March 10, 2015

I had been awake for about 5 minutes from the colonoscopy and Scott was with me in the recovery area. I hadn’t even gotten my oj that I requested when the Dr. walked in.  The first words out of his mouth were “We found a tumor.”  I started to cry…

Scott didnt say anything.  We were shocked…

He said we would do blood work, CT Scan tomorrow, and they had a surgeon lined up to remove it next week. Even though they didn’t have the biopsy results back yet, he said it looked very suspicious… I knew it was Cancer, I just felt it.

Everyone who came in after that just had that look on their face, and their words of encouragement, strange how you go from just another case to someone to feel sorry for. 

Nikki commentary: while laying in bed the night before the procedure, I thought of all the things we could find out. Tumor quickly passed through my mind but it was only for a second.

© Nicole Szymonik and This Is the Pause Button, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Szymonik and This Is The Pause Button with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

  

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Scott was so sweet all weekend, making all my favorite meals since I was going to have to fast and prep for my colonoscopy on Tuesday.  Everyone told me, ahh, the prep is the worst part, but the procedure is fine.  And the prep was awful. It is basically laxatives on an empty stomach.  I woke up at 2am, and wanted to die! I was sweating and nauseous and doubled over. I woke Scott up and he suggested I “squeeze his hand.”  Thanks, Sweetie, but I am not in labor here, I am dying! ha!  But after getting sick with diarrhea for about an hour, I finally calmed down and was able to get some sleep.

Steve and Rose Burns came over Tuesday Morning to watch the kids and Scott and I were off to Mercy Hospital for the procedure.  We were discussing what we would be eating for lunch. And if anyone knows me, they know we were having cheeseburgers!  YUM!

Everything went ok and Scott and I discussed how my car was having some issues while we waited for my name to be called. I had no idea that would be the last normal conversation we have…

Nikki Commentary: The nurse checking me in and getting my medical history asked me if I drank alcohol and how many alcoholic drinks, on average, I had a week.  To which I responded, “Not enough”  She laughed, and I said, “No, I am serious.  I am really trying to increase my alcohol intake.  I have 1 glass of wine a week, but would really like it to be at least a bottle.  But with two little ones, by the time we get done with dinner, bath and bed, I just want ice cream and bed.”

© Nicole Szymonik and This Is the Pause Button, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Szymonik and This Is The Pause Button with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

January 11, 2015: Scott’s Birthday!

On Sunday morning, I noticed I had blood in my stool. I mentioned it to Scott and he agreed that I should make an appointment with my general practitioner. I had been meaning to make an appointment for a yearly physical, since it had been a while since I had seen my doctor, having had two children in the last 26 months you treat your OB as your main doctor, since you basically live there.

I had blood in my stool every morning from Sunday through Thursday, and it finally stopped as I started to take Metamucil, anticipating the Dr. would tell me I needed more fiber in my diet. In the meantime, I did call to make an appointment with Dr. Binek. They said they could see me in April for my yearly appt.  I also mentioned my concern with the blood and they called me back and said that he wanted to see me right away.

So, I had some blood work and an appoitment on Friday, January 16th. If anyone knows me well, they know I am an open book and it paid off at this appointment.  He basically asked me what was going on, to which I just started telling him every detail about my, well, everything.

I mentioned the blood in my stool, which initiated the appointment, along with that I am sure he had missed seeing me since I hadn’t been in for awhile. To which we discussed the two children, only 16 months apart! I also told him that I had been experiencing joint pain in my hands, I thought it was carpel tunnel or arthritis.  I also said that I had noticed that I had lost 3 pounds from my November OB appt. and that family and friends were often commenting on my weight.  He was not concerned with my weight for my height (127 and 5’7) but he said that I had mentioned a few things that had him concerned.

He said, “The good news is, I am not going to do a rectal exam.  The bad news is, I am going to have you have a colonoscopy.”   He was concerned I had Crohn’s disease or some sort of inflamed colon.

I spent that weekend kind of out of sorts, worried about what was to come and worried enough to follow up on Monday, to schedule the procedure.

© Nicole Szymonik and This Is the Pause Button, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Szymonik and This Is The Pause Button with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.