TMI part two

As we left our brave heroine on the procedure table...

When you get a colonoscopy, the doc is examining your whole colon or large intestine. Not just the lower part just inside the anus. If you would for a moment, consider that the colon runs from the anus up the left side of your torso to just below the chest. Then it traverses across to the right. then it runs down the right and turns again toward the belly button where the rest of the intesting picks up, the small intestine. Altogether, the large and small intestines comprise about 32 feet of intestinal tubing. I would estimate the large intesting at somewhere around 4-6 feet.

The doc told me before the procedure that I tested negative for Colitis antibodies, but positive for Crohn's. Testing positive does not mean you have something, just that you are somehow predisposed for it. As E has learned, Jews of European descent are 4 to 5 times more likely to have Crohn's, so I am doubly predisposed. The colonoscopy gave the doc 90% certainty that Crohn's is what have and now she is waiting for final confirmation from the pathology of the biopsies she took during the procedure.

I suppose I could ask E to scan the pics of my colon that the doc sent me home with, but honestly, I have not even looked at them yet. Crohn's is usually confined to the small intestine so the lesions in my large intestine are extremely rare. I am just so increasingly special. Tomorrow I get to go to the doc for another less invasive procedure. I get to drink some radioactive stuff, and then get a scan of my small intestine t see what is going on there. Whoopee.

Onto the meds. The goal for the meds is to heal the lesions currently present, and then to maintain the colon outbreak free. Mesalamine is the first drug of choice. ^ pills daily that are designed to stay intact until they get through the small intestine and then burst so the medication can coat the colon. Just in case that is not enough, I get to adminster an enema of the same medication nightly for at least a month to introduce the meds from the other end. Or rather, E gets to administer for me my medication. She loves me so.

The meds are not nearly as bad as they sound. After a while, the enema literature says, You should be able to retain the medication the entire night, but please retain it for at least 30 minutes. I am so proud to say that I was able to retain the medication all night on the first night. However, last night we learned it is not advisable to play footsies in bed after medication has been administered.

Yup.

Eeeewwwww.

Alcohol is discouraged as it might aggravate my disease. I am willing to risk it for now since I rarely drink to excess.

Pineapple, I discovered, is evil. Pout.

With insurance, a 30 day supply of Mesalamine enemas is $10.00. Without, it is $414.00.

The Mesalamine pills are $179.00 a month with insurance, $227 without. That would be generic Mesalamine. Name brand, the pharmacist says, is *A LOT* more.

Donations graciously accepted.