Cough, Colonoscopy, and Candy!!

October has come to a close and November is upon us.  Next thing it will be Christmas! 

October was a month of medical episodes.  Battling a cough that refuses to go away, the doctor put me on prednisone – yes, the stuff that makes you cranky, hungry, unable to sleep, and is simply a pain in the rear.  Counting down the days when I’m done with that treatment!

October also included my first colonoscopy!  I heard stories of the prep being the worst and I pooh-poohed them. C’mon – I drink water all the time so guzzling a few liters will be no problem!  To all of those people I ridiculed, let me be the first to say I’m sorry!!!  It wasn’t the water – it was the medicine.  You go all day drinking clear liquids, then at 6pm you mix the liquid (which was clear so it fools you into thinking it will be no problem) into 16oz of water and drink it down.  Yuck!  Then followed with two more 16oz containers of water.  My gut was sloshing like a waterlogged basketball! 

An hour after the drinking the intestinal expulsion begins.  Yes, every 30 minutes or so I was in the bathroom.  Releasing every bit of substance that may have been left in my colon.  The only other time I’ve had this type of situation is when I’ve been down with the flu so this process tricks you into thinking you are sick.  But you aren’t – just preparing for the inevitable.

Thankfully I was only up twice that night before arising at 4:30am to once again drink the nasty substance followed by 32 more ounces of water.  Once again I was back in the bathroom but, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to keep that much liquid down so back up it went.  Ick.

Once the water treatment was done, son Sam dropped me off at the hospital where I changed into my gown, got the IV hooked up, and was ready to rumble (or be sucked dry.)  The doctor stopped by and let me know that, because I was on the steroids, I could reschedule the colonoscopy for another day.  WHAT ARE YOU HIGH MAN??  This procedure was going to happen come hell or high water!!! 

Soon I was wheeled into the procedure room, sedative pumped into my veins, and a nice little twilight took over my mind as the doctor began the anal probing.  Thankfully, my colon was in tip top shape and only one little polyp had to be removed. 

The best part of the procedure?  Eating chicken fried steak for breakfast with son Sam after he picked me up from the hospital!!

October also brought another Halloween, which meant a record 500 kids knocking on my door for candy.  Sam’s friend Aaron, dressed in a creepy clown costume, ended up handing out candy to the kiddies, several whom had to be scarred by Aaron’s appearance. 

 

Each year following Halloween brings a melancholy reminder that my mom is gone.  Her birthday is November 1 - Happy Birthday in heaven, Mom!!!  It's been 19 years since you've been gone and I still think of you and miss you every single day.