Colonoscopies and Dogs

I had my first colonoscopy on Friday. And, it's true what everyone says - it's not the procedure that's tough, it's getting ready for the procedure that sucks. I had a late lunch on Wednesday - really not that late which was not too good in hindsight - but I had a big salad at around 2 on Wednesday. We made some popcorn later that evening.

Starting Thursday morning I was on clear liquids only. I guess I'm a hog eater - but I was starving all day. I had jello, I had chicken bouillion. Tim even bought me lifesavers - no purple or red. I had the meds the doc required - dulcolax (four pills taken total) and Miralax - 15 capfuls in a liter of water x 2 four taken hours apart. After the first dose of pills and Miralax, nothing happened. Drinking the stuff wasn't too bad - I found out that I do not like it in sweet things - I had it in ginger ale and it was too sweet. But drinking a liter of anything is drinking a lot of stuff - and it all needs to be done relatively quickly. anyway, suffice it to say that after the second dose, things worked just fine. I was able to sleep most of the night, so I wasn't too whipped when I went to the hospital.

I was at the hospital at 8:15 for a 9:30 - they hooked me up to an iv - asked me lots of questions about my general health and then, took me to the procedure room. I was asked to lie on my left side, hooked up to a bp monitor, heart monitors and given oxygen (which at first the lady had turned up so high it was like blowing my nose out). Then the anesthesiologist came in - he told me that the first medicine (was there more than one) might give me a funny taste in my mouth and make my ears ring...about 2 seconds after he administered the drug I was out cold - I think I made a comment like, okay, that's it - I woke up in my own little cubicle with my husband sitting there...no wonder people really like drugs! I asked the doctor and the nurse if I couldn't have some of that medicine to take home with me!!!!!! The colonoscopy was fine - I have a little bit of diverticulitis in my upper colon - no problems though. No polyps, no cancer. I don't have to go back for 7 years!

I was so thirsty and hungry after we were all done. All the time I was not able to eat, I kept wondering if that gnawing feeling you get from being hungry all the time goes away. I don't think it does entirely. i think you just become numb to the pain...We went to Goldbergs Deli - I had a reuben and a coke - a real coke. Then last night I made pasta - fettucine with artichokes, capers, pancetta...it was absolutely delicious.

Now about the dog...my dog has turned into a spontaneous pooper...she no longer can wait to get out to the grass - which is maybe 25 yards from our back door - she just starts pooping in the driveway. It is the funniest thing - and the grossest thing. She will be just walking along and all of a sudden, the tail goes straight out and it starts. We had her on this fancy schmancy dog food from the vet - the last time I went to buy it it cost me $50 for forty pounds - I decided that we needed to do something different. She had been eating this "sensitive stomach" food - Cassie notoriously, remember she's a lab who will eat anything and everything and prefers kitty poops for treats - because she was prone to diarrhea. There's nothing worse than a big dog with bowel issues. Hence the fancy dog food. However, this summer, when I was out of town, Tim and Lesley ran out of dog food on the weekend and we were forced to buy grocery store dog food...she loves it and she has not had a bad reaction to the food at all...except for the spontaneous pooping issue!!!

Anyway, I know this is a fairly gross post - all about bowel movements and stuff but, for some reason, that's where my head is this morning! Tonight we are going to a party to celebrate Finnish Independence. My Finnish friend is making Thai food! We're making a little cake with a Finnish flag on it for her - my husband is a whore for white cake with white frosting and will use any excuse to get me to make one! I think we will just do cupcakes of something! Fortunately, the Finnish flag is easy to make!