Posted on April 14, 2010 by sonjabarrie

So today I am feeling a bit "drained", drinking a gallon of foul lemony/salty fluid starting at 4:30 am is enough to make you vomit (but I was a good girl and didn't) but certainly did the trick with cleaning out my whole system!

The day didn't start well, it took them 4 tries in 4 different places to get the IV drip in. The first time the back of my hand the vein took a curve and the needle couldn't go round the corner, the second time further up the arm she missed the vein all together.  A different nurse came in and gave it a stab (every pun intended!), she punctured the vein in the crook of my arm so had to go and have a try with my left arm.  She couldn't find a straight vein in the back of my hand so went further up my arm and after making me shout out loud with pain managed to get the needle in. What a palaver, apparently my low blood pressure and the fact that I was really cold made my veins collapse. C'est la vie

My report after the procedure states that I have a "very tortuous colon, esp the sigmoid colon. Also the colon was redundant" What on earth…..?  I found out what the sigmoid was by a quick Google search and it just means its 'S' shaped and at the end of the colon and can get it's knickers in a twist.  But a 'redundant colon'?  sounds like a contradiction in terms, one would think you needed a colon so how can it be redundant? Here's what Wiki says:

Redundant colon

One variation on the normal anatomy of the colon occurs when extra loops form, resulting in a longer than normal organ. This condition, referred to as redundant colon, typically has no direct major health consequences, though rarely volvulus occurs resulting in obstruction and requiring immediate medical attention. A significant indirect health consequence is that use of a standard adult colonoscope is difficult and in some cases impossible when a redundant colon is present, though specialized variants on the instrument (including the pediatric variant) are useful in overcoming this problem.

 

It appears the 'extra' length of colon can twist about itself and form loops which then really cause problems.  I was told after the procedure that they asked me during the procedure whether I wanted to get an anesthetist as apparently I was making pain like noises.  They give you something to make you 'sleepy', shoot I didn't get to sleep the night before till 1:30 am and the alarm went off at 4:30 am. I think I could have slept through anything and apparently did because I have no recollection what so ever of them asking me that.  I must teach my brain to say yes as he told me I said no. Go figure!

Here's some pictures for those of you who are geeky like me and what to know the how and why of everything:

A Normal colon

A Redundant colon

One of these days something is going to be 'normal' with me but somehow I doubt it.

And did I mention I had a dentist appointment at 9 am this morning? So now my bowels are full of the gas they pump in and my tooth is full of filling, just another day in weirdsville.

No peace for the wicked I tell ya!