If you missed chapter one you can find it at https://jemsmind.com/crohns-journey-chapter-1/
The standard second vitals check and blood work was completed soon after arriving into the diagnostic bay. Then the waiting continued. At this point you could feel the empathy oozing from the nurses. As if they were feeling my pain. For there wasn’t much that they could do for me at that point in time. Further diagnostic testing was waiting to occur. Where I couldn’t receive any pain medications as sometimes they can mask or exasperate the scenario.
When we received blood results back, things apparently looked normal? At least to the interpretation of the doctor that inspected the test results. So I then received some intravenous antibiotics and fluids. As well as, an abdominal x-ray. By the time the X-ray results came back I was feeling much better.
The doctor came in and described the shadowing on my abdominal x-ray as constipation, with the potential of it being a few other things. One in particular was Crohn’s disease… But at this point my pain subsided and all other tests were normal. So they prescribed milk of magnesia and sent us on our way… ⬅️ a waste of time, knowing myself, body and regularity. I had mentioned this to the doctor but was still met with “try this anyway.” So trusting the doctor we went along for the ride.
It was the wee hours of the morning by the time we left the hospital. We hadn’t had anything to eat for some time, so we stopped at Tim Hortons. It was the only thing open… I ordered chicken noodle soup… It was delicious for about 5 minutes until it came back up onto the parking lot.
That moment should have been a sign. But me being young, less in tune with my body and compliant with the Doctors. We just cleaned up and went home. Started taking the milk of magnesia for a few days. But when that stuff just created unnecessary mess, I stopped. As I said before, I did not have issues with regularity and this treatment was doing nothing but giving me the runs…
For about a week after my hospital adventure things were seemingly normal. The weekend sickness had faded, but a low grade fever persisted.
I graduated with honors from the General Arts and Science program and had found interest in the Recreation Management course. The excitement of starting into recreation and facility management programming was great. The adrenaline of starting a brand new post-secondary program was pumping through my veins.
Seneca King Campus is really beautiful and unique. There was an island separated by a walking bridge. A stream running between the land and the island. With the lake gleaming on the other side. It was an absolutely stunning place to take lunch time and afternoon swims, over the course of my summer employment.
Frosh week was in full swing. There was live entertainment, bouncy castles and gladiator fun. Tons of food and drink. I specifically remember waiting in line at the corn on the cob vendor and noticed a change in my body, shape and ability. I was feeling rather stiff down my right leg. But you know, through all the fun I just continued enjoying the day.
Heading into the first week of classes I started running a higher temperature again. With that, doses of acetaminophen periodically throughout the day to keep the temperature down. After a few days I made an appointment with my doctor. A discussion of what occurred at the emergency room a few weeks past, was had. With that I was sent for some blood work. Then home and advised to continue to administer acetaminophen every recommended dose time and to keep a log of temperature fluctuation.
So I did just that. Started documenting and followed up with the doctor about a week later. At the follow-up I shared my temperature fluctuation as I had been running a fever of over 101° F for about a week and a half at that point (documented)… Constantly keeping up with the acetaminophen just to keep the temperature from soaring. Explaining to the doctor that the acetaminophen was maintaining my temperature at around the 100 degree mark. My blood work still came back within normal range. So at this point I was prescribed some antibiotics and told to continue monitoring.
Over the course of the weeks between doctor appointments I was noticing an increased loss of flexibility in my right leg. As well as, a change in my abdomen. I was in decent shape at this time in my life with very little momma ponch. So I was very curious and confused why my abdomen was growing in size.
Now with the antibiotics and constant Tylenol, things eased off slightly. My temperature started to hover around the 99°Fahrenheit mark, but continued. Once this set of antibiotics was complete things started to flare again.
I continued with my classes and monitoring my temp. But things were starting to get out of hand. I would walk into my classes noticeably burning up. Being questioned by multiple faculty on whether I was all right. I let them know that I was working with doctors on trying to figure things out. But, it really just felt like I was just continuing on with my life. Work, school, mommying you know, it just happened to consist of having a temperature 24/7…
At this point it had been about 4 weeks since the first ER visit. Needless to say, I was getting frustrated. I recall saying things like, I’m no doctor but fever tells me infection…
With that another trip to the doctor, had me turned around with a choice. Head back to the ER or wait for outpatient tests. Knowing that can entail waiting lists, we headed back to the emergency room.
