Looong time no write...

WOW! How fast time flies...I can't believe it has been over 4.5 months since my last entry. Well to catch you up on a few things I have been good. My health on the other hand has been a little testy with me. After the surgery, there seemed to be some looming complications that I thought would work itself out. However, to my dismay they didn't. On Monday, August 17th my doctor informed me, after my second colonoscopy in less than 6 months, that I have Crohn's. It is an autoimmune disorder that affects the intestines- basically digestion. I am assuming that everything with my appendix was related to the Disorder, but wasn't really pursued until after the surgery was complete. I have been researching on the internet about Crohn's and find that it is manageable and there will just be times when things happen. It is so interesting because I am such a control freak and with this there is some control, but at times there is very little I can do. This will definetely teach me more patience and to ask for more help when needed.

I am still in denial; oh, the doctors must be wrong. I don't have Crohn's! I am too young, too healthy and don't have all the symptoms. Well I guess bloodwork, years of experience and two colonoscopies later, I am learning to accept this as part of my life now. I have found a great website, www.ccfa.org, that has so much info about Crohn's and Colitis. Check it out!

I am still going to the DR from Sept 6-13 and going to enjoy a little R & R. I will write and take pics and post for all to see.

We'll my lunch break is almost over. paz afuera. - C

Recovery

So. today is the first day since thursday when i had my appendectomy that I feel ok. I had it laproscopically. They say it is much less invasive than doing an incision on the right side, but it still takes a while to recover. So for those who have never had surgery or an appendectomy I will take you through what I went through...

My surgery was scheduled for 730am so I arrived at 6am. They gave me a sedative right before I went it so I dont remember any of the surgery. I know they made three wholes, one in my belly button where the camera went and two other ones where the tools went in. It lasted for about an hour and 15/30 minutes. not really sure about the length of time in surgery obviously cause I was out like a light. After I came to about 10 am or so, again details kind of fuzzy, i was in a lot of pain. not just on my abdomen but in my chest and shoulders. They say this is normal because they give you carbon dioxide in surgery. The carbon dioxide causes soreness in the chest and shoulders. So basically I was sore and in pain everywhere throughout my body. Fun stuff...I don't want to ever do surgery again. Maybe it's too soon for me to comment on this because I am still in pain and hurt...i'll let you know again in a few months when I am training for my half marathon. 

After I returned from surgery they can't discharge you until you pee.  So we waited and waited and waited and waited. I was the first to go into surgery and it was looking like I would be the last to leave. Nurse Ivy called the doc at 4pm and said to give it another hour or so. So exactly at 458pm I peed. I went home had more pain than i had throughout the day. called the on call resident who basically said i needed more pain medicine. I had pain pills...percocet, lortab, any of that can not do. about 15 minutes later my percocet and prescription ibuprofen finally kicked in and i could sleep. I had to take the percocet every four hours for three days. Now, I am on tylenol. 

I have been sleeping for most of the day and night until today. I am going to the surgeon because I have a rash on my abdomen. Had it since Friday but it didn't itch or really spread so I called yesterday and they told me to come in. 

I just want this to be all be done. I can't wait until I fell normal again. Until I have desire to shop, eat, cook, run, do pilates...I just want to feel more positive again, like me. I'll keep you posted.

 

LA

I currently am in Los Angeles for a recruitment conference. It is beautiful weather and am glad I have a change of pace from being in SLC. Although I would like to be feeling better...I am still taking antibiotics, Ibuprofen for the pain and some other stuff that helps with naseau. I find that I feel good in the morning and lousy in the afternoon and evening. Anyways....the appendix will come out on Thursday, April 2. 

So, I just finished reading Steve Harvey's book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. I loved it! I think he hits the nail right on the head. There are some really good things that he mentions about men that I knew but didn't know how to say it. He puts it so simply.

I am almost done painting my house. I have completed the downstairs. All that is left is my bedroom, the two upstairs bathrooms and the hallway. upstairs. Yeah! I'll post pics as soon as I start feeling better. 

Update

Ok, sorry I didn't get to this sooner. I don't have internet at my house. The biopsy came back as an infection. In order to be 100% sure they put me on antibiotics for ten days and prescription dose ibuprofen for the pain. Thursday I will do another CT and have an appointment with the surgeons in the afternoon. If the mass resolves itself, we know for sure it was an infection and they will do a surgery to remove my appendix. If the CT scan still shows the mass, then we have to figure out what it is and still do surgery to remove it. Either way, I'm having an operation.

Today, I feel ok. I threw up this morning after taking my medicine. I was feeling nausua all night, despite taking the IBU. I have found that if I take the IBU it helps, I feel less pain, less abdominal bloating etc. But something is making me nautious (however you spell it). Without the IBU I still feel the same as before I went into the hospital, just more weak (I think for the meds).

I look outside and try to imagine running. The cool breeze on my face, the rythmn of my pace as my feet alternate hitting the ground. My music in my ears. The world as I know it, gone for that hour. Oh, how I long for that. It's been three years since I've gone without exercising for this long. My body is craving it.

Right now all I feel like eating is saltine crackers, apple juice and carrots(and that is pushing it). I'm gonna try to go back to work tomorrow. I'm trying to take it slow. I just wish I had my energy like I used to. Hopefully soon....

Not my best moment

As I sit in the University Hospital early this morning I think of all the things I want to do when I leave. I am craving white rice and tuna, well done steak, chicken, feta cheese, rice and beans, pozole, chicken enchilada...um...I think anything besides a "clear fluid diet." 

