The Juicer and Smoothie Maker Are In For A Workout!

This time, a new obstruction started just 10 days after the last one.

Yesterday, I took the Prednisone down to 20 mg a little early (after 4 instead of 7 days on 30 mg), silly me. That’s all it took for the distention and pain to kick back in.

So I took a 60-mg pulse dose with lots of liquids. And Dave and I took a walk. This morning I took 40 mg again. I needed some painkillers last night and this morning, but this afternoon, things started feeling better again.

Well, relatively better.

I’ll be on liquids and very squishy foods for a while again. Lots of fresh fruit and veggie juice and smoothies. And I made some custard and pudding to have on hand.

And I have two MD appointments on Thursday – one with my family practice doctor, and one with my GI doctor. I want a plan for France, just in case it happens there. I imagine I’ll just need an ample supply of my usual remedies – Prednisone (steroid), Lortab liquid (narcotic painkiller), bisocodyl USP (gentle laxative, and Ondansetron (anti-nausea). I’m sure they have liquids and squishy foods in France, though I hear that’s not what they’re famous for.

That’s one thing that I think will be challenging on this trip. French food is one of the big things travellers look forward to experiencing. But a lot if it is way beyond the richness my body tolerates. My husband, Dave, has food issues as well, so we can share that challenge somewhat.

Some people gain weight in France from all of the yummy stuff to eat. I should fit right in, except I gained the weight from steroids before leaving. I fought some clothes that fit the bigger me. It's all good.

  

Fortunately, France has a lot of other stuff that’s cool. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Riviera – need I say more? Besides, we’ll get to see my Samuel face to face, give him a hug in person, hear his voice and see the places and people he loves. And we’ll see all of this with people we love. Zack, ShaNae and our baby granddaughter will be there to share it with us. We’ll build great memories and experience amazing things. There’s a lot more to France than food! Of course, I’ll probably beg Zack, ShaNae and Samuel to eat some really yummy stuff and tell me what it tastes like. Maybe I’ll even take a tiny bite and savor it. There’s no reason they can’t enjoy it. J

An X-ray of someone else whose capsules
got stuck, like mine did in 2004.

I have an appointment for the capsule endoscopy the week after we get back. They’re still figuring out the protocol for the capsule I have to take ahead of time to make sure the endoscopy camera capsule can travel all the way through without getting stuck, like two of them did in 2004, requiring surgical removal, along with 50 cm of intestine. So that date could change. But at least it’s progress.

So, the plan is to stay in one piece, as well as I can be, until after France. Then, I’m hoping to find out why this keeps happening and what we can do about it. Hopefully, the answer is NOT to slice me open again. That seems to always end badly.

The adventure continues.

Take care,

Beth