Happy Sunday Menuer's!!

forgot to mention - I have a $15 off coupon from Milk Street (Christopher Kimball's "new" place (although he's been there awhile now - he was with America's Test Kitchen before). I've had it for a couple of weeks, so I figured I'd better use it before I forget about it. But of course they're having a 20% off sale this weekend, and it's actually going to cost me less to use that on my order than it would if I use the coupon (it won't let me use both). So...I put the order through - but now I'm going to have to order something again at some point so I can use this damn coupon! (of course I could have just split the order - ordered some of it with the 20% off discount and the rest with the $15 coupon, but because of the shipping costs, that didn't make sense (and you have to order $125 worth of stuff to get free shipping, and I can't find enough stuff I want to get anywhere near that - so...)

Amy, I have randomly had a thought they might help you with focus issues. Only because it's one of my go tos, lol. Have you watched the series Justified? I'm not exaggerating when I say it's one of the best series showing all the complications of being human. And Timothy olyphant and the rest of the cast are exceptional. Outside of Firefly and original recipe Law and Order, it's probably my mos****ched show

I started to write about my favorite episode, then changed my mind, about 10 times. It was just a great show. I liked how the bad guys changed over time. Walton Goggins, Mykelti Williamson and Margo Martindale especially are amazing. And of corse, Erica Tazel was also in Firefly.

This is why we are friends! I also cannot pick a favorite!

Thanks for thinking of me! That show sounds up my alley, I will check it out!

I agree with them. We loved that show and it's got a zillion episodes.

Hey folks!

Bucking the trend for an update. It's been a week!

So last Tuesday I had a CT scan. Wednesday they called and let me know there were no obstructions but there was thickening of the terminal iileum indicative of either Crohns or Ulcerative Colitis. They said I needed a colonoscopy to confirm. Okay. I started calling them immediately because I'm in pain.

Wednesday I ate no food and had just enough water to take all the pills and supplements. I felt full and didn't want anything. Couldn't pass much gas, so I chewed down a Gas-X tablet. Almost immediately started dry-heaving. That's new.

I stayed in pain on the couch while massaging my stomach until 2am when I had an emergency symptom that I'd never wish on anyone and wasn't aware a human body could do outside of a tasteless South Park episode. I wanted to wait till 8 to take the dogs somewhere since I knew this wasn't going to be quick. I spent time looking at local ERs...closest about 40 minutes away. I packed a mostly useless bag. So many socks will be in any bag going forward.

I texted my mom and asked her to call once she was up. She stayed on the phone with me while I went to the boarding place and begged them to take the boys. She talked to me while I drove under the speed limit all the way back to the ER. Same facility I had my CT scan done.

Got checked in. They brushed off my symptom. They gave me contrast again and the new scan showed what he described as Play-Doh in my small intestine. This time they sent a doctor in with the PA. I asked oh, am i not crazy? Nope. They couldn't tell if there were other issues. I was freezing cold and shaking so badly.

By this point the pain was so bad I couldn't function and they were rushing me to emergency diagnostic lapararoscopy. They were chasing down prep nurses and the anesthesiologist. Guess they were taking me seriously, now.

I woke up swaddled like a baby, on oxygen, with a tube up my nose. Apparently I had tachycardia. Least I was warm. Three new holes. No twist. No hernia. No resection needed. No evidence of Crohns.

With the tube down my throat I couldn't speak and was on morphine and nausea meds for two days while they pumped and ran bezoar protocol. I'll spare some details there. Once the tube came out I continued on treatment.

Thing is...the same pains I reported before are still present. I'm not sure if they are ghost pains from weeks of issues or if there's still an issue. The doctor wanted to progress me to food today. I questioned why the difference in scans from 48 hours and how to prevent a recurrence since I'm here.

He conceded to a contrast tracker to see if things are moving. I'm three scans in. If anyone has good ideas for what I can ask them before discharging tomorrow, would love to add them to the list. Right now they seem to be going with...we've never seen anything like this and bezoar.

Here endeth my lengthy update. Didn't want to text under the influence too much. Thanks for reading and caring.

Oh, useless bag I packed has warm PJS, loose clothes, a tooth brush and small overnight kit. Plus my meds and some pill bottles. Pain brain did not pack any of the following: kindle, socks, more socks, a brush, a charger. Sigh. Haven't been able to use anything in the bag. An angel came today with SIX pairs of socks, grippy slippers, a coloring book, crayons, and a few other things. Yes, I'm coloring. I could have cried. I think she called my boss afterwards since I then got a call from him asking what else I needed. Go figure.

What kind of protocol are they sending you home with? Are they confident the bozar/blockage is cleared and have they given guidelines to prevent? Glad it ended up only being additional laproscopy! Knowing people who have had full abdominal surgeries, laparoscopy is better! Hope you are on the road to feeling bette!

Thanks Jen! Great questions and on my list. I'm very grateful not to have woken up to a full resection. I do remember having to sign something saying that was a possibility. Brr.