4 Rough Days...because more poop (ugh) * bad editing alert*

 These last few days have been rough in some strange ways. But I have realized a lot of good things and mainly confirmed that I do not want to live in Arizona. This feeling is based on the fact that  weather is pretty dull (warm and sunny) and all of the buildings look exactly the same.  I miss Colorado. I'm so sad it's snowing and I'm not there. I live-stream KDVR every morning only to watch the world's silliest newscast. I clearly belong in Colorado (in this life). 

I want to give a quick update of what Shawn and I have been up to this week. The days are much more busy than I can explain. I spend hours at the Envita clinic or at scans and x-rays and then I fall asleep dead tired. Of course, the emotions make everything a bit more intense. But, This week, God swept in and a lot was accomplished in a short amount of time.

I don't think it's news that I've been struggling with hip pain that we've been hoping to get rid of ASAP. Envita has a specialist that the office has been badgering to get an appointment for me. The doctor is a GI specialist who works with but not for Envita. He (Dr. Aga) is an interventional radiologist so many of my first needs will be covered by working with him. 

Before I could work with Dr. A, Envita needed to handle or alleviate the excruciating pain in my left hip (but there ar a few other places as well). Envita did a wonderful job of quickly getting me in with the pain specialists who put me on a routine of extended-release morphine along with oxycodone as needed. The first night or so, I felt much better.

 You might not know this...at least I didn't...that opioids make the taker VERY constipated - like immediately. Suddenly, I had terrible bowel pain (yep, back to the colon). I threw up and was really concerned. Shawn and I both were scared because the symptoms seemed so close to what had happened in the spring - before my blockages and surgery and covid. And we're in Arizona where we don't know anyone or hospitals and the thought of surgery brought me (not that I leave much) to my knees.

We began reaching out to everyone at Envita - explaining, asking a million questions. I have a "main nurse" named Alyssa. She is bright and committed and was all over the clinic asking for answers. Envita has this natural laxative-like (no stimulants) that Alyssa highly recommended as did my doctor. Honestly, I wanted to start downing miralax and be done with it. I mean, I'm a mom, I have battled constipation many times and no poop has gotten me yet.

But Alyssa and Dr P were adamant that taking stimulants on top of the opioids would only continue the problem. "You want to get back to normal and this medicine will allow that." Best part of this story is that the medicine's official name is POOP DOC. We had a very serious conversation using the term Poop Doc about 20-40 times. I almost wished someone would bring up my rectum again. 

OK, I'm getting tired and this is getting dull 😉 It turns out my bowel pain was caused by my ignoring my body and not "going" when I needed to. I found this out in the best way possible -last night,  the only people left in the clinic at 5:30pm were myself and the nurses. I was so tired, I just wanted to be done so I ignored the I felt a little sick to my stomach (also similar to potty pain). A sweet nurse came in and asked "how I was feeling." I said I was fine and proceeded to throw up all over myself, the infusion chair, the PEMF mat (I'll explain that later) and the floor. THREE TIMES.

Alyssa came running, my doctor (Dr. P) came running, my patient advocate came running. Shawn drove over quickly. By 6:15, things were being seriously sorted out. I have appointments up the wazoo. God sweptt in and is taking care of everything. 

These people want to keep me alive. They are treating me like a real patient and not someone "on her way out." I can feel it and I would write more, but I'm still exhausted from my two morning x-rays and my afternoon infusions. I will write this weekend. 

I miss my family and everyone in Colorado so much. 

Happy Feast of Our Lady Of Guadalupe tomorrow 

Jesus, I trust in You