Procedure Day story…..

MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2014

PROCEDURE DAY STORY….

“K” and I are very different in 1 way with getting up & moving in the mornings; I can set an alarm knowing we have to be somewhere giving myself enough time to get woken up a bit,  cleaned up, in this case a small sip of water for my morning meds and I’m ready to go…. “K” has to set her alarm at least an hour prior to departure, MUST have her cup of “foo-foo” coffee to help get her blood sugar up, wake up for a little bit, watch the news, then start her “getting ready process” which usually includes staring about 30 Min prior to departure & waking ME up. This morning was no different, except “K” had to go to the little Motel Lobby to get her water for her coffee and ended up having to take Penny for a little walk after getting me up!

We have to take this moment and THANK ALL the wonderful people at the @GLENROSEINNANDSUITES on the main drag in Glen Rose, TX. They were amazing, allowed “K” & kids to play in the pool as long as they wanted and pretty much left me alone as asked us Sunday!

BUTT, to the really important details of this final day… Sunday evening progressed more as time went on. I had a few more times up and to the restroom after all the girls finally settled down for the night. I tried my best to allow “K” to get as much rest as possible. Each time the movement got a little more like was described in the directions the doctor gives out. Remember they want basically clear water passing through. “The cleaner the better“ is the motto these Dr.’s go by. As we talked on Day #2, we believe with our consistent diet, which I’m sure is a lot different from most men and women for that matter now days, and “K”s restricting what I had to eat leading up to the procedure, all of that together probably had a lot to do with the clean out process. Butt, then again, since being home I’ve talked to a few friends that had the same experience – pretty easy 1st time, not so easy the 2nd time!!

Glen Rose Medical Center: So we were up and walking into the Glen Rose Medical Facility right at 7 am, right on schedule, although maybe a little slower and a LOT lighter than usual! Walked right up to the registration window, of course my file was on top ready to go. Now days, there’s no longer a stack of papers to sign to release this and release that, just a stylus and a little tablet to sign on, as the registrar reads this and that to you, then you sign. Not sure which is better really since I’m not a tablet kinda guy. “K” taking photos here and there along the way! SO we explained to the registration staff what we were doing by documenting the entire start to finish procedure for Men’s Health & Health Tips in general!!! Which they thought was cool, said never had it done and also said it’s mostly Men that dread this procedure.

No longer had we sat down as directed, I was called back to the Pre-Op Lounge…. Back to a little room, gurney, change into the wonderful “naked & afraid prom gown” you know the special one that is open in the back, tell me your name & birthday 10 more times, then their ready to insert an IV. The IV wasn’t too bad, only 2 sticks, but I think I jinxed her before she even started.  After all that was done, they allowed “K” to come back to sit with me as we waited on the Anesthesiologist and the Doc doing the procedure, Dr. Patino. Again, “K” taking pics along the way, explaining to the nurses what and why we were documenting this all.

1st in was Dr. Singh (sp?) the Anesthesiologist, these are the Docs you want to keep happy and on your side. I’m allergic to Penicillin plus since the car accident can only do what they call “Twilight” or blocks and can not be put out with General Anesthesia. So we started again answering all the same questions, then came the questions about WHY I have to have the twilight or blocks, etc…. which always starts an even more detailed conversation of my complete history, career, and all. Too funny, Dr. Singh was born & bred in Hong Kong. He remembers his father being a HUGE wrestling fan and taking the family to see Tex Watson, Flying Red Bastien and others when Doc was young. Then when they moved to the US, he continued to as he said “be glued to the TV whenever wrestling was on”. He couldn’t wait to get to a stopping point in his day so he could go call his now 93-year-old father and tell him about me! I guess it really still amazes me what and who people remember. The nurse doing my IV remembered being at the Glen Rose building in the mid ’80s when World Class came to wrestle one of our “fundraiser” spot shows we did a lot of back then. Again, it still amazes me after all these years the impression we left on so many during those times; more really of what they remember cause most of us that are still here might just remember making it to the town and not much else!!

Then in comes the Man of the Hour, Dr. Patino himself, to find out if we have any further questions about what’s about to happen. No questions really, just ready to get this over with.

SO I kiss “K” as they wheel me across the hallway to the double doors that read “Endoscopy”. I’m on the same gurney as I was, lots of lights here, docs and nurses all around covered from head to toe with scrubs, caps, masks and booties! They ask me to turn onto my left side…

Dr. Singh, the happy doc, sits down right close to my head; he tells me he is going to insert the “Prop-a-fall” into the IV and it might sting slightly. I remember say “yeah, it does sting a little…..”

