Colonoscopy
Dear Family and Friends,
Welcome to this week's "Thoughtlet."
These words are my personal diary and a weekly review of ideas,
beliefs, thoughts, or words that will hopefully be of some
benefit to you: my children, my family, and my friends.
"Monday morning at 8:00 AM Andrea drove me to Katy Memorial
Hospital. I was admitted, undressed, and in a hospital bed
by 9:30 with a needle in a blood vessel in my right hand so
they could easily administer the anesthesia. And I had read
a couple of chapters of my most recently acquired book,
`Power to the People,' by Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran (0508.html),
the energy editor for The Economist who interviewed me a few
weeks ago before they were ready for me. They put my clothes
and book under the rolling bed, rolled me into a room, and I
talked to the two nurses. One was from Poland, and made sure
that I knew she had been in Katy before Dr. Janecki arrived.
The other one has been doing this for 16 years, and I thought
about when she started in 1989 and what I was doing back then.
Dr. Andrzej J. Janecki arrived at 10:15. He is very thorough.
I had the feeling he did not like me talking and asking
questions about his and his nurses origin's in Poland.
Especially when she mentioned where her father was from and
he replied. He gave me a description of what he was going
to do, including the fact they were going to put me to sleep,
and that is all I remember. When I got back to the room
they showed me some photos they had taken, and I had my
digital camera so I could take pictures of this type of
data and include it in the Thoughtlet. Maybe it was the
anesthesia, or maybe it was the spirit which caused a stupor
of thought (D&C 9:9), but whatever the case I forgot to
pull out the camera and so now you don't have a photo of
what actually is up my rectum. The bottom line is I had
2 polyps which they removed, and I will learn what the
biopsy says about them in a couple of weeks.
What this means to the six of you who carry my genes is that
you need to have a colonoscopy when you are 45, and you need
to repeat this every five years thereafter. This is a
hereditary trait, and is the leading cause of cancer outside
of smoking generated lung cancer. Since THIS IS IMPORTANT,
I will type out the document they provided describing the
procedure:
<![CDATA[ `Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy is the visual examination of the large intestine
(colon) using a lighted, flexible fiber optic or video endoscope.
The colon begins in the right-lower abdomen and looks lie a big
question mark as it moves and (sic) around the abdomen, ending
in the rectum. It is 5 to 6 feet long. The colon has a number
of functions including withdrawing water from the liquid stool
that enters it so that a formed stool is produced.
Equipment
The flexible colonoscope is a remarkable piece of equipment
that can be directed and moved around the many bends in the
colon. These colonscopes now come in two types. The original
purely fiber optic instrument has a flexible bundle of fibers
that collects the lighted image to the eye piece. The newer
video endoscopes us (sic) a tiny, optically sensitive computer
chip at the end. Electronic signals are that (sic) transmitted
up the scope to a computer which displays the image on a large
video screen. An open channel in these scopes allows other
instruments to be passed through in order to perform biopsies,
remove polyps or inject solutions.
Reasons for the Exam
There are may (sic) types of problems that can occur in the
colon. The medical history, physical exam, laboratory tests
and x-rays can provide information useful in making a diagnosis.
Directly viewing the inside of the colon by colonscopy is
usually the best exam. Colonoscopy is used for:
- Colon cancer - a serious but highly curable malignancy
- Polyps - fleshy tumors which usually are the forerunners of
colon cancer
- Colitis (Ulcerative or Crohn's) - chronic, recurrent
inflammation of the colon
- Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis - pockets along the
intestinal wall that develop over time and can become infected
- Bleeding lesions - bleeding may occur from different points in
the colon
- Abdominal symptoms, such as pain or discomfort, particularly
if associated with weight loss or anemia
Preparation
To obtain the full benefits of the exam, the colon must be clean
and free of stool The patient receives instructions on how to
do this. It involves drinking a solution which flushes the
colon clean or taking laxatives and enemas. Usually the patient
drinks only clear liquids and eats not (sic) food for the day
before the exam. The physician advises the patient regarding
the use of regular medications during that time.
The Procedure
Colonoscopy is usually performed on an outpatient basis. The
patient is mildly sedate, the endoscope is inserted through the
anus and moved gently around the bends of the colon. If a polyp
is encountered, a thin wire snare is used to lasso it.
Electrocautery (electric heat) is applied to painlessly remove it.
Other tests can be performed during colonoscopy, including biopsy
to obtain a small tissue specimen for microscopic analysis.
The procedure takes 15- (sic) to 30 minutes and is seldom
remembered by the sedated patient. A recovery are (sic) is
available to monitor vital signs until the patient is fully
awake. It is normal to experience mild cramping or abdominal
pressure following the exam. This usually subsides in an hour
or so.
