A very trying two days are over. Starting Wednesday my 2 part prep was a difficult 15 hours, but Thursday at 6:00 am promptly, my companion Bert was at my door and off to hospital. Reception said we were early (my orders had given the time but the wait was only 20 minutes and then into the day surgery room to gown up and get connected to all the monitors and I.V. ) Told my Gastro had a in-patient short procedure that he was doing first so a wait of about 30 minutes ensued. Then rolled into surgery. My last words to the anesthesiologist in his pre op visit was “Don’t do a “Joan Rivers” on me ( Propofol was the anesthesia for both her and I)
Little did I know. They had me on the table;, bolstered with all monitors up and running. Those wonderful heated blankets are Heaven in a cold O.R. Next I know, I’m groggy (this was my 12th colonoscopy and never had that before. I didn’t remember , but Bert tells me there was a lot of concern and a kerfuffle flurry of activity in my recovery room as a group of staff had difficulty reviving me. I wasn’t responding . But as I faded back in , outside of the expected flatulence, I had a painful stomach pressure, dizziness, a headache, and loss of bladder control.
An X-ray panel was called for, ,so I was wheeled down for a series of pictures, then back to my room to await results. While there , an older Phillapina nurse appeared and felt my belly, saying “Gas” I was surprised as I had experienced that, and the pain was still there, but thankful for her concern. While she was not on my designated team she saw all the activity and looked in. Seems experience trumps education because when the pictures came back and were read, the diagnosis was “trapped gas bubbles .” That wise Phillipina nurse had suggested sitting on the commode but everyone attending vetoed that as they didn’t want a fall risk with the dizziness.
Now , I asked to get up and go to the restroom and try her recommendation. Within ten minutes of sitting, I had a series of expulsions...and no more pain. My Dr called in that the X-rays showed the gas, ( The fancy diagnosos is Splenic flexure syndrome. They also showed I had over a liter of fluid in my bladder, which was why I had involuntary voiding. So, with that, I dressed and was escorted to the front door, where Bert took me home (Bless her soul for sitting with me that extended time. )
Today all is getting back to normal, except a aching back -and that with me is normal as I have a bad back anyway, and I know when you are under, the O.R. moving a person from table to room gurney is like flopping a netted tuna into a bin. Not gentle. Bottom line, two small polyps that Dr Joseph says, while weawait a biopsy, look entirely benign. My takeo n this all: I have decided that this will be tha last colonoscopy I ever have. I stand on my record on 12 .
That’s my final answer
Jerry Wendt 1/31/2020
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