Can we say I'm screwed?

[cornerofmadness]

yeah thought so. As a lot of you know, I have a bad stomach. I've been on stomach meds since I was 12. 12 years ago I was diagnosed with an incompetent cardiac valve which means the valve between my stomach and esophagus leaks. In fact mine doesn't even close.

So I get to the clinic on time and they've lost my order. It took them a half hour to get an answer at my doctor's office. Sigh. I'm by now sweating and starving and shaking because I haven't had anything to eat since midnight and its now something to two. The tech takes me back and gives me a solitary scrambled egg mixed with radioactive tracers. At least she gave me salt and pepper too. I then have to hug a scanner (it looked like a chest x-ray machine) and take pictures every 15 minutes for two hours to see how the egg movies.

Can you say the wrong way? Uh huh, thought so. Half way through this, the tech calls me over to show me on the computer, asking you did say that valve is bad right? Yeah why. very little of the food was into my small intestine where it belong. The bulk of it, talking big bolus here, was sitting back up in my esophagus and I wasn't even lying down for this. Sheesh.

And to top it all off,I'm sitting in the machine when a severe weather warning starts and then you can hear the lightning and hail and rain. (I told the cats they wanted to stay inside. bet they wished they listened to me now) I'm thinking if i have to do this again I'm going to be SO ticked. ANd then two students of mine found me while I was doing all this. Yeah, I think I'm going to start going to Adena in Chillicothe to avoid them...

Needless to say, this is bad. 15 years ago the doctors in SD spoke me about having surgery to fix that valve b ut it required cracking my chest open and wrapping my stomach around my esophagus. Several years back that same procedure was done athrospically. Now there's that experimental procedure in Pittsburgh. Wonders if i could volunteer.

At least I finished my book and started the second one (what? you DON'T carry at least two books to the hospital?)

Comments

[enemytosleep]

I'm sorry that your stomach (well I guess esophagus) issues are so bad. What is the experimental procedure if you don't mind my asking. I read what I could about the older procedure. Is it really same day? That seems like a lot to do to a body before sending it home.

I was kicking myself earlier today because I went to the DM with NO books or laptop. I could've been writing or catching up on my reading...instead I spent 4 hours daydreaming and staring at the announcement board.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

the experimental one leaves the stomach alone and places a magnetic bead bracelet around the esophagus. Food coming down (and presumably vomit coming up if the need arouse) has enough pressure to bust through the magnets, opening it ip. Once the food passes the magnets come back together closing it off. Is it same day? Yeah it probably is nowadays.

Ug, that sucks. I never go anywhere like that without a book

[enemytosleep]

Interesting stuff. I hope you are able to get things taken care of (and hopefully avoid seeing more students).

Yeah, I can't believe I didn't bring anything. XD What a waste of time.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

i'mnot sure i want to know what took 4 hours

[enemytosleep]

Just waiting in line, man. I actually left the DMV and went to Bob's work, which is down the street from there, and did a dance because I completed not one, but TWO transactions in one trip! I didn't have to go back and bring more forms or anything. That's like a world record or something.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

this is the benefits of living in nowhere. THere IS no one in line at the DMV. and holy shit I have to go there before next week! yikes. better find my plate renewal paperwork!

[going-not-gone.livejournal.com]

Oh, ICK. I'm so sorry you're having so much trouble with your innards.

*gentle hugs*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

[sillymagpie.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear about your stomach problems. Too bad they can't fix the valve itself. ::hugs::

Yeah, I've learned to take two books and/or a lot of work to the hospital. IMHO, no matter why you go, you're never there for less than four hours.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yeah i wish they could.

no kidding.

[caffeinified.livejournal.com]

Oh no. Yeah I would look into that volunteering thing. My dad has had to have surgery twice where they cracked open his ribs and man I know he was in so much pain for a really long time over that.

And lol I usually carry one book, not two though. You were prepared for the wait.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i'm looking into all sorts of options

well i was half way thru the books so...

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

is there any part of you that works?

This sounds very serious and scary. I hope there's something that can be done.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

my brain and even that seems to be failing me from time to time (like i had no idea it was monday for the longest time today)

as i was saying to others I've been like this most my life. I'm more or less used to it. that said if they can fix it I'll do it

[dragonydreams.livejournal.com]

Wow, when you have stomach problems, you really have problems! Hopefully one of the surgery options will work for you.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i don't do things half way. thanks

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

AWww, jeeeze.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

this could be why i keep breathing food into my lungs

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Yes, it definitely could be.

Oh yuck!

[mustangsally78.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry. That sounds so goddamned uncomfortable!

I cross my fingers for whatever you think will work best.

Re: Oh yuck!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yeah, it is but it's been like this almost my whole life so I've forgotten what it feels like not to feel like this.

Thanks

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

YIKES.

Might as well try for the experimental one if they're taking volunteers....

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i'll talk to the doc soon i hope. i've no issues with being a guinea pig

[0-mother-0.livejournal.com]

Yikes - I don't know what sounds worse, the condition or the surgery designed to repair it! *shudder* and *hugs*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

6 of one half dozen of the other

[ladystarlightsj.livejournal.com]

That sucks so hard. I'm sorry to hear this.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

[rain-oubliette.livejournal.com]

*Loves*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

[saphira112.livejournal.com]

EEP D: I sorry for your problems. I wish I could say more, but I don't really understand much of it D: Just... eeep.

P.S. You can wrap your stomach around your esophagus? I can imagine that being painful and... well, uncomfortable, to say the very least...

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks very much.

Yeah they use the top part of the stomach to reconstruct the malfunctioning valve

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

The magnetic ring thing sounds a lot better than the sewing foam blocks into the esophagus thing I read about when my GERD first manifested. Honestly, with all the stuff they do with pig valves these days, there ought to be a simpler way to close off a stuck-open esophagus. Then again, I guess the acid environment is a problem. And the organic replacement would have to be wired into one's nervous system somehow so things would go up and down properly and not get blocked up. Sigh.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

and it sounds better than that whole crack you open and use the stomach like a belt