Less is good, right?

So, I figured it was about time for an update.  I don't have much new going on.  I've been taking my Reglan religiously trying to get my guts moving properly and it seems to be working.  I have an occasional "Draino noise" like I used to, and I'm vomiting a lot less.  It hasn't stopped, but now it's gotten to a 70/30 ratio when I eat, instead of a 50/50 chance that I'll puke, and the liquids are staying down much more than the food is.  Any improvement is a good one.  I'm so tired of planning my food around the whole "what tastes ok the second or third time around."

I've been drinking water like crazy the past few days, but I can't seem to get hydrated.  I still get dizzy often and my outgoing fluids are getting a little darker than they should be.  I guess if that doesn't clear up soon, I'll have to call the doc.

My "Stupidity Moment" of this past weekend was quite a learning experience.  I got a terrible craving for a taro bubble-tea.  I haven't had one in probably 5 years or so.  It was just one of those random weird cravings.  We went down to DC to visit some friends and one of the girls actually went to a real Vietnamese place and got me a taro bubble-tea.  I knew it was risky.  I knew it, but it didn't stop me.  I sipped it slowly.  I stopped after 5 minutes.  I made sure not to eat very many of the bubbles since they're just "stomach filler" and I drank very little of the tea since they are NOT sugar free.  I used the straw.  Yep.  Duh.  I should have known better.  Three hours of horrendous gas pains has proved to me that I cannot use a straw.  Ever.  A little bit of sugar was ok.  A few tapioca bubbles were ok.  Drinking through a straw HURT.  Lesson learned.

I'm also having less bathroom time, which is NOT good.  Along with being dehydrated, it seems like I may have to resort to some Miralax or something.  Nothing's moving in that department, either....  I don't know if I should up my fiber supplements or if that will just cause an impaction... Eeew.  I know.

Sooo, that's about it.  Nothing real remarkable.  Less puking is nice.  Less output everywhere else is not.  *sigh*

Big Words Aren't Always Fun...

Big word of the day: Gastroparesis. I has it. Basically, my stomach and small intestines are paralyzed, no longer moving food and fluids. My peristalsis is broken. I start new meds tomorrow to try and force peristalsis. Follow-up with the surgeon in 4 weeks. No new surgery for now...

 So. my surgeon  gave me an Rx for Reglan liquid to try to get my stomach and intestines moving again.  He said the twist in my intestines isn't fully closed and is allowing liquids through, so we'll try and deal with that after we get my guts moving the way they're supposed to. 

 I was told to take more pain meds.  I tried to explain that I have a choice between not hurting OR actually functioning around the house.  I prefer to function and hurt.  My doctor disagrees.  He wants me to try and keep the pain at a "low level" because I seem to think that being in pain is manageable.  He wants me to be pain-free.  The surgeon pointed out that I still have half of my pain meds left... that was an Rx from March for a 10 day supply.  He's very insistent that I take my pain meds the way I'm supposed to.

I suppose I'll go take some narcotics and try to take a nap...

It's What's Inside That Counts... Right?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of having an "Upper GI with Small Bowel Follow Through" test at the radiology department of the hospital.  The fun began with the receptionist.... when I was called up to check-in, I presented my insurance card, my drivers license, and my Rx from the surgeon requesting the test.  The receptionist look at my ID, looked at me, back and forth for a good minute...  then she asked for another form of ID "Cause dis don't look like chew at all!"  *sigh*  It does look like me... I'm only about 60 lbs heavier in my license picture.  So, I went through the whole, check the piercings, they're all the same, I'm just a bit thinner...  She then flips out "Awww, chew look so guud!! Whatchew had done? You had onna dem surgeries?"  *sigh*  I have no stomach tissue, my stomach is made out of intestines, which isn't really working, I've been unable to eat solid food for almost a year and that's why I'm here for a test...  I don't think that was the answer she wanted to hear...

So, I get checked in, taken back to the testing room and change into the lovely hospital gown.  Do they make hospital gowns fugly on purpose so you won't be tempted to steal them? Really, who would steal a hospital gown??  So I'm now in a blue and white striped gown with red/blue/black starbursts and moons on it.  I felt like i was wrapped in 50s wallpaper... Yeah, I'm comfy now!

Thankfully, it was a barium test.  Barium is not delicious.  In fact, barium tastes pretty much like chalk water.  But barium is waaaay nicer than gastrograffin.  Gastrograffin is more like clear dishsoap.  I'll take chalk water any day... As an added bonus, the nurse in my procedure room had been there during some of my many gastrograffin tests while in the hospital, so she already knew that I had a limited stomach capacity and she remembered how much trouble I usually have during these tests...

Basically, this test has them watch as you drink the radioactive fluid.  A fluoroscope gives them x-ray like pictures of you digesting the testing fluid.  They watch as you drink, then they take new pictures every 20 minutes or so as the fluid moves through your system.  When the fluid stops moving at a certain point, they know that you have a stenosis, or a stricture. 

You can get an idea of the scale of the picture by using my spine as a reference point.  Yep.  That's barium just kind of hanging out...

After 3 hours, the barium was moving slightly, but not as much as they expected to see.  They had good fluoroscope pictures of the bad spot, and I was in a lot of pain, so they sent me home.

Soooo, now I feel horrible.  I've felt sloshy and full since the test was done.  I have a follow up with the surgeon next week on the 9th to find out what can be done about the stenosis in my intestines... I'm just trying to hang in there until then...