17 days and counting

The past couple of days, I've been praying that all stays quiet inside. And that nothing I eat and drink will get stuck on its way through.

The endoscopy capsule, and what's left of the patency capsule, are both still deep inside.

I have an appointment for Dr. Radwin to perform a double-balloon antegrade enteroscopy with jejunal stricture dilation. 

January 8, 2013.

That's 17 days away. 

If I have an obstruction between now and then I should go to the emergency room, they told me. Hmmmm. I hope that's not how we spend our holiday. I hate ruining everyone's fun -- and mine, too.

Dr. Radwin's scheduler did place me at the top of a waiting list, just in case someone else needs to cancel. And of course, others scheduled for the procedure  need it, too, or they wouldn't be on the schedule. And I get the idea that the time slots when Dr. Radwin's double-balloon enteroscopies are few. Physicians who regularly perform procedures have clinic days and procedure days. So he doesn't do them every day that he works. And his scheduler said the double-balloon enteroscopies are always scheduled last on procedure days, since the time they will take is unpredictable.

If I get a spot before the end of the year, I'll be greatful for more than one reason.  Of course, the sooner the capsules are retrieved, the lower chance that one of them will get lodged in the narrow stricture causing a small bowel obstruction. That would be an emergency that might not have another treatment choice other than emergency bowel resection -- what Dr. Cutler described as to "clip out" that diseased section and rejoin the healthier ends. 

Eventually I may have to do that anyway. But I prefer not to have emergency surgery. I'd like the dilation Dr. Radwin will perform, if the stricture responds well, to buy me more time and less pain. Then if surgery is needed, it can be scheduled and planned for.

One more reason I'd like the procedure before December 31. I've more than met my insurance deductible and out-of-pocket maximum for 2012. January 1, 2013 starts a new plan year. Starting over with a new deductible (higher than it was for 2012, of course).  The difference is thousands of dollars. Sigh.

Enough whining.

So far, I'm not in pain. My diet is limited to squishiness with ultra-thorough chewing. But no sign of obstruction since the day of the X-ray.

Meanwhile, I intend to enjoy sharing the holidays with my family. 

Happy holidays to you, too!

Beth