I am not sure if this is turning into an ongoing trend, but there's been a few nights lately where sleep has been evasive.
Not when I first go to bed, mind you. I am tired at night and almost as soon as I hit the pillow I am out. COLD. It's more around 3AM. I just wake up. 3AM has always been a fairly common wake time for me, and that's weird. But, I never used to have trouble falling back asleep. Well, until now.
Twice in the last few weeks, I have wakened in the early AM. And then I spend a few hours thinking about my stocks, about work, about things that happened during the day.
I think it is pretty normal. But kind of a pain and something o watch to see if it gets worse. I may start being a lot more active on this blog if it continues.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Colonscopy - at the hospital
My day at the hospital was pretty good. All the people - nurses, doctors, support staff - are really good and made the process easy. I won't say fun, though I was entertained at times. But, I don't think that you can ever associate a colonscopy with fun.
One point that irks me though. I started my procedure one and a half hours later than I was told. And I believe that was because early patients were late. That's one of the problems with healthcare in Canada. Doctors have to queue up people and over-schedule because you have a few A-Holes who think that they are above the system. They don't worry about being late, because it doesn't cost them anything and they join the queue where they were supposed to be. Make these patients go to the end of the line or make them compensate the people who are getting pushed out and we will have a better system (end rant).
Anyway, I got prepped, laid around for some time and finally got into the theatre. During prep they tell you that there is a 1 in 1000 chance you may get a perforation that will require surgery. teh doctor wasn't impressed with me when I asked how many patients they had since her last perforation (as I didn't want to be # 1000). I thought it was funny.
Unfortunately, because we were late, my doctor needed to go for lunch so they swapped in a new guy. He was pretty good though - funny and said "this is the break I was looking for"...But, he was good. The procedure went well (even with my apparently curly colon). The pain is tolerable (easier than banding IMO) and they do give you drugs for it (though I don't think mine were working super-well)...The result - no cancer, which is a good thing.HE told me I don't need to come back for 10 years and I didn't have the heart to tell him that in 10 years there is no way I am doing this. The chips can fall as they may.
He did tell me that I was a top 500 colon though. I kept pushing for top 10 or top 100. I think he thought I was pretty weird asking. But, when another guy has a bunch of stuff up inside you, you want to make conversation. And I did want to tell my wife that I ranked well anyway...
So, colonscopy - don;t fear it. It is relatively easy and quick. A few days later I am back to just hating my hemorrhoids and wanting them fixed finally.
One point that irks me though. I started my procedure one and a half hours later than I was told. And I believe that was because early patients were late. That's one of the problems with healthcare in Canada. Doctors have to queue up people and over-schedule because you have a few A-Holes who think that they are above the system. They don't worry about being late, because it doesn't cost them anything and they join the queue where they were supposed to be. Make these patients go to the end of the line or make them compensate the people who are getting pushed out and we will have a better system (end rant).
Anyway, I got prepped, laid around for some time and finally got into the theatre. During prep they tell you that there is a 1 in 1000 chance you may get a perforation that will require surgery. teh doctor wasn't impressed with me when I asked how many patients they had since her last perforation (as I didn't want to be # 1000). I thought it was funny.
Unfortunately, because we were late, my doctor needed to go for lunch so they swapped in a new guy. He was pretty good though - funny and said "this is the break I was looking for"...But, he was good. The procedure went well (even with my apparently curly colon). The pain is tolerable (easier than banding IMO) and they do give you drugs for it (though I don't think mine were working super-well)...The result - no cancer, which is a good thing.HE told me I don't need to come back for 10 years and I didn't have the heart to tell him that in 10 years there is no way I am doing this. The chips can fall as they may.
He did tell me that I was a top 500 colon though. I kept pushing for top 10 or top 100. I think he thought I was pretty weird asking. But, when another guy has a bunch of stuff up inside you, you want to make conversation. And I did want to tell my wife that I ranked well anyway...
So, colonscopy - don;t fear it. It is relatively easy and quick. A few days later I am back to just hating my hemorrhoids and wanting them fixed finally.
Colonoscopy preparation
I have had a colonscopy before. I don't really like them. But, after my experience with banding and that recovery, I was more looking forward to this easier process.
