Personal medical trials and tribulations

[cynsaligia]

every now and again, i'll see posts like this one or this one or this one. i thought i'd start a thread where everyone, if so inclined, can share their own personal medical trials and tribulations. what were the scariest parts for you? is it something you'll have to deal with for a long period of time, possibly your entire life? if you've had some joyous moments relating to your health, share those too!

my one of two biggest medical scares had to do with colon cancer.

STOP READING HERE IF YOU HAVE A TIMID STOMACH. i'll put the rest under a spoiler, because if you are more the delicate type, what i write below will surely spoil your appetite.

my grandmother died of colon cancer when i was 26. a couple of years later, i noticed several times over a month that i had blood in my feces. i quickly went to see my primary care physician, who promptly recommended i see a gastro MD, who in turn had me get a endoscopy and a colonoscopy done. the gastro MD explained to me that even though it was unlikely i had cancer or any other serious illness, given my family history, he wanted to test me because colon cancer in someone my age kills quickly--within a year or two--if not caught early. boy, did that scare the crap out of me. i went home and cried not only for myself, but for my mom, who, if i died, would lose her only child. hooo! thinking about that night even now, years later, makes me tear up.

anyway, luckily for me, the worst discovery that came out of the procedure was my finding that prepping for a colonoscopy (scope goes up your rear) and endoscopy (scope goes down your throat) are faaaaaaar worse than going through the procedure itself. praise god--i was clean! not even a polyp to speak of. the bleeding was probably caused by a hernia that healed itself.

those of you who are approaching the age where you have to get a colonoscopy, let me tell you a hint my gastro MD told me: vaseline is your friend...apply it copiously to the part of your body from which you will be expelling a lot and then rubbing, because the resulting chafing without the vaseline can be the most miserable thing. three years after i went through my procedure, my mom hit the age where she had to get hers done, she was so afraid of the procedure itself as well as the chance they might discover cancer. i was then given the unique opportunity to mother her and calm her fears. thankfully, her doctor found nothing but health in her innards.

one funny, sort of related story comes from a seminar i went to recently. the seminar had to deal with a growing trend in how health providers disclose medical errors to their patients, which is to be open and honest (something a lot of medical practitioners simply find very difficult to do because of the emotion involved). at the end of the lectures, we all had to play act situations where we took the role of patient and practitioner in disclosing an error. all of the situations were based in fact. one of the errors was where a patient went through a endoscopy, was told everything went fine--there was no evidence of disease. well, the patient went home and received a call from her MD. it turned out that the scope that had been used on her had not been sterilized prior to her procedure...and that the scope had last been used for a colonoscopy.

everybody say it now: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!!!

[Peshkwe]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

My oldest Sienna has uncontrollable epilepsy. Almost two years ago she was gridded for 10 days (electrode panels sitting on her brain and hooked to meters and dials) but wouldn't seize, which has to happen to find a focci, so they took out a bit in the occipital area that was firing off all the time anyways.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/Surgery1.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/Surgery3.jpg


A couple of months ago she started to seize again, so now we go for a 24 hour VMR (Video Monitored Recoded) EEG on the 25th and maybe her meds get upped some more.

BUT...she's got her first boyfriend, and it was so cute....she had a seizure and Ryan made sure she didn't fall and did what he was told to do for her (he's 15 and she's 14)...and Ryan was so proud of himself that he took care of her. Tomorrow is her first big high school dance thingy, it's the homecoming dance and she gets to be in a formal and go have fun.

[GregLee]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

Colonoscopies are not so bad. I've had two of them and expect to have another this December. The laxative preparation is a little trying, but the procedure itself is painless and without any aftereffects. After I had one, I talked my wife and my sister into getting it done.

Actually, colorectal cancer is not that bad, either, if you don't let it go too long. The techniques of radiation and chemotherapy are getting better and better. I had it, was treated two years ago, and now I'm as good as new. Probably.

[Pomai]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

I can't speak for myself, but literally watching my dad die from Leukemia was the toughest thing ANYONE can endure. And he thought prostate cancer would take him, like it did his brother. I don't know what's worse: death by "knives in your lap", or death by suffocation (lack of oxygen).

Once the Leukemia set in, it took my dad within 2 months. I still cry about it. But that's life.

[Linkmeister]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

I just had my first colonoscopy on October 12. The prep is indeed uncomfortable, but the procedure itself is painless, particularly if the IV anesthetic works the way it's supposed to.

In my case they found five polyps, but biopsies showed they were all benign. Because of the number (I guess), they want to me have another colonoscopy a year from now.

Surprisingly, the biopsies were cheaper than anticipated. I was told my share would be $175 for each, but the bill for the first three (all I have so far) was $100 each after the insurance payment. I'm knocking on wood the other two will be the same price.

[Mike_Lowery]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

I peeled a scab once.

No, really...I don't see doctors.

[oceanpacific]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

My step-father died from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), a slow, lingering, agonizing process as his respiratory function diminished. He had emphysema because of smoking. He had to have oxygen therapy at the start, for breathing at night while sleeping. The need gradually increased to 24-hours: we had tanks from Gaspro in the dining room and bedroom.

In the later stages, he could no longer fly from the Big Island to Oahu for treatment unless it was by air ambulance. Our inter-island air carriers could not transport him because of the dangers of compressed air tanks. THINK ABOUT THIS, YOU HAWAII SUPER FERRY FOES!