While there, I explained the month long fever, the reduction in flexibility in my right leg and the abdominal bloating. This time the usual vitals and blood work, surprise surprise came back normal. So they added a trip upstairs to have a Barium swallow test. In conjunction with interesting a chalky drink, they strap you to a rotating positioner and take a series of radiographic imaging…
Can you guess what the results were from that test?
Interpreted as inconclusive….
With that some more IV antibiotics and then sent on my way. But was recommended to be sent to have some scopes completed at an outpatient facility. So back to the GP doctor to get a referral for that.
It was the beginning of October 2007. I got a priority referral to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy. This was my first time ever experiencing either of these tests. The endoscopy consisted of spraying back of your throat with a numbing agent. Placing a spacer in your mouth which looked like an exotic sex toy, which allowed a camera and tube to be inserted down the throat. Into the depths past your esophagus, through your stomach and into the beginning of the small intestine. Whereas, the colonoscopy is the opposite to meet in the middle, allowing the doctors to get eyes on the complete gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Now this is a topic that many don’t want to talk about…
I’ve been told it’s a private matter that shouldn’t be discussed publicly.
Why?
From my perspective, we have somehow normalized excretion and bodily function for jokes but scrutinize for medical.
With that, let’s normalize health…
The Good, bad and ugly…
So I endure the scope prep. It entailed drinking four liters of the most disgusting artificially flavoured water like fluid. I know that doesn’t sound that bad.
But I’m just going to go with, if you know, you know.
You spend a day leading up to your test fasting and emptying out your GI tract. Through consuming this test prep and spending lots of time on the porcelain throne. You know the prep is complete when you’re pissing clear fluid out your a******.
Giddy up…
Test day…
First we completed the endoscopy. I was joking with the doctor about being glad he was going for the top first. As I did not approve mixing and matching the cameras used for both procedures. We had a good laugh then got down to business. The endoscopy was uncomfortable, but bearable. Where my first colonoscopy experience was quite the opposite.
As the doctor started, pain began to increase the longer the test went on. The further he explored the more suffering I was trying to hold back. To the point where the doctor maxed out on the allowable drug administration. Curled up in the fetal position crying, trying to just make it through this test… After some time the doctor abandoned the exploration at approximately 75% complete.
With that the waiting game for results was on.
Over the next week or so the stiffness or loss of flexibility in my right leg was really becoming painful and apparent. Fever was still raging. At this point I had been living with a fever for over 6 weeks. Obviously, I was terrified with the amount of acetaminophen I had been taking to maintain a low-grade fever. But ignorance of how sick I was sheltered me from the potential risk.
With that I was done with this yo-yo treatment.
No one was labeling even ideas of what was wrong. The only Doctor who put a possible diagnosis on my ailments was the ER Doc from the first initial visit.
All the normal range and incumculicve tests had me dreaming of paging Doctor HOUSE>>> I mean I’ll take Huge Laurie at the foot of my hospital any day. He’s no McDreamy or McSteamy but at this point McGenius-asshole would have been an angel in disguise.
I went back for a follow-up appointment for the scopes.
Again, I was given the inconclusive spiel…
This was my breaking point…
I can’t do this anymore…
Something needed to progress…
I was barely able to take care of my three year old daughter… She deserved a thriving healthy mother. Who was able to take her out and about to enjoy the park and enjoy life together.
I was struggling through the days at school, trying to be a good student.
I was struggling through the days at work, trying to contribute financially.
I was done with the bullshit…
So through the tears of another inconclusive test, I looked my doctor straight in the face and said;
what are you going to do for me????
I am a twenty-two year old woman who has been living with a constant fever for over seven weeks now. It is absolutely unacceptable that my course of treatment is to take on and off again antibiotics and maintain a fever through constant acetaminophen use.
I am not a doctor but I obviously have an infection that has not been managed.
With this plea, my doctor wrote up a letter and chart information of the past several weeks’ events.
With that in hand, we were sent back to the emergency room…
To Be Continued…