Results

The results from the tests yesterday.

The hospital here in Sanur is new and modern. Sort of like going to Marin General. Also, they're quite efficienct and well organized. Before the endoscopy (putting a camera down into my stomach) and colonoscopy, there were always two or three orderlies and nurses helping me to get ready for the procedures. The young and confident gastric surgeon said hi, made sure I'd properly prepared the night before emptying out my system. The anesthesiologist whom I'd already met with said hi. Everything they were doing they'd ask permission nicely. Then he put a mask over my mouth and nose and the next thing I knew the doctor was there to tell me the results.    

Endoscopy found redness on some of stomach wall and into duodenum - and a peptic ulcer.

Colonoscopy found a hemorrhoid and a polyp - I always have one or two - and they're doing a biopsy of course. Also he said there are holes in the colon. I have to clarify that. I got the impression that it's not like the insides there are leaky out I don't think but that they're getting trapped. 

I'll see the doc in a week. He prescribed some pills and a liquid for stomach and acid and pills for the hemorrhoid which I'd never heard of taking a pill for. 

My Marin doc just used rubber bands - after my hemorrhoid operation in 1995? that he did for super big hemorrhoids. I had the same experience with every doctor who looked at them. They say, we can fix that easy. Let me take a look. Oh - nothing much - that's when they were looking at the outside. And then when they went in - "Oh my god!" Before Marin doc went through that he said he can take care of 95% without surgery. I was the five percent. But they never came back like that. I should have had that done thirty years before but they didn't bother me that often - but when they did it was bad.  He mentioned the rubber bands sometimes can screw up and cause bleeding and get hold of him right away if that happens but it's rare. It happened. I was at Redwood Credit Union and suddenly got the urge to go to the john like right away and there was a lot of blood. I went home and it happened again then again and I called the doc and told his receptionist what was up and she started talking about an appointment and I said this is an emergency. I'll bleed to death if something isn't done right away. He was nearby and what a scene in his office as he plugged it or whatever he did. Rather messy. Then to the hospital to stay overnight to be sure. The next rubber band didn't do that.

Anyway, my doc here is satisfied we know the problem. I won't be keen on taking a lot of medicine and have some ideas about how to pursue. This seems like a good case for looking at daily habits, lifestyle, stress and worry, and Ayurveda and Chinese traditional medicine and a healer I know pretty well who combines meditation, breathing, Chinese medicine. But I'm sure the gastric doc will insist I have that hernia operation.

Today's trip ended up costing over $400 with the biopsy and medicine. That's a lot for here. A hernia operation will probably cost more like 4K.  I have 2500 deductable insurance.We'll see.