The Colonoscopy Outpatient Place; Nighty-Night.

Thursday, October 9, 2014. 

We arrived just before our appointment time, and waited a little while, then were called up to the receptionist's counter, and I filled out some papers. Then we were taken to the little room (Bill went in with me in the first little room). As we began the very short trek, the nurse said, "Prepare to stay for four hours!" Apparently the doctor was working on another patient, while I was filling out papers and answering questions to the woman who came in and asked me so many questions of my medical events, etcetera, then another one came in and asked me some more. After this one, Bill had to leave the room while I changed completely ~ not from Grannamae to a princess, but clothed to you-know what. 

When I was finished changing, Bill could come back in. The second girl had gone to get the paraphernalia for giving me anaesthesia. It really took quite a while for all of this, and then the doctor came in ask if I had any questions. I did have a few, he answered, seems very polite and knowledgeable. He left the room, and the woman called Sierra came in to roll my single little bed into the 'procedure room', and there was a lot MORE paraphernalia with thin tubes and other similar pieces. She wanted to find a place to prick with the needle for the 'nighty-night' medicine, and pricked the back of my left hand. Three little groans for those pricks, - it was awful! She took that one out, asked me to hold down the cotton, ran to get a bandaid, and so much for that hand. 

She took my right hand, poked around with her finger, 'slapped' my hand to make the veins or arteries stand out, and finally found a place by the knob on the outside of my wrist ~ oh, my gosh ~ THAT one hurt even more! Well, that one was a good place to put the 'nighty-night' kind of slightly thick liquid. I said to her that the needle felt thicker than the usual needle, and she said that the med is a  bit thicker. 

Then the other girl went on my left side while the one on the right was going to put it in, and the girl on the left was talking with me and I was talking with her, and I was, of course, looking at her face. We talked only about one minute or less, and her face began to get so blurry! All of a sudden, zing! - nothing after that.

The next thing I knew, was that Bill and one of the ladies were saying something, and Bill looked at me and said a couple of words, and I saw another lady or two. We were back in my cozy little room ~ they must have trolleyed my cot back into my room, and I didn't even know it! I would have liked the ride.  

The doctor came in and talked with us, showing me the eight little photos of what my colon looks like, told me that my whole colon has diverticulitis! No wonder I hadn't been feeling well for a few weeks! Because of that 'nighty-night' potion, I don't remember now very much of what the doctor said. He left the room to get on with his work.  

Finally after a couple of minutes, the nurses  said that I could get up and sit on the side of the bed. I did that, 'with a little help from my friends', and finally I was all right. Couldn't even remember any dreams, but I know that I had been very happy in 'that place'. They helped me to get down off the cot, and they all went out behind the curtain, while I put my garments back on. I was wobbly. I am so glad that I didn't fall down. I sat down on the chair, and put slacks on, then my shoes. The nurses talked with us for a few minutes, then it was time to go. It turned out to be quite a long time in there. 

Bill had to hold my hand because I was sincerely wobbly, like almost falling over. That potion was strong.  

We got out to the car, and he asked me if I needed anything from the grocery store; yes, I did, and I was really glad he asked. We went to the nearest Krogers, asked if I'd want to sit in the car, and I said no, that I thought I could manage standing up and walking. But he still had to hold my hand. When we got into the store, I could hang onto the cart. He fetched everything I needed (not very many items) and he took me home. He stayed for a little while to put a new battery in the smoke alarm, but the battery that I had was a very old battery. I didn't realize that.

He went to Rite Aid to get a new one. After he returned and put the battery in, he went home, very tired. My Hero.    

There you have it ~ another interesting (?) event in the life of Grannamae. I think that I have had enough of hospital 'events'.  

I'll see you at the Corner Post ...