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, Out goes the Lights….

Next thing I know, I’m back in the room where I started, my clothes and hat are sitting to my right in same position as I left them. Dr. Patino comes back in and hands me a few pictures and said he’d be back to explain things to “K”. (When they took me back for my procedure, she went over for an appointment to see our Primary Dr. Turk and to have her port flushed so we wouldn’t have to waste another day to come down for that).

I’m handed an orange juice and next thing I know “K”s walking back in the room! From start to finish we literally were there for all of 3 hours tops I think….

All in all I had a fairly easy time of it today. A little groggy waking up but as soon as the fog lifted I was ready to go.

Apparently, Dr. Patino came in while I was still groggy, gave me photos of my insides and explained what was & was Not found. Thank goodness he’s from Columbia where he attended medical school, cause you know he’s seen and done some strange things just like me. No wonder we get along so well!!

So Doc finished another procedure and came back in to explain to “K” what the photos and reports meant. It looks like right now at the age of almost 57, my colon is looking OK for its age. This time there were no actual polyps to remove, I have div-its or Diverticulosis, small pockets that form in your intestinal / colon tract, which will sometimes make it difficult for bowel movements to pass through your digestive system. Which sends us back to my original post about me wondering “why have such strong bowel movements at times”. So now we ALL know. I’m told I need to continue eating my salad every night prior to dinner, continue eating as fresh as we possibly can but try to add more fiber in my diet to help clean out those “small holes”!

Like I said in the beginning of ALL of this, sometimes the truth isn’t pretty but it has to be told.

There is such a stigma about this procedure called the Colonoscopy; so many believe is embarrassing, horrible, dreaded thing to do but really it’s less than a total of 24 hours from start to finish and luckily you can offer yourself and your loved ones a little piece of mind that your Colon is clean for at least the next 5 years, at least in my case!!

And if you are in that dreaded percentage that comes out with polyps, or worse, being found; then having it been found during this simple procedure and not too much later, you have a better chance of removal, remission and being a survivor.

Thank you to all who have followed this interesting 3 day Journey of Men’s Health with me. Remember you never know when this one day may just be your last… cherish those around you, and don’t just love the one your with! LOL

God bless one and all, Absolutely!

~~CJM

ps: more photos, insights and more on the website too!! www.JohnnyMantell.com

Also if ANYONE out there has questions about this procedure, the prep, experience or just about life in general, we have all our contacts on line but you can contact us through this site as well, just email wildwestwrestling@yahoo.com

 

Day #2 ~ Prep Day of my Journey of Men’s Health procedure….

Taking the girls to breakfast

Oh yeah, I can’t order can I?

I never drink Tea but this morning it was Hot Tea for me!

I have 2 of these 32 oz drink mixed with “Miralax” to be chugged in 2 hours.

The start of #1 drink for the afternoon, 1 started, 1 to go….

How the girls found me when they cam back the 1st time…. I felt like S%#t

For all the boys gone to Japan, you know that means! But all the Prep has been drank….

Not down for the count, but trying to keep the Prep down to just work….

My “prescribed” prepping materials

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2014

Today is the day…. Prepping for the dreaded procedure so many of us fight against especially us of the male species; some of us decide we just don’t need or are too “scared” to go through with it because like Humor Writer Dave Barry says “it’s the thought of that 17,000 ft hose being shoved where the sun doesn’t shine!”.
Well, as I’ve said in prior posts, this will be my 2nd one since I turned 50, not just because it is recommended for us “old fooggies” but mainly because of my family members that have been diagnosed with the dreaded Colon Cancer, a few very early in life and right now a Really good friend (my same age) is fighting for his life, in stage 4, when he had no symptoms except constipation. We’ll tell more of his story later too!

Today started out not too bad. We got to sleep in later than normal, with a little help from NO roosters crowing at dawn, keeping KJ up way past her bedtime last night and the helpful “black out curtains” on the motel windows! I was told I could have a very little amount of food early on to take my morning meds so up and at ’em across the road to a nice lil diner, who according to the girls had great food. I Hot Tea & a lil bite of eggs. A painted sign as we walked in said “Home of the World’s Largest Biscuit” and that was no lie. Kimmie’s breakfast came with a biscuit that between Kimmie & KJ it could not be finished. (I guess that’s what we should have taken photos of!) After a brief stop, it was back to the room so “K” could set up my schedule of my “Poop-a-Lax” Prep for the afternoon, cause there is a Schedule!

