Shoving a camera up my rear.... or, "My Colonoscopy, Part II".

So, last week, I had another colonoscopy.

I've been having digestive and elimination troubles ever since I went back on dialysis; the first time I was on dialysis in 2003, I had these problems too - but after I got a transplant, they went away.

However, this time, being on dialysis for almost four years has complicated things, and I've developed some kind of irritable bowel disease. It's rather unpleasent; it makes me feel awful all the time, and it's really begun to affect my life in the past six months.  Add the complications from this condition in with being on dialysis and you've got one worn out and useless Steve.

So, a few months back, I got myself a GI doctor - who's just awesome.  I really dig this guy's morbid sense of humor and his clinical work is second to none.  So, a while back, we had a colonoscopy, which I've talked about before - the anesthesiologist messed up, and Steve almost ended up a pile of goo on the table, if not for the intervention of his quick thinking and beautiful wife, Jordan.  Jordan used her super-keen senses of nursing power to determine that my Oxygen saturations were less than optimal, and basically saved my life.  Make sure you buy her a lollipop if you ever meet her.  Anyway, during that colonoscopy, we took a biopsy of the mass he found and thankfully, it wasn't cancer.  But it was still huge, bleeding, and blocking..... just an awful confusing mess.  So, we put me on some medicine to try and shrink it - and I went on my way for a few months.

So cue last week, when I had a follow up colonoscopy.  The mass was only 12 cm inside my old butticus, so we decided I didn't need sedation this time.  That's right folks.  I went, prison style, into my own colonoscopy - watching on screen as a camera invaded my holiest of holeys.  It was an.... experience for sure.  I was glad they used lube, even though it was a little cold.  Anyway, the doc determined that the mass hadn't shrunk or gotten any better from the prednisone and asacol treatment we'd been giving it.  So, it looks like I might have to go in for some colo-rectal surgery to have this removed.

AWESOME.

I mean, great... I just want this resolved.  I don't want this complicating my chances on getting a transplant.

And speaking of that.... ever get the feeling that people are plotting against you?  Sometimes, I feel like the transplant department I'm registered with doesn't have my back.   But that's a rant for another time.

Anyway, I've got pictures of my colonoscopy!   The first two are pictures of above and below the mass.... clean, healthy colon.  In fact, the doc called in Pristine.  But, man.... the rest.... that's what makes me so logy, tired and awful.  This thing gets inflamed, bleeds, makes me tired.... blocks me up.... ugh.

Fun.  I always love trips to the doctor that comes with photos!  Especially ones that look like a weird cave....

Anyway, I'm just glad that we're getting this taken care of.  One more thing to get me on the road to recovery.  Now, after this, we get me a kidney and.... man.... I think I can finally start to take on the world again.

I daydream a lot about being healthy.  It's the dreams that keep me sane in these hard times.   It's the laughs that keep me focused, and it's the friends that keep me from sinking.