Results
After the exam, the physician explains the finding to the
patient and family. If the effects of the sedatives are
prolonged, the physician may suggest an appointment at a later
date. If a biopsy has been performed or a polyp removed, the
results of these are not available for three to seven days.
Benefits
A colonoscopy is performed to identify and/or correct a problem
in the colon. The test enables a diagnosis to be made and
specific treatment can be given. If a polyp is found during the
exam, it can usually be removed at that time, eliminating the
need for a major operation later. If a bleeding site is
identified, treatment can be administered to stop the bleeding.
Other treatments can be given through the endoscope when necessary.
Alternative Testing
Alternative tests to colonoscopy include a barium enema or other
types or x-ray exams that outline the colon and allow a
diagnosis to be made. Study of the stools and blood can provide
indirect information about a colon condition. These exams,
however, do not allow direct viewing of the colon, removal of
polyps, or the completion of biopsies.
Side Effects and Risks
Bloating and distention typically occur for about an hour after
the exam until the air is expelled. Serious risks with
colonoscopy, however, are uncommon. Once (sic) such risk is
excessive bleeding, especially with removal of a large polyp.
In rare instances, a tear in the lining of the colon can occur.
These complications may require hospitalization and, rarely,
surgery. Quite uncommonly a diagnostic error or oversight may
occur.
Due to the mild sedation, the patient should not drive or (sic)
operate machinery following the exam. For this reason, someone
must be available to drive the patient home.
Summary
Colonscopy is an outpatient exam that is performed with the
patient lightly sedated. The procedure provides significant
information used to determine which specific treatment will
be given. In certain cases, therapy can be administered
directly through the endoscope. Serious complications rarely
occur from colonoscopy. The physician can answer any questions
(sic) the patient has.']]>
My number on my bracelet was 37715037-5077, in case any of you
ever need this information. There was one very disconcerting
element to the visit. It turns out, in addition to finding
two polyps, I have Diverticulosis, which if it is not take care
of can become Diverticulitis. The reason this is disconcerting
is that it means I am not suppose to eat popcorn anymore, and I
really, really, really, really like eating popcorn at movies.
Oh well! Guess I'm old enough to accept I am a Grandpa.
Actually, being a Grandpa is the good part about being old.
As far as my week went, I was only in the office three days,
because Good Friday is a company holiday, and it still seemed
like an extra long week. Between work on Gulf of Mexico tiles,
including a lunch with Sam LeRoy to hone our strategy, working
with Christian Singfield on his digital imaging of cuttings,
talking to Luis Vertel about Mexico, working on the data from
China, talking to Jialin almost every night, getting the
logistics set for the trip to China, including buying tickets
for Sara Ellyn, Sarah Nemec, Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Luana Warner,
putting posters together for Mike Dunn to take to Algeria,
creating AVO amplitude extractions for a set of data from
a big oilfield in China, going to the temple on Tuesday night
with Andrea, talking to Rob a couple of times, coordinating
Tony Traweek's work Tuesday and Wednesday night, and working
late with Tony on Wednesday night it seemed like the three
days I was in the office were more like 3 weeks. Oh well!
Maybe part of it was recovery from the colonoscopy.
It was a good week from several standpoints. First, Andrea
and Matt and I did several things together, which we don't
do often enough. The three of us spent most of Friday in
the yard. The leaves in front are raked again (14 bags
worth this time). Andrea cleaned out all of the beds in
front and put down mulch and planted new azaleas and other
plants. We were all definitely tired by the time we quit on
Friday afternoon. In fact, I still get tired writing about it.
Second, I went to five movies, and I do enjoy going to movies,
even though it was hard to do without any popcorn because of
the results of the colonoscopy. Matt and I went to see the
Aviator on Thursday evening at Katy Mills AMC Theater. He
had seen it in Utah, and it was nice to have someone to go
with me. Although, I was surprised by the theme, and was
not sure it was all something I liked Matt to see and think
about a second time. Oh well! It really struck me in the
movie how well the captured the entrepreneurial characteristic
of immediately moving on to the next project, as the previous
project is coming to completion, i.e. `the next big thing is
to put jet engines on commercial airplanes.' Andrea and I
went down to Westchase Tinsletown and watched `Bride and
Prejudice,' an India love story, and `Saints and Soldiers,'
a Mormon World War II epic. Then on Saturday afternoon
Matt joined us for `The Pacifier,' and then Andrea and I went
back to see `Miss Congeniality 2' in the evening. None of
these movies are grandkid movies. Surprisingly `The Pacifier'
was probably the most fun. `Miss Congeniality 2' was better
done, but there was a bunch of needless homosexual content.
