Monday, December 15, 2008

Crappy Day


For those who were wondering what EE looks like, here are some shots taken today during my colonoscopy. I wish I could tell you all about it, but while I remember watching some of it on a TV monitor, and making such comments as, "What the . . . ? Is that a squid?!" and "This scene reminds me of the batcave, only cooler," I have no idea if I forgot most of what happened or if I slept through it. The crappy day, by the way, was yesterday, when I couldn't eat.

33 comments:

Whirlochre said...

For a moment, I thought this was a bizarre new Spot The Difference For Dummies feature.

Hope you've got your appetite back. Without the flavour, I guess biting the heads off writers must be only 80% appealing to the senses.

Dave Fragments said...

I know squid. I cook it every year for Christmas Eve dinner and THAT AIN'T NO SQUID!

Kiersten White said...

Umm, seriously? SERIOUSLY??

These photos put those creepy 3-D ultrasound pictures my friends post on their blogs to shame.

Kiersten White said...

(Also, in my horror, I forgot to say I'm sorry you had a crappy day. But I'm also sorry we had to see the photographic proof.)

Robin B. said...

Oh, sorry, EE. Fasting is a bear.

1- When do you get the results of the tests?

2-Was this one of those middle-aged man checkup things, or...?

Anonymous said...

Yeah, give us the lowdown, EE. Are you okay? (ie pollyp-free?)

Jeanne Ryan (Serenissima) said...

Glad the fasting and pipe inspection are over. Hope you can indulge in high-octane eggnog now.

Stacy said...

I just . . . there are no words to describe these pics. I mean there are, but I'd rather not say them.

You have my sympathies. I had to go through the same process every year when I was a kid, only it was for kidney tests. Blech.

Robin B. said...

Nice smoooth interior there, by the way.

Are you gonna say...?

Evil Editor said...

The good thing about a colonoscopy is that they don't just look for polyps, they remove them when they find them, before they can morph into cancerous. It's not a "We found something, come back in two weeks and we'll fix it" deal. Possibly it's the one medical test that's worth going through, assuming your age or family history puts you at reasonable risk. Of course other tests catch cancer early, but colon cancer can be caught before it's colon cancer.(Public Service Announcement)

Anonymous said...

So happy they didn't have to ream you a new one!!!

Meri

Robin B. said...

Hee. Love it when you start those sentences of yours with 'possibly'.
And it sounds like you didn't have to wait to have stuff fixed, and for that, I am very (possibly) happy. We need our EE around, you know.

none said...

Someone somewhere is incinerating bits of our EE....

Blogless Troll said...

The last one looks like a sandworm from Dune heading straight for us.

talpianna said...

Your Inner Child is pretty weird-looking.

Robin B. said...

Sandworms, BT? Ewwwww.

Heal quickly, EE, before any sandworms can lay waste, or stuff.

Ulysses said...

E.E., this is a side of you I've never seen before.

...and if there is a just and loving God, I shall never see it again.

I hope the infrastructure inspection went, er... smoothly.

Chris Eldin said...

Yours are prettier than Katie's.
:-)

Seriously though, I'm glad you're okay. So many health issues are preventable with proper and early testing. Is this something you have to do every year? I really don't know.

Stacia said...

Saaaay! Nice colon! ;-)


Wasn't it technically a non-crappy day?

writtenwyrdd said...

Besides the oversharing of your inner self, glad to hear you're taking care of yourself, EE.

Evil Editor said...

Is this something you have to do every year? I really don't know.


I think the general consensus is to get screened at age 50 and depending on what they find, go back in three years or five. As you may know, Katie Couric, CBS news anchor, lost her husband to colon cancer when he was 41 and had no symptoms, so maybe starting earlier is ultra-safe, but rarely necessary. She later had her colonoscopy done live on the Today Show to raise awareness, and started an organization to . . . well, here's something from her:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7210595/

Precie said...

Wow, that's some rare intimacy from you.

Hope all is well!

EB said...

The rate at which colon cancer grows from one disgruntled, hyperactive cell to a polyp large enough to be seen means that screening every 5 years is usually sufficient. For people w/ aggressive family histories, conditions like ulcerative colitis, or certain cancer syndromes, screening is recommended more frequently.

Having "driven" many a colonoscope, it's shockingly like a videogame: negotiating the curves with a wheeled knob and body language; lassoing polyps, burning them off and then capturing them for pathology. Well, a videogame played with slick gloved fingers and a gown.

Probably best that the patient gets the good drugs, though.

Glad you're okay EE.

Kiersten White said...

I lost an aunt to colon cancer; she was only 47. Very non-evil of you to emphasize how important this is ; )

Anonymous said...

Yes, I'm curious about the drugs? Whaddya get?

Evil Editor said...

I forgot. Possibly because of the drug. It was an IV drip. I think it started with "D."

EB said...

Versed (an amnestic) with a splash of Demerol for the discomfort is fairly common.

Robin B. said...

My husband had the date-thing drug with his, where they told him what to do and how to move, etc., and he wasn't asleep, but he doesn't remember much of it...

Dave Fragments said...

Diazepam? Commonly called Valium.

Are you sure the IV bag didn't just say -- D5W -- which is dextrose and water. They could have added the other drug as a hypodermic and just noted it on your chart.

McKoala said...

Handsome inside and out, that's what I say.

Anonymous said...

My dad had pre-cancerous polyps removed when he was in his mid-40s, so if he hadn't started getting screened reasonably early, I wouldn't have a dad anymore. (There's a family history, which is why he was aware of it. And guess what I get to look forward to....)

Of course, EE, if they do remove part of your colon, you can still be an editor because that leaves you with a semi-colon.... *rimshot*

Kiersten - I'm kind of glad to hear that you find those 3d ultrasound pictures awfully creepy. I thought maybe it was only people like me, who didn't have kids, who had that reaction.

Unknown said...

You beat my crappy day. I thought no power/heat, 30 degree weather and no sleep was tough, but you win.

Sorry you had a crappy day.

Hoping you are feeling better and back to your evil self.

I lost my grandfather to colon cancer. They diagnosed it but then messed up the surgery, didn't get all of it and the wound went nacrotic.

So yes, while you'll weigh about 5-7 pounds lighter for the procedure (yes, there is that much crap in there) and it's uncomfortable and such, it's something that should be done.

Robin B. said...

Now that we've seen your innards (and they are lovely, smooth things) how about a picture of you at say, two? Or three? (Years of age, that is.)

That would be a good present for the holidays.