Update: The good, the bad & the scary.....

It's over! YAHOOO!!!! The surgery & colonoscopy is behind me!!!!!! WHOOO -HOOOOO!!!!

What an adventure the last few days have been. What an adventure still lays ahead.

Yes, I am still in pain.  But they dont cut your body open - especially in such a sensitive area - & you walk away with a strut. No, you walk away like you have been riding a horse for 6 months straight.  Pain is still pretty up there.  But I will say, its not as bad as I maybe expected?  ... maybe because I tend to think most things are dire & the end of the world. See? Sometimes that pays off - so when pain is at a level 9 on a scale of 1-10, its better to me when I was expected a level of 20.

& a lot happened in the 3 days of this go-around so I'll do a quick summary of the whole she-bang

Tuesday - Prep day

BAD - REALLLLLY BAD
There just HAS to be a better way to prep for a colonoscopy. There just HAS to be.  THOUGH - I will say, I only had to take 4 Duralax & drink a HUGE bottle of Miralax & that is so beyond better than the gallon of stuff you get from the pharmacy & mix with water that tastes like a sick, degenerated, mutated pineapple.  But still - its rough. I ended up spending half my night not only sitting on the toilet, but also throwing up into a bucket. It's tough.

Wednesday - Colonoscopy

BAD - the nurse jacked me up with trying to get the IV in. She kept moving it & rotating it saying, "I dont want to poke you again" - PLEASE - POKE ME AGAIN! & then she sent me into the procedure & the anesthesiologist tried to put me under & the IV didnt work. WHAT???? So the nurse yanked that out so super quick & got it in my other hand the fastest I've seen nurses move in my life.  Needless to say, both my hands are so bruised & still hurts to touch.

GOOD - my anesthesiologist at the colonoscopy was just the best. THE BEST. She was so kind & did everything she could to make sure I wasn't going to wake up sick or leave sick.  She spent so much time with me asking questions & even when one of the nurses said, "That's weird" when I told her a certain anti-nausea pill actually MADE me nauseated, that anesthesiologist stood up for me & backed the nurse down.  I want her with me in every surgery!

GOOD!!!!! - A clean & healthy colon - that was the results. YAHOOO!!!!! No polyps - no issues. That was such a relief.  I told my brother, I wish more than anything dad was here so he could hear that news.

Thursday - SURGERY DAY

GOOD!!!! - they were able to do the fistulotomy!!!!! So no plans on a future surgery. Apparently, everything was taken care of. .... now, I was totally doped up & have no memory of anything after the surgery so I'm anxious to see my surgeon at a post-op appt next week. Things still dont FEEL like it was all taken care of, which I'm sure its going to take awhile to feel normal - but I'm anxious to talk to her to hear more from her mouth on what she found & what went down.  I'm just glad I didnt wake up with a seton.

SCARY!!!!
So here's something new - because there's always SOMETHING, right?
They almost canceled the surgery.
Yep.... I was about ready to freak out.
I got in the back at 6am & the nurse had me get ready & then she said, "has anyone spoken to you about your blood tests in your pre-op?".... I was like, no, why?
Well.... a sort of flurry of activity started happening all around me.
They found out my blood count was at a 7.2.... SEVEN POINT TWO!!!!!!!
OK - I always knew I was anemic - but my anemia levels were usually borderline, which I knew was around 12.  Yeah - 12 is low - 10 is the lowest they really want.... & then they give blood transfusions to anyone at a 8 or below.
WHAT????????

The nurse said, "Honey, you have had to feel so bad for so long"....I have. Really bad. I've felt dizzy, light headed, my muscles cramp.... & the worst of it?  I've been so breathless. Like I cant walk up one flight of steps. & I can hardly stay awake. The nurse told me that's all part of it.
Well, that's good to know!!!!

But the issue was they were afraid bleeding in surgery would take it down in the 6's & even more scary.  They said when it gets that low, it is harder for the heart to pump all the blood  & keeps the heart rate high & can effect blood pressure- all sorts of scary things.

So they were calling in doctors, nurses, the anesthesiologist to see if the surgery could proceed or if they needed blood on stand by....all this & I'm just sitting there wondering when they were going to bring Ricky back to me.

In the end, the surgeon said this surgery shouldnt be a huge blood loss amount but they all made me promise I would get to a doctor immediately to get this checked out.

It really is always something, isn't it?
So we'll add that to the list of things to worry about & get through & figure out how to handle...

& I guess everyone was right about my obsession with eating ice....

But that's where we stand right now.  Bed bound. I'm to stay in bed, except for sitz baths 3 times a day for 2 weeks.  & I'm happy to stay in bed. It hurts to do anything else.  & I've already made 3 hats, 1 scarf & 1 head band. & I cant tell you how many Netflix shows & movies I've seen.  By 2 weeks, I'll be a knitting machine with a brain full of static.

I cant leave without staying THANK YOU in the biggest words I could scream to everyone who lifted up prayers & sent encouragement words & even care packages ... you'll hear about this on Thankful Thursday -.... YOU ALL have been the best support I could have.  I honestly & truly believe in the power of prayers & I know that's what gets me through all of this chaos - all of 2018 apparently.  If I could scream from the rooftops where you all could hear me, I would.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! 

& now... only my next knitting project & another Christmas movie .....