`Saints and Soldiers' has a real good message about war,
which is very relevant to our times. `The Aviator' is a
very good movie, about a very flawed and very talented
individual. And `Bride and Prejudice' is just fun, with
a refreshingly candid look at India. In other words, they
are all movies I recommend for my kids. I just think
Grandkids under 14 can do a lot better playing outside or
with lego than they can watching this particular set of movies.
Third, Matt took a Kayak and Andrea and I took a canoe and we
went around the 10 km river loop at Columbus. Matt was in a
great big hurry, and we made the mistake of trying to keep up
with him to start with. But when we got to Cummings Creek,
we went back up in and enjoyed the quiet of the trees and the
birds and the cows and the river. The river was very high,
at 15 feet. In fact, the reason we went Saturday instead of
Friday is that it was 16 feet high on Friday and that is too
high for people to be on the water. Matt lost his shoes in
the mud disembarking, and even though he got them back he was
sure they were ruined. We stopped and spend some time with
Ken at the Turner - Chapman Gallery. Then we went over to
Schobels and had a nice country lunch. It was a very nice
day. I wish all of you could have been with us. Maybe you
can at some next time?
Fourth, Marc Roulston has solved my disk space issue on the
Sun workstation that is the Walden 3-D web server. Instead
of needing to delete files and move things around to make
space, there is now 21,588 MB of unused space, broken up as
748MB +33MB + 215MB + 224MB + 476MB + 6,823MB + 788MB +
1,175MB + 333MB + 288MB + 10,485MB. Next is to get it so
I can directly connect the PC to the Sun through Samba, and
then to add the ability to read and write CD's, and then we
will replace the Sun with Linux, and then we will add a PC
and/or a new Mac to the network, and then I'll still be broke.
Oh well! We made a big step this week, a step that has taken
about 2 years to get to.
Fifth, I wrote five possible stanzas for Prime Words this
week. That always means I was enjoying what was going on:
<![CDATA[ `Work by the sweat of our brow
Eat in order to be able to work
Love life and enjoy the now
Repeat an integrate the perks' (a)
(a) 24 Mar 2005, `Eat, Love, Repeat' was on an avocado
advertisement on KILT, a Houston country and western
radio station. `Work to eat' instead of `eat to work'
is part of the Project Mind philosophy.
`Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how light gets in (b)
That's how God's love can sing'
(b) Andrew Sullivan, quoting a Leonard Cohen song in the
Time Magazine Essay, `When Grace Arrives Unannounced,'
Time Magazine, page 80, 28 Mar 05, written 25 Mar 05.
`Take the sacrament each week
Remember His suffering for us
Keep His commandments and seek
To love as He loves us' (c)
(c) From Mark Beckstrom's thoughts about `Take (red), Remember
(blue), Keep (green),' Bishop Camps theme for Nottingham
Country Ward in 2005, NCW Sacrament Meeting, 27 Mar 05.
`If we remember Christ
We remember His teachings
And prioritize them first
Daily, finding our life sings' (d)
(d) Bill Harlan, 1st Counselor in the Bishopric, NCW Sacrament
Meeting, 27 Mar 05.
`Physical death is overcome
For everyone through Christ
Spiritual death is overcome
By righteousness and grace of Christ' (e)
(e) Bishop Vaughn Camp, NCW Sacrament Meeting, 27 Mar 05.]]>
My closing thought for the week is, when you turn 45 and it is
time for you to have THE PROCEDURE, remember that there will be
a lot of good things happen in you week, despite the colonoscopy."
Since the 38th week of 1996 I have written a weekly "Thoughtlet"
(little statements of big thoughts which mean a lot to me).
Until the 43rd week of 2004 I sent these out as an e-mail. They
were intended to be big thoughts which mean a lot to me.
Over time the process evolved into a personal diary. These notes
were shared with my family because I know how important the
written word can be. Concerned about how easy it is to drift and
forget our roots and our potential among all of distractions of
daily life, I thought this was a good way to reach those I love.
It no longer feels right to send out an e-mail and "force" my kids
and my family to be aware of my life and struggles.
Everyone has their own life to lead, and their own struggles to
work through. I will continue this effort, and will continue to
make my notes publicly accessible (unless I learn of
misuse by someone who finds out about them, and then will
aggressively
pursue a legal remedy to copyright infringement and I will put the Thoughtlets
behind a password).
The index to download any of these Thoughtlets is at
http://www.walden3d.com/thoughtlets,
or you can e-mail me with
questions or requests at
rnelson@walden3d.com
(note if you are not on my e-mail "whitelist" you must send 2 e-mails
within 24 hours of each other in order for your e-mail to not be trashed).
With all my love,
Dad
(H. Roice Nelson, Jr.)