I was admitted on Monday night. After 9 days of feeling bloated, abdominal pains, nasau and not being able to do pilates or run because I hurt too much, I decided to see my doctor. The gas x and fiberone were not doing the trick. 

I arrived at my appointment on 850am on Monday, March 9. The PA that saw me thought it could be IBS or an ulcer but wanted to send me to do a CT Scan because my abdomen was so tender. Meanwhile, I feel ok. My pain is at about a 2. I felt guilty for not going to pilates again. After the bloodwork I ate something so that I could take the CONTRAST. Contrast is a fluid that you take 2 hours before you do a CT SCAN. It allows the radiologists to see the insides. It is milk-like only thicker and fruitier. It wouldn't have been so bad with just one but you have to do two...The contrast hurt me. Drinking it and after my pain was at an 8 or 9. 

At about 530, I receive a call from my doctor saying that the CT SCAN showed something with my appendix and that I needed to get to the ER. I thought, weird...I don't have symptoms of appendicitis..vomiting, doubled over in pain. But I thought well it would explain a lot of my abdominal pain. 

I get to the ER and the Docs are puzzled. They comment that I am smiling and laughing, not typical signs of someone who might be getting an appendectomy. Luckily, I had my med student friends with me who could "translate" everything. A surgery doc came in, talked with me and said that he wanted to look at my "interesting" CT SCAN. I thought and questioned out loud, interesting, what does that mean? Him and one of the residents mulled over it for a while, sought another opinion of another doc (who according to the med students is the "God of Medicine.") that made me a little nervous but my friends reassured me that they probably just want to make sure they do this right and with carefulness. Anytime surgery is involved they want to know 100% that they are doing the right thing. 

After the doctors consulted, the surgeon who admitted me came in to let me know what was going on. He said that he thought it best to not do an appendectomy rather admit me to do a colonoscopy the next day to make sure. Again, I was nervous but felt better with my friends guiding me through this process. 

I was admitted to 6 North and of course with an anticipated colonoscopy going to the bathroom was on the horizon. I was supposed to drink a gallon of Go Lightly which flushes you out. By the end you are just pooping like water. It sucks. BTW you can mix the Go Lightly with clear liquids like sprite or clear juice. 

I went in for my colonoscopy in the early afternoon around 130. They give you some milk amnesia so you don't remember anything, pain meds and a sedative. I slipped into sleep and woke up during it. I remember it hurt, I tried seeing the image cause I really wanted to see the procedure and I remember asking what that was on the screen. I just wanted them to walk me through it. They quickly gave me more pain meds and I slipped away into unconsciousness (not sure if that is the correct term). Afterward, they told me my Blood Pressure (BP) went really low and that my body doesn't like pain meds all that much. Yes, that is correct. I don't do pain meds, rarely do I do advil. I remember when I got my wisdom teeth out I took the pain meds as prescribed. I dreamed of flying vacuums and shortly after wakening up, I went a bought a vacuum. So, yes, me and pain meds do not get along. 

The GI Fellow let me know what they found. She said that they found a cecum mass and took a sample and are doing a biopsy stat. They still haven't ruled out appendicitis or really anything else. I remain "interesting." 

My med school friends came by to offer some comfort with all this medical jargon...they do a great job at that. They at least offer more information that I am getting from the docs. I understand though. How are the docs supposed to tell me anything when they don't even know what is going on with me? the GI Fellow seemed concerned. 

I am updating my parents on what is going on, but I don't want my mom to worry. She cried when I told her I was going in for my appendix so I could only imagine what she would do now. My mom doesn't do well with the unknown. 

At the end of the day another doc came in. I asked if they ruled out appendicitis and he said no, not yet and that they really had to wait for the pathology results to give me a definite answer. 

Whatever happens, happens, right. It could be nothing, it could be something. I am healthy, strong, stubborn and will come out just fine, whatever it is. (Funny thing: when my doc said I might have IBS I was more concerned with that than when they said it could be my appendix. Know why? Well, with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) you have watch your diet very carefully and two of the triggers for IBS are chocolate and caffeine- yes my two loves, chocolate and Dr. Pepper. How would I be able to give those up?)

So last night I had a fever of 101. They gave me tylenol and it came right down. I am doing ok, probably at about a 6. I just want some REAL GOOD FOOD! 

Okay so those pics are really hard to look at because they are not right side up...sorry. I'll do better next time.

I have realized that many have been absent from my life for a while and may not know some of the major things that have happened in the past while. So I think this post will be dedicated to updating you all on my life. First, I just recently completed two Master's degrees in Public Administration and in Healthcare Administration from the University of Utah. (my goal to have a free or low cost clinic is still within me and to get a PhD but we'll just have to see when that all works out). Since December 2006, I have been working at the University of Utah School of Medicine as the director of Diversity and Community Outreach. Our mission and goals are to recruit, support and retain students underrepresented in medicine; women and people of color (minority groups). Disparities and inequities still exist and I strive everyday to help eliminate those inequities from part of the medical field. I love it!!!

I have posted some pics as well...my bro Josh and Nyssa (his daughter). She is so so cute...for halloween she was a Jedi...she loves both trucks, cars, transformers, Star Wars, my little pony, disney princesses, phantom of the opera...she just had brain surgery too last Thanksgiving (Nov 2008) and she is doing well. A one legged bird I saw in San Antonio, Texas last November...The Alamo...my protein drink stuff...and my pilates machine. I realize that some of these are not right side up...i can't figure out how to rotate them??? Once I do I will change them, if not I can't figure out how to cut them out either so you are stuck with them like this...he he.