No pictures today.
Yesterday's pictures were taken of my anatomy.
I drank iodine water yesterday morning, at least a quart---maybe even more.
Then, I had a cat scan. If there had been a "That Was Easy" button I would have pushed it for yesterday's experience.
I found out that cat scans are pretty easy peasy 'cept for drinking all that iodine water prior to the test.
Even though the imaging test was a piece of cake (what I would give for a real piece of cake) having the scan intimidated me.
I knew from that moment on my innards would have no secrets cuz the scan was gonna know all about them.
After the scan I drove home.
About two hours later, I drove to the hospital ER after calling my immediate family members.
According to the scan, I had acute appendicitis, so my doctor's office had called and told me to go directly to the ER.
I spent about three hours there, with some family members, being tested and poked and told to jump up and down and tell the doctor if my lower abdomen hurt.
It did not.
Nonetheless, I was a bit concerned about jumping on my knee which last year suffered a torn meniscus.
When my tests all came back just fine and I was not at all wincing or whining with abdominal pain, the ER doctor sent me home with a pile of papers and orders to call the surgeon today to talk more about my gut.
My gut has taken me on extended slight detours in life.
These have enlightened me about the location of virtually every bathroom. My gut has has kept me in a somewhat tentative mode for more than 40 years.
My kids have never known their mom as anything other than a confirmed bathroom addict. They are now on the far side of 40.
Years ago, I did testing and drug experiments over a period of time in hopes of narrowing down whatever it was that was causing my unruly intestines.
No definitive answer ever evolved from all these efforts.
When I had finished a battery of tests at the Rockwood Clinic in Spokane, the specialist, whom I recall had a pretty noisy gut himself, suggested that I avoid dairy products.
I took his advice. Even then, my intensive bathroom urges continued.
Throughout the rest of my teaching career, my administrators and students knew that if Mrs. Love left the classroom, not to fire me and, for students, to behave while I was gone.
I was very appreciative that these people respected the fact that my gut dilemma was not at all fun or me and that I could not help it.
After retirement, the problem subsided considerably. Upon noticing that change, I attributed it to the stress of teaching.
Still, occasionally, payback would come with something I might have eaten.
What I have always considered intestinal demons had not completely given up, but, at least they were giving me a much appreciated break from excessive bathroom visits that I had known in past years.
Enter c.diff.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/c-difficile/symptoms-causes/syc-20351691
If you haven't heard that term, you are not alone because, as a journalist, I often informally survey people on a variety of topics, and on this one, most lay people I know have never heard of c.diff.
Nor had I until I received a call from a doctor last September after my demons seemed to be particularly upset and increasing my bathroom visits.
At the time, I thought the problem was evolving from the stress of planning a major trip to Europe and that the gut problem was probably all emanating from my head.
So, I went to my provider with two possibilities. "Either it's my head or I've got a bug," I told her.
We agreed that testing for a bug was a good idea, especially because of my upcoming trip to Spain, Portugal and Ireland.
That's when science discovered that my head was okay but not my gut.
I had an intestinal infection and needed some powerful antibiotics. Knowing I was going on my trip later in the week, the doctor even called me on a Sunday morning with the prescription.
It was during this week that I learned more about the intestinal infection called c.diff.
It's contagious. It usually occurs because people are on antibiotics or because someone has not washed their hands after going to the bathroom and has spread the spores.
I was not on antibiotics at the time and had not been for more than five years. So I more than likely picked it up somewhere because of someone not washing their hands.
It's prevalent in hospital settings and nursing homes. It ravages the gut and destroys the good bacteria, and the infection can come back.
After having c.diff and mentioning it to any of my friends in the medical profession, the expressions of dispair on their faces or their comments about how awful the disease is made me realize even more the seriousness of my exposure to and subsequent experience with the infection.
Of course, the misery I felt while enduring it and taking the antibiotics was enough to make me wish to never encounter such a disease again.
I have also learned and experienced what doctors have told me about the aftermath.
The uncomfortable effects of c.diff in the gut can continue for a long, long time.
During the infection and ever since, I have taken probiotics and my eating habits have changed considerably, so much so that I've lost more than 20 pounds since September.
I've quit drinking morning coffee and have gone through a continuous cycle of thinking that if I cut out a certain food, the gut would get better. When it hasn't, I think it's another food and the beat goes on.
My intestines just don't feel or act the same.
So, after enduring a couple of months of continued discomfort, I began a meticulous effort to see my doctor again and to load her with facts about what I had eaten for meals and noting when I had uncomfortable episodes.
I sent her a letter and two weeks' worth of menus last week. Soon after making an appointment, I received a call from her nurse asking me to go on a sugar free/dairy free diet.
Talk about starving!
I made a couple of mistakes with certain food while on the diet but for the most part kept with it and starved through it.
During the appointment, when Paige learned that I had lost so much weight since September, she ordered a cat scan and also talked about a colonoscopy.
So, that brings us back to yesterday's cat scan results and my brief stay at the ER.
What I do know is that my blood tests are all fine as are my vitals.
What I don't know is where yesterday's events will lead me except to follow up with the surgeon and Paige and if I ever get some pain in the lower abdomen, to return to the emergency room.
I tell this blatantly personal story for a few reasons.
First, I tell it to share what I have learned since being diagnosed with c.diff. Hopefully, it will prevent someone from contracting it.
In the past months, I heard over and over from medical professionals: wash your hands WITH SOAP and water, especially whenever you are in public settings where others may not have washed their hands AND extra especially when you are in hospitals or other medical facilities.
I'll most likely never know what I touched or where I picked up the infection. So, washing one's hands on every possible occasion can not be considered overkill.
The second reason I'm writing this today is gratitude.
I am so grateful for all the medical professionals who have advised me and for those who helped me move on through c.diff, its aftermath and the frustrating situations it has caused.
That includes nurses, techs and doctors, even my doctor friend here in the neighborhood.
I especially appreciate my family and friends who have given me their respective ears, their help and their continued patience with my unfun and ongoing situation.
One friend has shared with me a wise guideline for situations like this: wave off the indignities.
Having such an affliction is not fun.
It's embarrassing, it's often debilitating, and it consumes time running to bathrooms when I would much rather be doing something more productive.
Plus, the solving the problem remains a mystery as I move forward with the professionals trying to figure out its cause and how to rid myself of it.
I hope that we can reach that point and always am hoping that the eventual resolution does not involve anything worse than drinking iodine water.
So, no pictures today except one below to remind everyone that Willie's girls varsity will play the Lewiston Bengals tonight in Lewiston.
Wishing them the best and, of course, a win.
GO, BULLDOGS !!!
🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
Happy Friday.
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