Thursday, October 12, 2006
You do this to people every day?

The Rebbe advised, when seeking medical help, to see a doctor who is a friend. I don't have any friends who happen to be gastroenterologists, but my mom works for one. I figured that counted.

So today, Zalman and I went to visit Nana and Dr. Brown. We brought our lulav and esrog too. While mom showed Zalman off to her co-workers, I scoped out potential lulav shakers and filled out forms.

Then I'm in the exam room staring at a gastrointestinal diagram, when Dr. Brown comes in. "So you saw blood in the toilet, is that right?" Yep. Bloody toilet bowl. He handed me a paper cover and told me to take off my skirt, then turn on my left side. Oh man. I knew what was coming - a rubber glove and complete humiliation. And even worse, in front of my mother. And my lulav.

"Well, considering you saw so much blood, I'm going to recommend a colonoscopy. It's a 10 minute procedure, with anesthetic." I asked if I could forgo the anesthesia. "Well, unless you have a high pain threshold, I wouldn't recommend it." I said, "Well, I've had 4 natural childbirths..." He explained how the little microscope tube thingy was going to inch around my entire colon. I looked at the diagram on the wall again, then swiftly agreed to drugs.

October 25th is my colon's big debut. Hooray.


4 Comments:

  • At 7:57 AM, Blogger Wendy said…

    When will you get the results? I hope it's not serious....

     
  • At 10:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    The new N'shei Chabad Magizine has two tiny commentaries about colonoscopies in the "open House" section- they are worth a read- and slipping a letter into Igros HaKodesh surely would be a wise move as well... Refuah Shelaima!!

     
  • At 8:05 AM, Blogger Maven said…

    wendy: i don't think it's serious, i think it's associated with the little "preparation h" problem i've been having. what can i say? 4 pregnancies in relatively close succession do wonders. i think the doctor just wants to "cover all the bases." thanks for the concern.

    anon: i will have to find the new nshei newsletter, i'm sure somebody around here gets it. thanks for the tip. and i was planning on writing the rebbe, for certain!

     
  • At 9:40 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    hwqenzzmMy husband recently had a colonscopy and we were worried before hand. It is not as bad as it seems or sounds. The prep you do before the proceedure to clean your bowel is worse than the procedure itself. A recommendation on the bowel prep, eat very lightly two days preceeding the prep, you won't regret it. What ever you put in your body will have to come out. My husband pretty much fasted and put himself on a liquid diet the day before, and he was glad he did. He was also tender afterward, so you might want to think about a baby sitter for your kids the day you come home from the procedure. I hope you find the answers you need, and that the doctor will be able to help you. :) We'll be praying for you.

     

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