July 31, 2017 - Barium Enema:
Surprisingly, the prep (clear liquid diet the day before along with two bottles of magnesium citrate and two dulcolax pills) didn't put me in the bathroom that much. In fact, I had some formed stool in the morning before my appointment. It still make my stomach hurt though.
They took an initial x-ray to make sure my bowels were clean enough for my procedure. I had a lot of stool in my bowels, so the tech had to get the PA. Thankfully, the PA also has Crohn's disease and didn't want to make me reschedule and reprep unless it was absolutely necessary. He talked with me to determine why I was there and what we're looking for. He consulted with his supervisor, the practicing physician, and they decided to remix the barium into a thinner consistency to give it a better chance of finding any abnormal pathways.
Typically the tech would insert the enema tip, but because I have a stricture and considered to be a "special" case, the MD wanted to do it (she was in dress clothes, not scrubs, so I don't think she usually has to do barium enemas). Since my bowels weren't empty, they didn't use air like they usually would.
The barium enema was very uncomfortable and it felt like I was going to shit all over them. The barium leaked a little, but the PA assured me that it was nothing to be embarrassed about. They have 90 year old men that shit the table all the time. The whole thing was a traumatizing and felt somewhat like an out-of-body experience.
After the MD signed off on the images and said I was done, the PA (the one with Crohn's) came into the room and let me know he isn't supposed to say anything, but he wanted me to know they didn't see any abnormal pathways. Seriously, I've never felt as well cared for as the team at SimonMed made me feel. While this seems like good news, it does not provide answers to my symptoms.
July 31, 2017 - Gastro Office Appointment:
I got the official results of the barium enema, which did not show any abnormal pathways. How the heck are feces getting into my urinary tract?? The Doc gave me a list of shit I have to get done. More on that later.
August 7, 2007 - MR Entorography (MRI of Small Bowel)
Since the Barium Enema only looks at the large intestine, my gastro ordered an MRI to look at the small intestine to see if maybe that's where the issue is coming from. I had this done a few years ago; however, it was a lot different this time around. I had to drink three 16oz. of barium (1 of 15 minutes) before the exam. The barium was new and improved from last time. It tasted better and was easier to get down than I remember, but it still made me nauseous.
Once the nurse (Juan) called me back to get my IV hooked up as I finished my last glass of barium, he complimented me on finishing the barium and mentioned that most patients can't drink them all. Hell, I didn't want to drink them all, I thought I had to. Had I known I could cheat on drinking all the barium, that would have been tempting.
The last time I had this done, they made me lay on my back on put me in the MRI machine feet first so that my head didn't go in the machine. This time around, they made me lay on my stomach (the radiologist explained that we want the bowels to move as little as possible and it helps to lay on them to minimize movement) and put me in *GASP* HEAD FIRST!!!! It was fucking terrifying!!!
I put in earplugs. They put some kind of temporary gastro paralysis in my IV that lasts for 30-45 minutes to slow the bowels. There was a huge strap the size of my back that hooked on each side of the table to secure me in tightly. The radiologist put the emergency ball in my hand (to squeeze if I need help or freak out) and started moving the table... which made me go head first into the fucking MRI machine. I can't remember the last time I was that afraid. At first I kept my eyes closed. My chest was tight, it was hard to breathe, and I felt like I was gasping for air. I was tempted to squeeze emergency ball, but somehow I found the strength not to. In that moment, I told myself that I wanted the chance to get answers more than I wanted safety (outside the MRI machine in an open room).
Tears slipped onto my check when I decided to open my eyes. I was somewhat relieved to find that the back of the MRI machine has a hole in it, so I could see the wall and a light in the distance. Still freaky, but better than it would have been had it been completely enclosed. It took about 45 minutes to go through a series of breath holds. Holding your breath as they take images also minimized movement. Afterward, the radiologist complimented me on how well I followed instructions and that made her job easy.
Before I left SimonMed, I went to the bathroom. I had very obvious symptoms of fecal matter in my urine and I passed gas out of my urethra. I'm hopeful the barium passed through whatever pathway it needed to in order to show up on the images.
I got a call today (08.09.17) from SimonMed asking me to come back in for "additional views". I'm going back on Friday the 11th. They couldn't tell me specifics because they are not allowed to allude to any diagnosis, but the lady did say they want to image lower into the pelvic region. Since it sounds like they didn't take images of that region before, the reason for additional views cannot be because of poor images from the first appointment. Perhaps they saw something and want narrow in on it...but that still doesn't make sense if they didn't take images of that region before. My mind is racing wondering if they found something, anything that might help explain my symptoms.
