Saturday, January 24, 2015

Bowel Cancer Screening - FOBT and Colonoscopy

The waiting is over. The results were all clear.

No haemmoroids.

No polyps.

And, no cancer.

I guess my wait was short in the grand scheme of things, but not in my mind. From mid-November to 23rd January.

The weight that builds up is tremendous. And it is mostly carried singularly, and silently.

For, really, what is there to talk about?

No facts. Just fears.
The gastroenterologist was Sarah Cho, who was straight-forward and to the point, as am I. She was Sarah. I was Julie. I would not hesitate to have her again.

I guess I will learn the name of the anaesthetist when I receive his invoice for services rendered. I was told that neither charged a Gap for Day Surgery. Let's see if they walk that talk. My excess to my insurer, Medibank Private, was $150. I pay $164 per month for my "Top Hospital" medical insurance. I understand from the press, that this will increase by 7% in the autumn.
The hospital was North Shore Private, located adjacent to Royal North Shore which is a public (government) hospital. Hospitals in Sydney are a bit like McDonalds, and Kentucky Fried. They come in pairs, on a campus. I guess it makes it easier for medicos to double-shuffle.

In June 2013, I spent 5 days in the public hospital with pneumonia. In June 2014, I spent 2 days in the public hospital with heart symptoms. In January 2015 I spent 4 hours in the private hospital for a minor procedure. Too much of a bloody pattern for mine! The private hospital was nice, but then so was the public one. It cost me nothing to go to the public hospital, even when I am delivered by ambulance.

Yesterday, I took a taxi in each direction, costing about $22 each way. I have a booklet of 50% discount vouchers from the government due to my disability, so none of this is crippling ... mmm ... wrong choice of words, Jools.

I am sitting back taking it easy this weekend. My intestines were absolutely voided, and it is painful to fill them up, trying to push out all the air they inflated them with to get their camera around the multitude of s-bends (now I understand what that s really stands for). I am also having trouble with my balance, more strife than usual. I thought I could just traipse into the city today to go to the Museum of Contemporary Art. I honestly believe I would have fainted with the effort.

I asked both the nurse and the anaesthetist not to use Gentamicin. He was a bit taken-aback, saying one would only use that if the patient had some sort of patch in their body. I then told him about the teflon in my heart. And, BANG. I woke up in recovery.

I have the Fecal Occult Bloods done again in two years, and if positive, have another Colonoscopy. I am not irritated by the false positives one little bit.

6 comments:

freefalling said...

Excellent news.
My sister tells me that pumped in gas can cause discomfort as high up as the shoulders.

Last year when Vince collapsed in the kitchen with severe dehydration from a stomach bug -
http://poofanditsgone.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/winter-sunday-1148am.html
- the doctors were insistent on giving him a colonoscopy. He has a history of Crohns Disease. Thank goodness they did. 6 polyps - 1 cancerous.
Fortunately the cancer had been contained within the polyp. They are nasty little buggers, aren't they?

Julie said...

To the shoulders, blimey! I am still stuck on stop even after 3 days. Very uncomfortable. Will over-dose on water.

Vagabonde said...

Thank you Julie for coming to my blog and leaving a comment. I’ll have to come back and read some of your back posts to get up to speed. I understand though that you had some health issues. I am pleased that the results were positive as I know how stressful all this is. My husband (who has Alzheimer) had bladder cancer and last week had a one year check up and they found another cancerous cell – so more surgery soon. It usually is just surface tumors but they have to be removed before they grow up… My only problem health wise is arthritis in my knees, but it is bad enough that I have to use a cane – I guess I should replace them. We are like old cars with parts getting rusted and needing new ones!

diane b said...

You must have been relieved after waiting so long for results. The anaesthetic may have made your wobbles feel worse. I got vertigo after my last dose.

Joan Elizabeth said...

I enjoy your medical posts ... but would certainly not enjoy having to go thru what you do to be able to post them!

MargaretP said...

Good to hear your results were OK, it takes a few days to get over the residual effects of the G.A. and any stress and worry about results.
I have been busy reading up on the health benifits of fermenting and making delicious saurkraut and also Kombucha flavoured with ginger, so nice in all the heat we have had up here.
Hope you have been feeling up to a visit to the movies, I am looking forward to "Selma" and a bit of fun with the second" Marigold hotel"