Colonoscopy prep.

For anyone following the medical parts of my story.

The new g.i. has ordered a sedated scope of the small intestine.  His staff sent me instructions for a full colonoscopy prep.  I read it in horror.  I don't have a colon.  I was quite concerned that the prep they were asking for would literally kill me.

I made calls and sent emails voicing my concerns and explaining typical protocols for me.  I finally got answers Just now.  Phew.  The death threat is off the table. I'm to do the prep I CAN do using enemas instead.  I had suggested that if they really needed me to do the regular prep that it would be better to admit me to the hospital so I could be monitored.

I'm so relieved with the updated instructions.

Tiny, tiny Coco.

 

Gorgeous!

Life altering.

Uh oh.  An escape.  It took her like a few seconds.

Eric had moved back onto Squirrel and the bed build has started.  We had to stop to chase Coco.  She does NOT come when called.  She runs the other way.  Eric ran to the driveway gate to scare her back in the yard.  She bee lines for the driveway every time.  

We put her back in and she showed us the problem immediately.

Alterations already underway while he mutters about it.

In order to lower it, each piece has to be modified and it will mean the gate can only swing in versus either way.

Squirrel as a Transformer

 

Lol.  Oh my gawd. ChatGBT.

It was a day!

 

Had to laugh.  Luk's monthly medical supplies order, I opened the door to a wall :)

I had Eric making squirrel things for me.  Necklace for the car and a keychain.  Then he altered my new medical alert bracelet.  Trying a new one.  Lighter, smaller.  I've managed to keep it on for 24hours without a sensory overload.

Moving into Squirrel.  Eric has finished the mechanical things.  She gets to hit the trails now.  We have a group run Saturday.  I thought Eric would come with me in Squirrel but no, he is going in Oscar because "you have to learn sometime".  I would whine and complain but Oscar has all the recovery gear so best he is there lest I need actual help.

I'm excited and petrified all at once.

Omg.  So cute.

Scrat.  Lol. He's technically a rat crossed with a squirrel.  Close enough.  We love him.

Moving in.

The planning for a better bed and storage has begun.  Back seats out.  Metal tray in. Plywood bought.

Lili picked out Nanaimo bar icecream for the boys school pick up.  Someone was quite delighted.

Eric and I went to Home Depot for plywood.  Eric asked if there were more projects to get done.  I said we need to figure the ground level gate out.  The one at the top of the stairs is an accident waiting to happen.  Then we found this panel system.  The Victorian.  Gah.  So exciting!  It took three trips to Home Depot to get all the right pieces but it's almost done.  We had to interrupt Eric to go the the high school for a tour.  I've only been asking for this since Coco was a puppy.

After Home Depot we went to Subway.  The ring camera bell went off so I answered the doorbell.  It was a process server with legal paperwork for me.  What?!  We couldn't fathom what for.  On the drive home I asked Eric if he was divorcing me. He said no.  Lol. 

It wasn't really related to me.  Small claims court for a minor issue that isn't mine.  Phew.

On the way to the high school tour Eric noticed a group of teenagers on the sidewalk with Walter.  He pulled over, approached them and said where are you going with my cat.  Walter was struggling to get away from them.  Eric grabbed him and plunked him in Lili's lap and we drove him home.  What a dolt of a cat.  How is he still alive?!  We once again discussed options for him but all options would make him crazy.  He is living his best life.  

The new school.  We weren't overly impressed.  There are still just sooo many issues for both boys.  The team all seemed receptive to ideas and really quite willing to accommodate.  I'm going to remain hopeful that things will work out for the boys.

An outside classroom.  My favorite part of the tour.

We have friends doing a quickie wedding on Friday afternoon.  We were out tonight scouting out ceremony spots.  Final decision is Central Park in Lake Cowichan.  Eric and I are the witnesses.  So that's fun.

It was a crazy, busy day.  Non stop. I way over did it. I didn't eat or drink well or enough.  Tonight I'm shaking and in a weird clammy sweat.  Diabetes is no joke.

Ok...

And....

the big news of the day is.....

The cervical biopsy is in already.

Hpv16 present 

However......

There are NO pre-cancer cells.

I will have to recheck in a year and I've been formally accepted into the care of a the Gynecologist who monitored me through cancer aftercare last time.

It was the best news after the day we had today!

We were too busy to dwell but I did slow it down a couple times and look into Eric's eyes and say "hey, no cancer!". 

Constitution Run

 

The trail was tight and technical with rock crawling.  We were a group of 3 capable rigs.

Condo.

The views were stunning.

It took 3 hours of hard wheeling to get to this spot for lunch.

Both sides of Mt Washington.

Opps.  Another body bang.  Eric had to pry the door to allow the window up.  

Poor Oscar.

Why, yes, I am hoping he gets over this advanced trail stuff and settles down in the moderate realm.

Eric's list of projects is mounting.

My job is to keep his schedule free so he can get to it all.

