it's hemorrhoids.
When my doctor said "you've got the same thing women get
from having babies", I growled "I'm not a woman, and men
can't have babies".
When he did a flexsigmoidoscopy on me (I was not sedated
for that, and the cramping was awful), he said "Look!!
Your colon on TV!!". I growled "I want to change the
channel!! Where are the dancing girls??".
I have a 13 page med list of all my surgeries, conditions,
medicines, doctors, specialists, etc. The only thing it
doesn't have is a full front and full back nude photo of me.
Then, it would be "Everything you wanted to know about me
medically...but were afraid to ask". <G> If I'm going for a
full physical, a procedure, or an emergency room visit, I
print the full med list.
I decided not to do it after all...and that was before I saw the post you made.
Super - a wise decision, I think. Thanks!
Dallas & I both used Colyte, because that's what the local pharmacy had, and found it reasonably tolerable. I could ask our
friend again what she was so impressed by... but I guess you've established what works for you. :-)
Or skin tags, which are also close to the surface & may be found in both males & females. What matters here AFAIK is that blood looks red when it has been exposed to oxygen but hasn't gone through
the digestive system. When you have a stool test for occult ("hidden") blood the idea is that it can't be seen by the naked eye & is
identified by chemical tests. If the specimens one provides are contaminated with blood from the rectum a colonoscopy may be next on
the agenda because there's no other way to be sure what's going on....
:-)
No... but they can strain at stool, as some folks put it,
and I was instructed to reproduce this action during the final stage of childbirth. :-)
Your colon on TV!!". I growled "I want to change the
channel!! Where are the dancing girls??".
Very good. Stay as sweet as you are... [ROFL].
Dallas & do likewise. It saves all concerned time & effort, and it helps ensure the junior Dr. assigned to taking the history gets
it right. :-Q
...then said "See, Mom?? It's just farts!!" :P
But the stench of the methane is an indication of that
the bacteria in your colon are doing their job in
digesting the food.
Right now, the prescription strength Prilosec is taking
care of the acid reflux...the OTC version isn't strong
enough, and they only let you take that for 2 weeks.
I know that they can't really treat arthritis, and I have
it all through my body (confirmed by X-Ray).
If it's brown, it's concentrated, but one could be
getting dehydrated (that can also lead to kidney stone
formation).
If it's red, it's either hematuria (blood in the urine),
or one has eaten beets (those who like these, can have
my portion <G>).
The nurse fainted dead away...and never bothered him
again. <G>
According to both of my favourite dictionaries methane,
despite its reputation, is odourless. However, it seems to me that whenever decomposition involves large numbers of anaerobic bacteria the smell can be pretty bad. :-)
With OTC drugs the manufacturers want to make sure you're
not using the product on a long-term basis without seeking medical
advice. When you do, your doctor may prescribe a stronger dose or tell you it's okay to go on using the stuff. Either way you're acting under supervision from a person qualified to determine what's going on. WRT some ailments symptomatic relief may be the best one can expect...
OTOH, self-treatment may hide more serious issues. :-)
Archaeologists have found arthritis in the bones of humans
who were in their 20's when they died, and IIRC such a person commented that anyone who lives long enough will get it eventually. Sometimes
it's painful... sometimes it's not. Because the pain tends to come &
go, and because different remedies may affect different people in different ways, there are no easy answers. :-)
I noticed that during a heat wave when our daughter was
still using the potty & had been given an antibiotic which resulted in diarrhea. It's not hard, under such conditions, to monitor the volume
of urinary output.... :-))
I'm told other foods can also have this effect, but my first
& only experience with it occurred a few hours after I ate
multi-coloured nacho chips at a restaurant I'd never visited before. Thanks to Uncle Google we were able to see that the red ones must have been dyed with beetroot juice... [chuckle].
Alternatively, you may be able to get rid of certain people just by telling the unvarnished truth. Years ago I was in the
gynaecology ward of one of our local hospitals, i.e. a teaching
hospital. Since I'd dutifully watched the required film about hysterectomy (together with most of the other patients in the ward) it wasn't difficult to guess why most were there. However, I was there
for another reason... and I figured so was my roommate, who looked to
be about 15 years old. When a young doctor came into the room & asked permission to do an internal exam of Yours Truly I was puzzled as to
what he thought he'd be able to see, considering I was bleeding. I
guess folks like him need folks like me to practise on... but I also realize teens may be very sensitive about such things. When, as an afterthought, he enquired why I was there I told him calmly & quietly
that I was having a miscarriage. He immediately fled & never showed
his face again. I can't help wondering who would choose gynaecology if s/he can't stand the sight of blood. Perhaps it wasn't his choice, but
I hope he's now learned to read the charts before initiating various procedures. :-Q
Just over 4 hours after the anesthesia took effect, they were
discharging me to go home. I just have to take it easy for a few
days, but otherwise, I feel great. The doctor who did the procedure,
came highly recommended...several noted that "she's one of the best
in the central Arkansas area".
Good to hear that the procedure went well!
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