At the end, respiratory failure led to cardiac arrest. The autopsy revealed that air sacs in his lungs had been totally destroyed. He was only 61.

My own medical history has had a few blips. First, at age 30, I suffered an attack of acute pancreatitis. I spent 21 days in the hospital and lost 30 lbs. (from 194 to 164) as I was not permitted to consume any oral nourishment for 17 days. I was in excellent physical condition, which contributed to my survival.

At age 42, I had my gall bladder removed. An 11-day confinement and 21 lbs. lost (222 to 201). I had "fattened-up" during the interim.

At 45, I became a Type-2 diabetic.

At 51, I had a vertigo attack which only required an overnight hospital stay. It was an inner ear infection.

Last year, at 58, an overnight stay for congestive heart failure. I had difficulty getting oxygen as no matter how hard I tried to breathe, I felt asphyxiated. There was fluid in my lungs and my heart function was very weak (20-25% ejection fraction). I confess that the thought of dying crossed my mind. Fortunately, I DO NOT have blocked coronary arteries, so by-pass surgery was unnecessary!

Today, my heart function @45-50% has almost gotten back to the normal 55%. I have also maintained the 20 lb. weight loss from 210 to 190 via diet and exercise for over a year.

While serious, these ailments do not even come close to what other friends have to cope with: heart attacks, cancer, strokes, kidney failure.

[achow]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

Here are my medical trials and tribulations

1975- born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, had surgery to correct it. Was also born with cross-eyes. I also had surgery to correct the problem.

At the age of 6, I had open heart surgery to open a narrow valve that was blocking my blood flow and I SURVIVED IT! This was the most scariest surgery that I had.


At the age 9, I had a piece of bone removed from my hip to put in the gum of my mouth. This was the most sore and painful surgery because they didn't use the dissolving struture. OUCH!


At the end, I am glad that I survived and I am currently a Early Childhood Education at Honolulu Community College where I want to work with Special Education children.

[tutusue]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

My step-father died from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), a slow, lingering, agonizing process as his respiratory function diminished. He had emphysema because of smoking. He had to have oxygen therapy at the start, for breathing at night while sleeping. The need gradually increased to 24-hours: we had tanks from Gaspro in the dining room and bedroom.[...]At the end, respiratory failure led to cardiac arrest.[...]

Wow. Word for word the story of my dad. A needless death caused by the same reason...smoking. While slow and lingering, my dad fortunately wasn't in agony 'til the last few days.

Every time I read others' medical stories, including yours, OP, I'm reminded of truly how lucky I've been.

[LikaNui]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

My oldest Sienna has uncontrollable epilepsy. (...) A couple of months ago she started to seize again, so now we go for a 24 hour VMR (Video Monitored Recoded) EEG on the 25th and maybe her meds get upped some more.

Somehow I completely missed this thread, and just found your post from October 5th. I'm sure I speak for all of us at HT in saying that our thoughts and prayers will be with you and Sienna tomorrow.

[cezanne]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

I peeled a scab once.

No, really...I don't see doctors.

I don't do the doctor trip either. I'd rather not know if I have something major. If I can't get rid of something in a month or so... maybe I'll go doctor.

[Kelly0040]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

I'm going through my first real medical issue now. It's the first time I've ever had to go to a doctor more than once a year...




I'm pregnant

[tutusue]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

[...]I'm pregnant

Congratulations, Kelly! That's a "medical issue" worth going thru.

[Bob P]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

I'm going through my first real medical issue now. It's the first time I've ever had to go to a doctor more than once a year...




I'm pregnant

Congratulations!

[Bob P]

Re: personal medical trials and tribulations

In June 2006, my wife was diagnosed with lung cancer. She was 49 at the time and a non-smoker (she had the occasional cigarette in her early 20's but never was addicted - more of a bar smoker). We found out about it while on a Disneyworld vacation with our kids. She started to have chest pain and difficulty breathing while walking in the park so we went to the hospital just in case. They saw the tumor while checking her heart. They called it stage 4 as they thought they saw something on her liver too.

We finished our vacation (my wife's attitude was 'I may not get back her so we're having a good time or else!'). Once back in Boston the people at the Dana Farber cancer center determined the thing on the liver was nothing (yay!) and that the cancer was confined to the lung and appeared to be operable. In July she had a lobectomy and the cancer was identified as an atypical carcinoid tumor - a rare form of lung cancer that affects non-smokers. Happily it is very treatable. It was called stage 2A as it had spread to a lymph node but the node was inside the lung and was removed with the tumor.

She underwent radiation but no chemo (chemo doesn't work well on this kind of cancer as it's slow growing).

She just had her 3rd follow up since the surgery and is still cancer-free! We just celebrated our 20th anniversary with a trip to Kauai'i, Oahu and Maui.

She does have some lung damage from the radiation which has really reduced her ability to be as active as she once was - but considering the alternative we're not complaining.

Moral: Cancer can be treated, if you've got it, don't give up! If you smoke, quit! (yes I know she got it as a non-smoker - but lung cancer SUCKS! you don't want to have to deal with it, do yourself a favor and quit). Finally, don't just live, Live. Don't put stuff off because we don't know what's around the corner.

Aloha and blessings to you all.