Hi & welcome back, Daryl! Awhile ago you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

While I have IBS, diverticulitis, and hemorrhoids
(with moderate to severe rectal bleeding...they
did blood work to make sure I wasn't becoming anemic),
recent colonoscopies have shown no polyps...

Good! I understand colonoscopies are a drag... a female friend had one recently & told me she was hors de combat for three days. The alternative could be worse, however, if further developments took place unchecked.... :-Q

Now that I'm over 50, I have both a colonoscopy and
an EGD (upper GI) done 13 months apart (or Medicare
won't pay for them...go figure).

I reckon the bean counters got into the act there & you are allowed no more than one such test per year. I've noticed also that once a person has crossed some invisible boundary line they're deemed to be at a higher risk for various things. The downside is that the patient may wonder sometimes whether the doctor is being a bit overconscientious. The upside is that if you really do need a certain type of testing you may find it easier to get... [wry grin].

I've got to go in for an IVP in late September, to
find out WHY I've been producing kidney stones like
mad. My first stone was discovered in April, 2010,
and removed 2 months later. My second stone was
discovered in early July, 2012...but not 10 days
after they removed it, they found a second one!!

I may have asked you before if the first stone was ever analyzed... in Dallas's case, a change of diet seemed to help ward off the next occurrence for ten or twenty years. But I realize it's not always quite that simple, and I'm curious as to what your IVP may or may not have indicated. I had the same test years ago. Conclusion: my kidneys are weird, as my GP & I already knew. As long as I'm reasonably cautious about what I eat it's not a big deal. :-))

before the IVP, I have to prep as if I was having a
colonoscopy

That's the bit where you spend all day on the toilet? Apparently I got off lightly in that regard, but I wore the needle mark for eighteen years. Then there was the bit where I was instructed to hold my breath, after which I was left alone for twenty minutes. I was a teenager at the time. Fortunately for the technician & for me I was smart enough to realize there was no need to hold my breath for the entire time. I go to other labs nowadays... [chuckle].

If there is a blockage of some sort, or more stones,
I'm going back under the knife, as it were.

Although I'm late in answering, I hope your IVP went well. :-)

The irritating thing (besides the burning, and a bad
case of prostatitis), is that it was originally
scheduled for August 31.

That must be very frustrating. But... read on.

I should've realized it'd likely be cancelled, as it's
the Friday before Labor Day Weekend. Sure enough, it
got postponed until the end of September!!

Reminds me of the time when Nora was admitted to hospital on Friday (allegedly for forty-eight hours). I figured she wouldn't be discharged until Monday... as she was, despite the prognostications of certain "gloom-and-doom" artists in the parents' lounge. If your doctors had serious reason to believe you had cancer of the bowel, things would be happening so fast your head would be spinning. When hospitals postpone testing they're not too worried.... ;-)




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* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hi & welcome back, Daryl! Awhile ago you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinto

Hi, Ardith...long time, no type.

While I have IBS, diverticulitis, and hemorrhoids
(with moderate to severe rectal bleeding...they
did blood work to make sure I wasn't becoming anemic),
recent colonoscopies have shown no polyps...

Good! I understand colonoscopies are a drag... a female friend had
one recently & told me she was hors de combat for three days. The alternati AH>could be worse, however, if further developments took place unchecked.... :

I'm to see my gastrointerologist on Monday...as it has been over 3
years since I had both an upper GI (EGD) and lower GI (Colonoscopy),
done...so, I'm due. My goal is to get them done at the same time, so I
only have one anesthesia bill.

I reckon the bean counters got into the act there & you are allowed
no more than one such test per year. I've noticed also that once a person h AH>crossed some invisible boundary line they're deemed to be at a higher risk f AH>various things. The downside is that the patient may wonder sometimes wheth AH>the doctor is being a bit overconscientious. The upside is that if you real AH>do need a certain type of testing you may find it easier to get... [wry grin

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy (You Might Be A Redneck), said in a skit,
telling of his experience with a colonoscopy that "when you get 50, you
get all these "gag gifts" (i.e. the hemorrhoid ointment, etc.) -- and he
said while they're laughing, he thought to himself "you just saved me a
trip to the store". <G>

Certain races of people also seem to be at higher risk, for whatever
reason.

I may have asked you before if the first stone was ever analyzed...
in Dallas's case, a change of diet seemed to help ward off the next occurren AH>for ten or twenty years. But I realize it's not always quite that simple, a AH>I'm curious as to what your IVP may or may not have indicated. I had the sa AH>test years ago. Conclusion: my kidneys are weird, as my GP & I already kne AH>As long as I'm reasonably cautious about what I eat it's not a big deal. :-

They said it was mainly oxylates. But, I'm drinking flavored
water...at times, 2 liters a day...to keep flushed out, and to stay
hydrated. I only drink caffeine (Coca-Cola) or eat chocolate on rare
occasions now.

That's the bit where you spend all day on the toilet? Apparently I
got off lightly in that regard, but I wore the needle mark for eighteen year AH>Then there was the bit where I was instructed to hold my breath, after which AH>was left alone for twenty minutes. I was a teenager at the time. Fortunate AH>for the technician & for me I was smart enough to realize there was no need AH>hold my breath for the entire time. I go to other labs nowadays... [chuckle

In the CT Scan they did last fall (I forget what for now), they
discovered I'm in the early stages of degenerative disk disease in my
spinal column. I haven't noticed much of an issue yet, but they surely
won't take away my disability now...because when they ask "has your
health gotten better??", I can honestly reply "No...much worse".

Although I'm late in answering, I hope your IVP went well. :-)

It did...they do a KUB now. I have the female nurse practitioner check
me out now. My urologist doesn't do surgeries anymore, due to his
age...and I can get an appointment faster with the female nurse
practitioner. While nudity means nothing to them, that last prostate
check (digital rectal exam) was not fun...I wasn't sure if she was
looking for oil or gold. <G>

That must be very frustrating. But... read on.

I originally was going to see my gastrointerologist in late
January...even though I called to set it up before Christmas. Yet, he
was so busy, so that was a wait for 6 weeks. Well, as it turned out, my
car was in the shop, and they were doing apartment inspections...so, I
had to cancel and reschedule it, with another 6 week wait. I'm set to go
see him Monday.

Reminds me of the time when Nora was admitted to hospital on Friday AH>(allegedly for forty-eight hours). I figured she wouldn't be discharged unt AH>Monday... as she was, despite the prognostications of certain "gloom-and-doo AH>artists in the parents' lounge. If your doctors had serious reason to belie AH>you had cancer of the bowel, things would be happening so fast your head wou AH>be spinning. When hospitals postpone testing they're not too worried.... ;

Especially when the meter is running. Of course, the last 2 outpatient procedures I had, ended up having complications, requiring overnight
hospital stays. The first one was to remove the kidney stones, including
a rather large one in the urinary bladder, that could not be passed.
But, some of the fragments lodged into the "staples" from the Urolift
prostate surgery...so, a month later, part of the prostate was removed.

The worst thing has having to wear the urinary catheter, and the
bladder spasms. One day, I was in the local Emergency Room, in tears
from being in so much pain. Two good looking nurses came in, and said
"You're not going to like us". I said "I'll kiss you if you make this
pain go away". She replied "We have the medicine for the bladder spasms
and pain, but it's a suppository". They basically gave a whole new
meaning to the term "shove it"!! :P

Thankfully, I haven't had any further attacks in about a year...I see
the female nurse practitioner in April, and get a KUB (kidneys, ureter,
bladder scan) done.

Daryl

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