the story of the mass discovery

This is how I ended up. On the evening of January 22, 2011, after 12 days of not pooping I did something about it. I had surgery and ended up like this. It wasn't planned surgery, and to tell you the truth, if I knew that this was going to be the outcome, I might not have done anything. But I did... and here is the story.

I had been to urgent care on January 13 after only 3 days of not pooping. I just knew something was wrong. In fact, when I met with the nurse (as well as the physician), I told them, "you are going to think I am crazy, but I think I have an obstruction". I got the run around about how I should keep trying the laxatives I was taking and Dr. H did order an x-ray. (results of the x-ray given to me over the phone by Dr. H: moderate amount of stool in the ascending colon) I listened to the doctor and spent that afternoon wondering why the laxatives I was taking were not working. I decided to step it up. Now, normally one of those teeny tiny little laxative pills is very decieving to me... they are actually a teeny tiny dynamite just waiting to cause hours of pain and suffering as well as an extended period of time on the pot... but this time... NOTHING! I continued to try and try and try...
The damage done: dulcolax pills (by the way, they do not give you gentle overnight relief), dulcolax suppositories, enemas, magnesium citrate (ok, only 3/4 of a bottle, but still!!!), senokot-s, MULTIPLE stool softeners, Miralax (oh, about 15 doses), mineral oil, karo syrup, metamucil, gas-x ( i was having severe gas pain), mcdonald's quarter pounder, pizza hut pizza, taco bell, little debbie oatmeal cream pies (always produced results before), coffee, hot tea, hot baths, a cigarette, colonic massage (seriously), prunes, fiber bars,...the list could go on.
I ended up calling urgent care back on January 18th. At this time it had been 8 days. Not too unheard of. But seriously... I knew something was not right. I asked for another x-ray, so that they would be able to compare. I needed some peace of mind... I needed to know that all the trouble and work that I was doing was paying off. I needed to know that my bowels were moving. I was granted the x-ray. The results given to me over the phone: moderate amount of stool in the colon.
Despite me practically begging (and getting a little short), they did not compare the x-rays, and once again, seemed to blow me off.
I had made an appointment with my family Doctor (Dr. L), who at this time is unemployed by me! I saw her on January 21, 2011.
This appointment went well (at least I thougth it was going well). She ordered another x-ray and did some labs. While I was running around getting this stuff done, all I was thinking to myself, was she would now realize there was a problem and fix me. Sadly, I was mistaken. I got the x-ray (which again she did not compare, even with me begging her), and I got the lab work done, and a lecture on how I needed to eat more fiber. WHAT? Was this a joke? I had eaten enough fiber and taken enough medications to be quite the bomb scare! I left there devastated. At this time... It had been 12 days since my last production...something was wrong.
Saturday, January 22nd around 6pm...we were at El Jimadors...one of my favorite places to eat. It is quick, it is good, and I just like it. I didn't like it this night. I wasn't feeling well, I mean come on... I hadn't pooped in 12 days. All I could think of while I sat there was that I wanted to run by walmart on the way home to purchase the entire stock of laxative supplies and take them all when I got home...this did not happen. I started to feel horrible and instead insisted on going home so I could lay down.
Back at the house: I was laying on the couch... my almost 2 year old jumping on my stomach while I was reading her books...I decided to call my friend up whose husband did me a favor and looked at my xrays...he told me to get to the ER.
I called my neighbor right away to see if she would come stay with my baby, who I had just laid down in bed. She was out to dinner with a friend. I called her daughter. She came instead. THANK GOD!
I picked up my crying baby, hugged her, and kissed on her and told her everything would be ok. Little did I know, this is how I would end up:




EMERGENCY EXPLORATORY SURGERY done sometime the morning of the 23rd. COLOSTOMY!!! APPENDIX OUT!!! MASS FOUND!!!

Not my idea of a good time.

The plus side:

I did not die. My daughter jumping on my abdomen could have killed me.

I now have a cool scar?

I save money on toilet paper...although these portable toilets attached to my stomach ain't cheap!

Did I mention I did not die...:)

Today was a good day, but tomorrow will be even better!