Colonoscopy Take Two and Three

Back to the history of how I got to where I'm at now, awaiting chemo treatments.  After the disaster of the first colonoscopy try, Dr. Ferrante gave me some prep that was much less harsh on the stomach and didn't have to drink near as much to work.  Well, maybe that was true for most people.  Again, clear liquids the day before the procedure, and more broth and clear jello for meals.  I take the prep late that afternoon, get dressed again in my track shoes and get ready for the rush to the restroom.  Nothing happened immediately, so I didn't get very concerned.  However, after watching a movie, a baseball game, and only going to pee about six times, I slowly began to realize that I wasn't having the colonoscopy the next day either.  STEEEEERRRIIIKKKEEE TWO!  The next morning, I called and Dr. Ferrante told me not to even bother, there was no way it was happening.  I could tell he was almost as frustrated as I was, either that or someone else was beating their head against his office wall.  He said he would think about what to do next, then call me back.

The solution was for a two-day prep.  Nothing but clear liquids for TWO days (meanwhile my wife and daughter eat Olive Garden while moi?  You guessed it - more damn chicken broth!  My temper was really running on a short fuse.  Lo and behold, though, the two different days of prep did the trick and I was finally able to get the colonoscopy done.  I showed up to get it done, and all the nurses were saying, "This is your third time getting prepped  in a month's time?  Aww, you poor thing!"  I just put on my "pitiful me" face and enjoyed the attention.  When I woke up from the procedure, the news wasn't good.  Dr. Ferrante could only get the scope a little ways in before it was blocked.  "I've seen it several times before," he said.  "Its got to be a cancerous blockage".  So, he got me an appointment to see Dr. Javad Golzarian, a surgeon, a few days hence.  Dr. Golzarian gave me the glimmer of hope that I did not have cancer, but possibly severe diverticulitis.  At least, it was possible.  And since this situation would be better than cancer, I held on to it and accepted it as gospel.  I was not ready for that just yet.