The hour is drawing near.
That sounds ominous but I feel a bit ominous as I have a colonoscopy next week. Last year, my gastroenterologist agreed to give me one more year to have a colonoscopy since I was doing well and not having flares or symptoms of my ulcerative colitis. Well, as much as I've wanted to hide, that year has arrived and the DR office sent a letter reminding me to set up a time to come in for the lovely procedure. I chucked that letter in the trash. Then another one came a month letter with a handwritten note from my DR himself....and signed it with his first name. If that doesn't tell you he's serious, then I don't know what does. I begrudgingly called and set up a time to get the procedure done.
Now....what's a little nerve-wracking (other than drinking that nasty stuff that makes you get the runs for several hours to clean you out... and not being able to eat for HOURS....and having a scope up your ass) is that this is the first colonoscopy I have had while not being on a medication. This will truly be a testament whether or not my gluten-free and largely paleo diet is, in fact, effective. I'm also nervous because I know my buddy, Lee (GI doc), will want to talk with me about my refusal to take the drugs he's prescribed for 'maintenance'. He's very pro drugs and has more than once told me not to even mess with holistic healing. Having said that, I feel he does care about me and my well-being. He has worked diligently with me for the past 4+ years to get me to a point where I wasn't doubling over from abdominal pain, and having so much blood in my stool that I became anemic. Luckily, that period only lasted that first year that I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Since then I haven't had a flare or severe symptoms. Only occasional and insignificant symptoms that usually happen after I've consumed gluten or refined sugar.
When you know better, you do better. And I'm hoping this colonoscopy will show my GI that I know what I'm doing..... or perhaps it will prove the opposite.
To be continued after December 4th.