The bad news is that I have to conquer that damn MRI machine again. What's worse, a barium enema or a MRI where you go in head first? I don't know if I can answer that as they both seem like the same level of hell to me.
Showing posts with label barium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barium. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Crohn's is Back!
I have not been looking forward to writing this post. I kept postponing it in the hopes symptoms would cease. Crohn's is back! There we go, I said it. While my doctors never said I was in remission, I was doing extremely well and it certainly felt like Crohn's was in remission. For the past few weeks, I've been experiencing blood and mucus in my stool along with going to the bathroom more frequently. Occasional pain, but thankfully the pain has been manageable. Fatigue is showing its ugly head. Tiredness is haunting me. Running is hard.
The scariest part for me are the new symptoms I am also experiencing. I've been passing fecal matter in my urine and passing gas through my urethra. SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT!!! What if the good days are over? I am going to be astonished if this does not require surgery.
I saw my colorectal specialist on Friday. Although I didn't get any answers, we did make a plan. I'm going to be scheduling a colonoscopy with my gastro so that we can take a better look at the active disease and then use the findings to discuss and re-evaluate medication options. I'm also going to be scheduling a barium enema with my colorectal specialist where we will use the contrast in the barium to see the structure of my large intestine on x-rays where we're looking for abnormalities like fistulas leading into my urethra.
A lot of my running friends have science backgrounds, so it's nice to get input from them. I have been very open about Crohn's with my new friends, which is liberating and terrifying at the same time. My friends, new and old, have been amazingly supportive and understanding. I am beyond grateful for the people in my life that care about me and motivate me to seek answers. A newer friend offered to go with me to appointments and I think I'm going to take her up on it once I schedule my colonoscopy and barium enema. Someone thought I had lost 15 lbs. in the past two weeks. Even though I haven't been weighing myself regularly, I think I've only lost 5 - 7 lbs. and I don't think it's that obvious I have lost weight.
I'll keep you posted...
The scariest part for me are the new symptoms I am also experiencing. I've been passing fecal matter in my urine and passing gas through my urethra. SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT!!! What if the good days are over? I am going to be astonished if this does not require surgery.
I saw my colorectal specialist on Friday. Although I didn't get any answers, we did make a plan. I'm going to be scheduling a colonoscopy with my gastro so that we can take a better look at the active disease and then use the findings to discuss and re-evaluate medication options. I'm also going to be scheduling a barium enema with my colorectal specialist where we will use the contrast in the barium to see the structure of my large intestine on x-rays where we're looking for abnormalities like fistulas leading into my urethra.
A lot of my running friends have science backgrounds, so it's nice to get input from them. I have been very open about Crohn's with my new friends, which is liberating and terrifying at the same time. My friends, new and old, have been amazingly supportive and understanding. I am beyond grateful for the people in my life that care about me and motivate me to seek answers. A newer friend offered to go with me to appointments and I think I'm going to take her up on it once I schedule my colonoscopy and barium enema. Someone thought I had lost 15 lbs. in the past two weeks. Even though I haven't been weighing myself regularly, I think I've only lost 5 - 7 lbs. and I don't think it's that obvious I have lost weight.
I'll keep you posted...
Friday, November 20, 2015
The MRI
I know this post is super delayed, but I have been busy surviving.
Once I checked in at the imaging place on Friday morning, I had to drink three bottles of barium. It tasted like cold, chalky fake-grape liquid. Thankfully, it didn't make me gag and I was able to finish each bottle in the time limit I was given, 15 minutes for each bottle. By the time I was on my third bottle there were about 15 other people in the waiting room and I was the only one that had to drink the barium.