Yesterday he was replacing the l.e.d. lights in the trailer dinette.  You don't replace a bulb, it's the whole unit.  So wasteful.  So, one burned out but you need to do both so they match.  Except ours were 2018 and we couldn't find a match.  I haven't gone to look yet.  I'm imagining there are marks of imperfection on the ceiling.  He ran out of crimping wire so he told me he needed to run to town.  He rarely tells me, I usually just here the car run out.  I grabbed shoes and went with him just to get out of the house.  Which meant lunch out.  Robert was taking Jia to her monthly Dr/therapy session so we invited them to join us for lunch after her appointment.  We're still just meeting him.  Jia is almost never home, they galavant.  They're still so happy together.  It's sweet.

Then it was time to pick up the boys.  Then it rained.

All to say, I didn't let the poor man get much done yesterday.

All the parts for Squirrel are here.  We are doing a beginner run on Saturday.  A large group run in a new area for us.  There is a slim chance Eric will have Squirrel ready for her debut.  Trying not to get too excited yet.

Today I'm going to a private clinic for tests re: the Tremfya program.  Then a dentist appointment.  So, not fun stuff today.

Colposcopy Day

 

I wore my anal cancer Badass shirt to visit the hospital today.  It did give a couple nurses a chuckle in the day surgery room.

Funny sidebar.  I have been finding it truely amazing how many people don't know their body parts.  Today I was sitting beside a gentleman waiting for his procedure to have a part of his prostate cut out because it's blocking his bladder.  He asked what I was doing.  I said biopsy on my cervix.  His wife read my shirt and told him what it said.  He doesn't know what the anus is but it sounds painful to him.  For real.  He's older than me and doesn't know what an anus is!  

Anyways.

I got in the room and the Dr doing the colposcopy is the one that did all my cervical cancer followup years ago.  So that was a fun and greatly appreciated surprise.  

I told her about the last gyno visit, tipped uterus, serious stenosis, need for a sedation exam.  It took a while.  She had to use extra supplies to hold things in place.  Then an emergency room disposable speculum because it has a light built into it.  The nurse was having to source the extra supplies.  

But....we got it done.

At one point I did ask if there were some acrobatic moves I could do to help the situation.  We all got a laugh or two.  

It was uncomfortable but not painful.  I'm to expect bleeding and cramping.  All good so far.

She will email the results in a month or so.  If clear, she will see me in a year for a repeat colposcopy and if not clear she will see me for treatment.  When I left she had fingers crossed, telling me she really hopes it's clear.  I said "me too! I'm a bit busy already with the anal cancer".  Then we both grimaced at each other.

Then we picked up the boys, grabbed a couple things at Walmart and got icecream at the Farmers Market.  Because I earned it today.  The boys and I had rootbeer flavor.  Yum.  Eric had cherry.

34th Anniversary

 

My Jeep Girl cup not only turns pink in the sun, it glows at night!  Fun little discovery in the trailer.

Eric set Kai and I up in the trailer to camp at Gordon Bay.

Mom and Poppy joined us and car camped.

We played two games of Nertz both with many, many rounds.  It's been a hot minute since I've played.  It was fun. Mom won both games.

We met Eric and Luk in Lake Cowichan Sunday for dinner.  Eric took both boys home.  Mom went home and I had an evening and next day to myself.

So quiet.  Very restorative.

Extremely refreshing to only think about yourself.

I listened to an entire book with only a couple interruptions.

Sketchy cell service but the odd call or text came through.  No data though.

I came home to quite a few messages to deal with.

For fun, a lab in Quebec who is handling the new drug protocols needs me to contact them so they can set up bloodwork in our area immediately.  I'll call them back tomorrow.  

Eric came back out for dinner today.  Our 34th Wedding Anniversary.  We had mushroom ravioli and cheesecake from Red's.  It froze well.  

Then we finished packing up and came home because the boys have school.  Except....they don't.  Sigh.  It's their school beach day that they're both skipping out of.  Fei and Lili are both home.  We could have stayed at Gordon Bay and come home tomorrow.  Arg.

Eric worked all weekend on the gate project.  They needed repairs, they're 22 years old.  The electric opener part is finally being added.  It took him a full day to cut a trench across the cement, run the conduit and patch it.  As ALWAYS, I had no clue the job was so involved.  It's going to be solar.  His head is full of details, amperage, solar panel size, batteries and how many, installation issues, where, how.  Key pad on the outside.  Nothing that Duncan's finest can reach to steal.

Squirrel sometimes doesn't like to start so he worked trying to figure that out.  Not solved yet.  Oscar got a new track bar installed.  I had no service so couldn't see the ring camera.  I had no clue which project he picked to work on.  I couldn't track his movements on the 360 app either.  It was weird having so little contact with home.  Nice too though.

I did meet with my pharmacist on Friday.  He was great.  Overwhelmed at first with my list.  He doesn't like me getting a new drug until I mentioned it specifically targets fistulas.  Then it was exciting because none of the other Chrones biologics help prevent fistula tracts. I have started the 12 week steroid program. I got two of the 5 vaccines requested. Pneumonia and tetanus.  I'm too young for the Pneumonia one but he felt there were enough compelling reasons for it and did the shot before confirming payment coverage. So much talk around funding.  The flu shot isn't available until Nov. I have to wait a week for the Covid shot.  The shingles one doesn't seem necessary to him and it isn't covered so he thought I might double check that one.  I suggested not wanting to go through shingles.  He chuckled, said compared to Chrones it was nothing.  Hmmm.  I don't know.  I've known a few people who definitely thought it hurt.