Now, here is where if you get weird or squeamish about anything have to do with how our bodies work or bodily functions, you should ask a friend to continue and give you the highlights, or check back tomorrow for all the results, but check out the photos cause some are “hilarious” according to my girls, but not feeling that way as they were taken… at least some of them!

Now, where was I… Oh, yeah my schedule….. To prep for the Colonoscopy procedure, there is no longer a gallon of strangely salty lime tasting concoction that has to be chugged in a certain amount of time as there was the 1st time I had the procedure done, but you now have Orders take 4 Ducolax (or generic equivalent) at 1 pm; then take 8.3 ounces of Miralax (or equivalent) and mix with 64 ounces of a sports drink (of course any color except Red, Purple, Orange, Blue; which basically leaves Limon) which is like taking 14 daily doses at once; you start drinking that at 4 pm, they want you to chug a 4-6 oz glass every 10 minutes until the 64 oz is completely gone and within 2 hours. Just in case you may have “problems”, the directions say “to stay as close to the restroom as possible as soon as Prepping starts”; NO really? I thought I’d go hiking with the girls at the Dinosaur Digs. HaHaHa
During this time, IF I’m hungry I can have Jello, again NO colors, so back to Lime which in my opinion is Nasty; chicken or beef bouillon; but don’t forget LOTS and LOTS of water.
OK, so here is one of my problems – again, WARNING – I have a strong bowel system. I guess since we eat such a “clean diet”, my system is probably not the norm. We don’t eat out but Maybe 3-4 times a month if that, and when we do especially around Bowie, it’s simple Mexican or maybe a pasta meal from Bella’s but hardly Never fast food. I always, every night, have a large salad before I eat my regular dinner meal. Our meals always consist of some kind of meat, but most of the time grilled, broiled but sometimes lightly fried, maybe a potato or starch but always more veggies and sometimes fruit. Over the past 3 months our meals have consisted of almost all Fresh Veggies from our garden. So I guess my system is cleaner than most to begin with… also, having such a “strong system” I have a clean out (that’s the best way to describe it) about once a week. Matter of fact, I had a good clean out Saturday morning before we left. I know probably a lot more than most of you wanted to read, but again I have to tell this whole thing like it is!

SO fast forward to today, day of Prep. I take the 4 tabs as prescribed. I wait the about 2 hours to start drinking my 2 – 32 ounce Sports Drinks, limon of course. I did it with in the 2 hours allotted for drinking it, but boy let me tell you it was harder than you think.
Problem, nothing was happening. Nothing from the time of the pills to the drink, nothing from drinking time, nothing…. The girls had been gone 5 hours and came back to check in on me. “K” said I didn’t look good! (No comments guys.) I felt horrible. Don’t mean to scare anyone here. But I had that gas bubble feeling that stunk, I felt like I had so much fluid sloshing around, and I was fighting to keep it all from coming right back up! So the girls went out to the pool, and I laid down to take a nap.
They came back, got cleaned up and took KJ down to local park to eat and play some more, trying to give me time to relax, coming back at almost dusk!
Finally, some relief. Again – WARNING – it’s about to get really detailed again… you hear and are told of the multiple trips to the restroom to clean out before you get to the runny, then dark, the watery stool which shows its getting cleaner so all can be seen, and that’s what I experienced back in 2010 during my 1st procedure BUTT it is not the case tonight…. Like I said huge gas bubbles, which FINALLY (as we right this, which we started about 9:45 pm) have started to release, and now I have had a few loose movements but all watery. I guess that “clean out” I had Saturday morning before we left really started the flush early!!!
As we write this, setting the alarm and getting ready to attempt a little rest for the night, we wonder if this is as it will be or if more “interesting” ways of being cleaned out will occur in the morning, or if I will be up and down all night? God only knows, literally.

Somewhere, somehow, someway by documenting this routine health screening procedure, we hope we can show that: #1 it’s NOT as bad as it’s made out to be really – the prep really is the worse part & truthfully is this is what it takes every few years count me in; #2 it’s so Very Important to be properly screened, especially if there is significant family history; and #3 it so VERY IMPORTANT to take care of yourself, if not for you but for your LOVED ones, because you never know when TODAY or event Tomorrow might be the last day you have with them.

So now we’re off to bed, up early to be at the hospital a little before 7am. I’m sure “K” will be a lot more write about while I’m in and under and hopefully good detailed news later and you know us, it will all be in detail, plus pictures and video, or at least as much as the Hospital will allow!
God bless and Goodnight ~ Absolutely…
CJM