follow up

[arlenecarol]

don't you hate when this happens? i just finished writing a note to the list and just as i was finishing, it disappeared!! ugh!!

anyway, my 'condition' is improving. the bleeding has stopped as i suspected.
i'm sure that spending so much time on the pot yesterday was instrumental in
producing the bleeding...it wasn't fun...but i'm on the mend. i will mention it to the doctor tomorrow.

as an aside, i remember once upon a time, we had a very sick horse...two vets said he wasn't going to make it but the third said 'here, try this...'
we were left to administer the medication into his vein...not an easy thing for 'amateurs'...before had to insert the needle into the vein and then attach the 'barrel' with the medication...before we could get the barrel in place, the horse probably lost a liter of blood!! but he recovered. we still think it was the bleeding (an old remedy, if you recall) and not the meds!!

anyway...i have a question...actually, it's been buggin' me for a while and since today is the anniversary (!) of my father's death, i thought it appropriate to express it now...

my dad died as a direct result of following medical orders! he was a diabetic, probably type 1 (did they know about type two, 45 years ago??). he was told not to eat prior to oral surgery...he went into diabetic coma and didn't recover...this after 7 heart attacks and 2 cerebral hemmorages in the previous 20 years!! the oral surgeon should have known better..he was a long time family 'friend'...i guess no one was thinking. anyway, with my recent problems, it occurs to me that i might need some invasive testing (my term 'invasive' because having a camera inserted into a bodily cavity is certainly an invasion as far as i'm concerned!!)..

i have heard, and i'm not sure it's still the case, but this test involves the drinking of special liquids for 2 days prior to the test...and some deprevation of solid foods...

so what does this do to a diabetic? shouldn't it be taken into consideration?

anyone have this experience? (my condolences)

i'm interested to hear what anyone has to say about this stuff.

arlene

[Harold]

So are you talking colonoscopy? Had my third one a week ago last Friday. :2in1:

[arlenecarol]

So are you talking colonoscopy? Had my third one a week ago last Friday. :2in1:

:congrats:
yes, i guess that's what's in store for me...i'm NOT a happy camper.
so? how was it??

and what about your diabetes? and what about your results? are you okay? :questionm

ar.

[duck]

The last oral surgery I had was when I was on MDI, and I expressed my concerns to the surgeon when he ordered I have no foods 24 hours before...he said that was to try and prevent any chance of regurgitation and then aspiration into the lungs while I was under sedation--happens all the time. It didn't matter to him that I was diabetic, but he did ask me to keep my meter near me so they could check in case I acted flakey while I was under.

[arlenecarol]

duck, maybe that's the difference between today's diabetics and those 40 years ago...if so, then it's a good thing...i'm glad you made it through all right.

but if you were 'out' during the surgery, how could you check your blood levels??
:dontknow:

ar.

[Harold]

:congrats:
yes, i guess that's what's in store for me...i'm NOT a happy camper.
so? how was it??

and what about your diabetes? and what about your results? are you okay? :questionm

ar. Pain in the arse, the first time I came to in the middle of the op and this time while he was drawing out the scope thingy. The first time they only gave me one dose of sedative, the second time I don't know, but I did not come out of it until it was time to leave. This last time they gave me two doses. It took about three days to get over the soreness the 1st and 3rd time, but the 2nd time I was okay the day after. So staying totally relaxed helps a lot.

Only take Avandia for my diabetes and it's supposed to not make you go low, and as long as my reserves do not run out I am okay. So I did not have any problems there. Now if your taking metformin (glucophage) or something like gliburide then you may have a problem and need to call your diabetes doc and ask them.

Attached a doc file from Mass General Hospital (http://www.massgeneral.org/gastro/gastro_pt_info.htm) that gives prep instructions using Fleet. Many people report the prep is the worst part of the whole thing. The above link also will get you to Procedure description and another prep procedure using something else to clean you out. I noticed the procedure they gave differed a little in the timing than the one I went by. Go by the procedure your given by whomever is doing the procedure.

[arlenecarol]

i hate to sound like a big baby, but you just totally put me OFF this test!!
until i read this, my biggest worry was 'how the heck am i going to drive home afterwards'???

i live about an hour from the nearest facility that can do this test. i HATE feeling lousy following anesthesia...i don't know what i'm going to do if the doctor 'insists'..

that said, i think the problem has passed for the moment...but i will tell him about the incident when i see him later today.

and for the record, my first blood sugar level of the day is the lowest it's ever been for a fasting test.... 123. so i guess even though things sort of spiked (up to 185) during the afternoon two days ago, when i was feeling my worst, it looks like i'm doin' okay. i didn't eat that much yesterday and so i was concerned.

looks like i'm getting a handle on some of my 'issues'...i like being in control. i hope it lasts! (****, i hope I LAST!) :rofl:


arlene

[Dewey]

I also did an endoscopy/colonoscopy about 2 years ago or so. The worst part is indeed the "prep." The liquid I had to drink (to cleanse the system of solids) was so icky, it made me throw up (and made me spend alot of time on the toilet). When we called and asked the doctor if I could finally stop drinking the liquids (I was almost done, but got tired of it coming out both ends...lol), the doctor said "No. You must drink every last drop." :eek: I made it through that part, and went in the next day. They took me back and while they did my endoscopy (throat), I fell asleep (they gave me a slight sedative). However, the minute they headed "down under" I popped right up, wide awake. They tried telling me to relax, and proceeded to give more sedative, which at that point, was no longer helping (LOL, :D). I made it through, but the back side was no picnic... Hope your's goes well and that all's good and clear. Good luck! :thumbsup:

[Harold]

until i read this, my biggest worry was 'how the heck am i going to drive home afterwards'???i They will not do it unless you have someone there to drive you home. While it is not fun it's not as bad as it sounds. I have had polyps everytime they have looked, and if I had not had them removed I would probably be looking at a J-Pouch. (http://www.j-pouch.org/Whatis.html#anchor277734) So I think having a colonoscopy on a regular basis beats the alternative. So you might want to reconsider.

There is little dignity left after 50, and even less if you ignore your health.