The results.

I have IBS. Yes, that is the best case scenario if it had to be something, but I really would rather it be NOTHING. The endo is enough to deal with.
For now we are going to treat it with a high fiber diet and a fiber supplement (Fiber Sure-check it out if you don't get enough fiber in your diet. It rocks!)
It seems that the worst flair up I've had was because of stress. It was right around the time that I was trying to get the house stuff figured out, and then all of the other daily stuff on top of that sent my colon into overdrive.
See, we don't talk about stuff like this so we don't really know what's normal. I'll tell it like it is. Going to the bathroom once every five or six days IS NOT normal. That's my problem. So I don't go and don't go and don't go, then my colon goes into panic mode and starts spasming like crazy. That's where the intense pain was coming from. So then it's spasming like crazy and I go and I go and I go and it's just been a vicious cycle. I've been taking my supplement twice a day, eating Fiber One cereal (Caramel Delight-it's tasty!), and I've increased my fruit and vegetable intake. I'm feeling better, just a twinge of pain here and there.
Oh, and my second pap came back normal. So YAY for that!

I suppose it could have been worse...

I got home Thursday with just enough time to deal with the dogs, Swiffer the floors and clean the kitchen before I had to start drinking the "stuff". Let me tell you something: NOTHING will ever prepare you for how awful that stuff REALLY is. My piece of advice to you-DO NOT add a flavor pack. The stuff is bad enough on it's own, and that flavor crap just makes it worse. When I took my first drink, I was NOT expecting what I got. I thought it was going to be sweet, like cherry flavored Kool-Aid or something. WRONG. It's salty. Like water from the ocean salty. I don't do salt. I don't salt my food and I don't like salt on the rim of my margarita glass. So, add the saltiness to the nasty fake cherry flavoring and you have a disaster on your hands. THEN, you look at the jug in the fridge to see how much more of that crap you have to choke down. You're only six ounces in and there's no end in sight. I stood in front of the sink for the first three glasses because as soon as I took that straw out of my mouth I would gag uncontrollably. Then I remembered that trick we used to do when we were kids and had to eat stuff like broccoli and cauliflower. I started holding my nose! It worked, but as soon as I let go I could taste it, so then I would immediately take a drink of Gatorade or a bite of Jell-O to mask the taste of it. That was definitely the way to go.
It starts working about an hour after you start drinking. And then it keeps working. And keeps working more after that even. By 9:00 pm I was so exhausted I turned the TV off (missed the last half of Grey's Anatomy,*GASP*, I know!) and was up about every two hours to head to the bathroom. When you head to the store to get the stuff you're allowed to eat (read: drink), don't forget to pick up some "personal" wipes. Isn't that what they call baby wipes that are made for adults? Your hiney will thank you, A LOT.

The pills kicked in about an hour ago.

I'll spare you the details, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but I know the really bad stuff starts tonight at 5:00 when I get home and have to start drinking the "Halflytely". It comes with three different flavor packs, lemon lime, orange and cherry. I went with cherry and I have a feeling I am going to regret that decision as I may have an aversion to all things cherry after this. That's what happened with raspberry when I had my tonsils out in 1995. They gave me a Rx for liquid demerol and you're suppose to dilute it in water and drink it. Well, let me tell you that stuff is AWFUL so I started mixing it with some Crystal Light raspberry drink mix. To this day I cannot stomach the taste or smell of anything raspberry flavored.
Wanna see what you can "consume" (read: drink) the day before a colonoscopy?
Broth (fat free)
Bouillon
Sprite, 7-up, Ginger ale
Coffee, regular or decaf (nothing dairy in it, though)
Fruit Juices (strained)
Jell-O (no red)
Popsicles (no red)
Tea
Gatorade/Powerade (no red)
Avoid cream soups or any liquid with pulp.
Avoid any kind of ice cream or sherbert.
Now do you see why I'm so damn hungry I could chew my arm off??
I'm going to head home to get a few things done before I have to start drinking that crap. I won't be around a computer for at least a couple of days since I'm still residing in the 19th century and don't have internet access at home.
Wish me luck!

Bouillon sucks

And I'm still hungry.

Well, here it goes.

I just took the first step in prepping for my colonoscopy tomorrow. That first step consists of taking two Bisacodyl tablets. I'm not looking forward to today even a little. I'm starving and can only have clear liquids. :-|
I had an orange jello for breakfast (my favorite is cherry and strawberry, but you can't have anything red-SUCK!) and now I'm working on a cup of decaf from Starbucks. Can I just tell you how hard it was not being able to order my decaf grande iced Americano?
I searched and searched for information on what exactly I could expect from this prep, the procedure itself and for what to expect after the procedure. There's nothing out there. It's like they want to keep it a big secret or something. So, at the risk of embarrassing myself, I'm going to be totally candid here for the next two days. Sure, I might humiliate myself with the details, but if anyone out there goes searching for information, maybe they'll happen upon this blog and won't be so in the dark about it all.

I have a lot on my mind

But really don't have anything to say.

Huh.

I'm having a hard time believing it.

Another friend from high school died yesterday following a motorcycle accident. He leaves behind a 10 year old son, and numerous friends and family. He was an organ donor, so many lives were saved because he died. But it doesn't make it any better.

Please pray for Bear's (James) family and friends as they go through the next few days of planning a funeral, and for the next few weeks/months/years as they process their loss.