Um, I'm not looking forward to this

[CowboyMcCoy]

So, I've been rather sick lately. I've been so ill I cannot even operate most days. I've been hospitalized 7 times in the last month and I get shot up with 8 milligrams of morphine nd 8 milligrams of dilaudid...10 mgs of zofran and even some pheneragin (sp?). Yet, still, this does not ease the pain of a flare up nor the retching for hours on end. It's literally like they gave me an aspirin. Nothing works until hours later, and they hit me with a second round.... If you've ever been on these drugs, you know how strong they are.


Anyway, the abdominal pain is so sever at times I can only moan aloud for some relief and rush to the hospital. My retching doesn't stop for hours and hours..even after I've been given so many narcotics.

So, the preliminary diagnosis is Crohn's disease. Which I have been telling them for a long time I think I have this. Now I seem to be having flare ups and that is no fun, but I'm containing it just enough to tolerate my inflamed colon. And I'm not looking forward to drinking all this stuff for the colonoscopy. I have lost 15 lbs in a month and still losing. I can't eat much and I just bought a juicer, which my theory is it will help.

Anyway, has anyone ever had a colonoscopy? If so, what should I expect? As I said, I'm not looking forward to this at all. But hopefully they can figure out what is wrong with me and I can go about my business.

 

[Faerluna]

While I've not had a colonoscopy, every time I think about them, I think about this Dave Barry column, which makes me laugh.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/02/11/427603/dave-barry-a-journey-into-my-colon.html

Hope all goes well for you.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I would imagine if you have been going through that much pain and discomfort...the procedure should be a walk in the park compared to it.

Hope everything turns out ok.

 

[urface59]

Wow it must be real rough if you're getting no relief from that much morphine and diluadid. Hope you get to feeling better.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Come on man, rub some chocolate milk on it.

Just kidding. I've heard of Crohn's disease, but never really knew what it was. Looking it up, it sounds terrible. Man, I'm sorry to hear that you are going through so much. I wish you the best.

 

[vta]

Aren't you knocked out during a colonoscopy? Everyone I know who's ever had one had no complaints and wake up feeling fine. I don't know if having Crohns makes it any different there, but generally it seems pretty routine.

Good luck with the rest of what you're going through. The colonoscopy should be the least discomforting thing.

 

[laythewood28]

Damn dude, hope you fill better soon.

 

[Faerluna]

Aren't you knocked out during a colonoscopy?

Yes, it's like twilight sleep. Just barely under.

 

[zrinkill]

I have had it ...... no big deal ...... worse part is drinking that chalky stuff.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Aren't you knocked out during a colonoscopy? Everyone I know who's ever had one had no complaints and wake up feeling fine. I don't know if having Crohns makes it any different there, but generally it seems pretty routine.

Good luck with the rest of what you're going through. The colonoscopy should be the least discomforting thing.

Yeah, I'll be under sedations given my personality...some stay awake. When I wrote this, I was reading the prep instructions. Which means I have to start drinking 8 glasses of water tomorrow. Then I do the same the day prior along with 4 dulcolax, a whole bottle of Magnesium Citrate and finish it off with NuLytely prep solution.

Like most said, the procedure isn't what I'm really all that worried about. But the idea of a possible death by colonoscopy doesn't thrill me. I seem to always be that .005% of people for some strange reason though.

But I'm drinking juice, mostly carrot juice and stuff.

I just wonder if I should expect pain from the laxatives and stuff. Because the cramping is already so bad, I'm not looking forward to more pain. But I do have an arsenal of medications....

I hope it's not Crohn's, but I'm almost certain it is.

Whatever it is, I want it to stop. I'd rather smash my fingernails with a hammer.

 

[bbgun]

Shango's revenge.

 

[zrinkill]

My best friend/business partner has crohn's disease, he was sick for 15 years until he had surgery removing part of his colon.

Since then (7 years ago) he has had no more pain, though they did tell him it would probably come back one day.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

I have had it ...... no big deal ...... worse part is drinking that chalky stuff.

I hear that. But I don't like laxatives either. One time I took Malox, thinking it was like Pepto and that gave my stomach fits. I don't think I'll sleep the night before. It doesn't look like it anyway.

 

[DFWJC]

Man...so sorry about your situation. It sounds terrible.

They knock you out during the scope, so don't worry about that. The prep is more of a hassle than the scope itself. You'll have to drink this special liquid the day before to clear you out.

Hopefully they can find out for what you have so they can attack it more effeciently. They come along way in dealing with Crohns. I know David Garrard had it pretty bad early in his career and has managed it real well.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

My best friend/business partner has crohn's disease, he was sick for 15 years until he had surgery removing part of his colon.

Since then (7 years ago) he has had no more pain, though they did tell him it would probably come back one day.

I'm doing everything I can not to have surgery or anything. Problem is, you can see on the CAT scan...even I can see everything is all inflamed in there.

Worst part is, I have things I'm trying to do that are important. But I'm sidelined in a way because I don't know if I can actually do it at this time. It really isn't very fun.

 

[LeonDixson]

Aren't you knocked out during a colonoscopy? Everyone I know who's ever had one had no complaints and wake up feeling fine. I don't know if having Crohns makes it any different there, but generally it seems pretty routine.

Good luck with the rest of what you're going through. The colonoscopy should be the least discomforting thing.

Yes they put you out for the colonoscopy. You are awake for a sigmoidoscopy which is similar put they don't go up as far. Like you, I don't know if the Crohns disease makes a difference or not but the routine colonoscopy is a piece of cake............chocolate cake

Good luck to you with your treatments Cowboy McCoy.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

It's a brutal auto-immune disorder that is for sure. They can do so much more for it than before though. In the past, they basically just gave you a colostomy or ileostomy bag, removed your colon and removed the anus. Now that is a far more rare procedure. With the right drugs you should be fine.

FYI, Rolf Benirshke (sp) former Charger kicker and host of Wheel of Fortune host, had a similar disease, ulcerative colitis.

 

[vta]

...the routine colonoscopy is a piece of cake............chocolate cake

I. In the past, they basically just gave you a colostomy or ileostomy bag, removed your colon and removed the anus.

Aw, dude. How do you avoid at all costs getting this disease?

 

[trickblue]

I have had it ...... no big deal ...... worse part is drinking that chalky stuff.

^This^

 

[basstapp]

My Dad has Crohns disease. He goes on series of high dosage of prednisone. You have to find a good gastrologist and it will be maintainable.

For your procedure you will drink barium I think and then they give you a memory block. You won't remember much, but make sure you have someone with you to drive home because you will be extremely out of it.