How you prepare for a colonoscopy is relatively straight forward. You basically reduce and then stop eating and then take some chemicals that make you violently expel anything remaining in your innards. It is a bit uncomfortable, but not too painful.
The problem for celiacs (which is a contributing reason I believe that I have these issues in the first place) is that food reduction means less complex starches (so, instead of eating whole wheat bread or brown rice you eat white bread for example). Ya, the problem for celiacs is that we can't eat white bread! It starts a cleansing process all on its own! So, for celiacs, the fasting starts a bit sooner than others. But, no big deal.
The actual chemical bath has changed though. When I last had a colonscopy I drank this huge flask of stuff - it was nasty and the effect was within the hour. Huge pressure in my bowels, but that shit cleaned me out. I am talking Jaws type, cut the shark open, see the dead fish splashing out, hear the ker-think of the license plate type of clean-out. Hold onto your knees splashing, sound reverberating approach to wrecking your toilet. And I wrecked it 10 years ago.
Now though, things are more gentle. You take two doses of a chemical after two softeners are applied. I mean, it is probably gentler. But it prolongs things over days and has less of a direct effect. Being a celiac I am used to problems in the bathroom department. And I think my body has become used to dealing with bad days. So, the gentler chemicals did make me feel a bit uncomfortable, but did not make it essential to go to the bathroom. In fact, I think that I could have fought them off totally. My body is just used to wrestling down an unhappy colon.
But, at some points I did acquiesce and allow my self to go to the bathroom. It felt better, but wasn't the clean-out that I would expect or experienced in the past.
How you prepare for a colonoscopy is relatively straight forward. You basically reduce and then stop eating and then take some chemicals that make you violently expel anything remaining in your innards. It is a bit uncomfortable, but not too painful.
The problem for celiacs (which is a contributing reason I believe that I have these issues in the first place) is that food reduction means less complex starches (so, instead of eating whole wheat bread or brown rice you eat white bread for example). Ya, the problem for celiacs is that we can't eat white bread! It starts a cleansing process all on its own! So, for celiacs, the fasting starts a bit sooner than others. But, no big deal.
The actual chemical bath has changed though. When I last had a colonscopy I drank this huge flask of stuff - it was nasty and the effect was within the hour. Huge pressure in my bowels, but that shit cleaned me out. I am talking Jaws type, cut the shark open, see the dead fish splashing out, hear the ker-think of the license plate type of clean-out. Hold onto your knees splashing, sound reverberating approach to wrecking your toilet. And I wrecked it 10 years ago.
Now though, things are more gentle. You take two doses of a chemical after two softeners are applied. I mean, it is probably gentler. But it prolongs things over days and has less of a direct effect. Being a celiac I am used to problems in the bathroom department. And I think my body has become used to dealing with bad days. So, the gentler chemicals did make me feel a bit uncomfortable, but did not make it essential to go to the bathroom. In fact, I think that I could have fought them off totally. My body is just used to wrestling down an unhappy colon.
But, at some points I did acquiesce and allow my self to go to the bathroom. It felt better, but wasn't the clean-out that I would expect or experienced in the past.
The colonscopy appointment
It seems that once you get into the medical system, that you will get pushed into other things. You folks know that when I came out of the banding, that I was still having issues. I still can't jog or do other things that will irritate my innards, so I still am not back where I want to be. So, I think I need more banding. But, that hasn't been scheduled and may be something that I need to push for...
However, because I have butt issues, other things have to be investigated. And, yes, it could be something worse I know. So, the next thing the system does is want to do a colonoscopy.
A colonscopy isn't that bad you say? Sure, not if you routinely use your butt as a two lane highway I guess. But, if this was traditionally a one-way street for you, the idea of someone taking their super-8 video camera and jamming it up inside you while others watch may be a bit daunting. But, that was my fate nonetheless. After my banding in November, I was scheduled for the colonoscopy in January.
However, because I have butt issues, other things have to be investigated. And, yes, it could be something worse I know. So, the next thing the system does is want to do a colonoscopy.
A colonscopy isn't that bad you say? Sure, not if you routinely use your butt as a two lane highway I guess. But, if this was traditionally a one-way street for you, the idea of someone taking their super-8 video camera and jamming it up inside you while others watch may be a bit daunting. But, that was my fate nonetheless. After my banding in November, I was scheduled for the colonoscopy in January.
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