The nice MRI Tech, Lisa, called me back. On our walk to the room she said this is the most complicated MRI. She asked if I had anything metal on and I didn't, so I was able to wear my clothes. When we got to the room, she asked me to climb onto the table. She then had me lay down and slide to a certain point on the table. Lisa strapped some kind of foam thing with holes in it that was attached to the table over my abdomen. She tried for an IV in my right arm, but my vein collapsed. Thankfully, it didn't hurt or bruise. She was able to get the IV going in my left arm. Finally, she injected something that slowed my bowels down for 30 minutes. She let me know this injection is the reason we have to work fast through the breath holds and get started quickly. She gave me a "help-ball" to hold onto to squeeze if I needed anything. She left the room and my table began to slide into the MRI tube. Once in the tube I got a sudden urge to pee, so I squeezed the help-ball to tell Lisa. She was nice and came rushing in to unstrap me from the table, but told me to run and hurry because we are on a time crunch. I peed so much! Oh all the while I'm holding my IV up with one arm. How did all that liquid get inside me? I awkwardly washed my one hand and I went running back to the MRI room where Lisa quickly strapped me back in. Although I did peek a few times I was more comfortable keeping my eyes closed. The whole MRI was a series of breath holds. I would hear Lisa in my head phones, "Take a deep breath and hold your breath." Then a bunch of racket would go on for 30 seconds and I would hear Lisa say, "Breathe."
Toward the end with only three breath holds left I squeezed the help ball again because I really, really had to pee... again. Lisa told me through the head phones that we were almost done and there wasn't any time to let me out to pee. I wasn't even embarrassed when I peed myself a little during the next breath hold. I squeezed the help ball to tell Lisa and she told me it was okay. I mean it was kind of her fault because she didn't let me out after I warned her. After the MRI was over, she quickly came in the room to unstrap me from the table and to take out my IV. Lisa hinted that I might have some bladder issues going on. As soon as she said I was free to go I rushed to the bathroom. I peed and peed and just when I thought I was still peeing I realized I was also shitting very liquid diarrhea that sounded like peeing.
It's been a week since the MRI and I feel like I am still recovering from the MRI. This weekend, I'll blog about the after effects of that damn barium that I had to drink and the MRI results. You know the results aren't good when the doctor personally calls you to discuss them.
Once I checked in at the imaging place on Friday morning, I had to drink three bottles of barium. It tasted like cold, chalky fake-grape liquid. Thankfully, it didn't make me gag and I was able to finish each bottle in the time limit I was given, 15 minutes for each bottle. By the time I was on my third bottle there were about 15 other people in the waiting room and I was the only one that had to drink the barium.
The nice MRI Tech, Lisa, called me back. On our walk to the room she said this is the most complicated MRI. She asked if I had anything metal on and I didn't, so I was able to wear my clothes. When we got to the room, she asked me to climb onto the table. She then had me lay down and slide to a certain point on the table. Lisa strapped some kind of foam thing with holes in it that was attached to the table over my abdomen. She tried for an IV in my right arm, but my vein collapsed. Thankfully, it didn't hurt or bruise. She was able to get the IV going in my left arm. Finally, she injected something that slowed my bowels down for 30 minutes. She let me know this injection is the reason we have to work fast through the breath holds and get started quickly. She gave me a "help-ball" to hold onto to squeeze if I needed anything. She left the room and my table began to slide into the MRI tube. Once in the tube I got a sudden urge to pee, so I squeezed the help-ball to tell Lisa. She was nice and came rushing in to unstrap me from the table, but told me to run and hurry because we are on a time crunch. I peed so much! Oh all the while I'm holding my IV up with one arm. How did all that liquid get inside me? I awkwardly washed my one hand and I went running back to the MRI room where Lisa quickly strapped me back in. Although I did peek a few times I was more comfortable keeping my eyes closed. The whole MRI was a series of breath holds. I would hear Lisa in my head phones, "Take a deep breath and hold your breath." Then a bunch of racket would go on for 30 seconds and I would hear Lisa say, "Breathe."
Toward the end with only three breath holds left I squeezed the help ball again because I really, really had to pee... again. Lisa told me through the head phones that we were almost done and there wasn't any time to let me out to pee. I wasn't even embarrassed when I peed myself a little during the next breath hold. I squeezed the help ball to tell Lisa and she told me it was okay. I mean it was kind of her fault because she didn't let me out after I warned her. After the MRI was over, she quickly came in the room to unstrap me from the table and to take out my IV. Lisa hinted that I might have some bladder issues going on. As soon as she said I was free to go I rushed to the bathroom. I peed and peed and just when I thought I was still peeing I realized I was also shitting very liquid diarrhea that sounded like peeing.
It's been a week since the MRI and I feel like I am still recovering from the MRI. This weekend, I'll blog about the after effects of that damn barium that I had to drink and the MRI results. You know the results aren't good when the doctor personally calls you to discuss them.
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