This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm 118:24
I want to rejoice in the day the Lord has made, yet I feel weak and apprehensive. So much has happened in the last few weeks. On October 26, 2010, I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy...I had been having stomach and bowel issues. I had been eating junk and not really taking care of my body. Lots of gas, lots of burping, pencil like stools, constipation and diarrhea...Maybe it was my thyroid medication causing these issues...or maybe not...I know this may be "TMI" but we must talk about these things even they are embarrassing!
So I tell my Physician Assistant at my thyroid check in September that I am having some "issues". She said, "Let's get you to a gastroenterologist just to make sure everything's OK." I meet the doctor and we schedule the endoscopy and colonoscopy especially since my family has cancer on both sides. I do the bowel prep which is annoying and disgusting. Ask anyone who has had one! You basically have starve yourself and then take pills that give you diarrhea. Next comes the lovely bowel prep--a mostly tasteless drink but you have to drink a gallon of it over a period of several hours...I thought I would explode and now my bum is sore! Get some zinc oxide to utilize between BM's! Your bum will thank you!
I had a nice check in at the hospital, wonderful nurses and a kind anesthesiologist. My doctor comes in but I am already loopy from the medication. The procedures are done and I awake 30 minutes later. He tells me he removed two polyps from my colon and they will be tested. He said my endoscopy revealed that the bottom of my stomach (Gastric Antrum) is inflamed and irritated and so he biopsied it and the results will come back on that soon but not too worry.
Fast forward to November 11, 2010, Veteran's Day and my nephew, Keegan's Birthday! My husband, Steve, is out of the country so my boys wait in the waiting room while I meet with the doctor. He tells me that it is a good thing that I had the polyps removed - they were tubular adenomas (one sessile or flat, one like a stalk). They are smaller but left unremoved they could have developed into colon cancer. Wow, thank you Jesus they are gone! My endoscopy revealed that I have intestinal metaplasia in my stomach...what in the world is that? It is an abnormal cell structure - the bottom of my stomach has become more closely resembled to my intestines? That is weird! Why would that happen? No one knows the exact reason this occurs he tells me. He also says it can become a precursor to stomach cancer...now my eyes bug out and I am starting to get scared. He says to change my diet, take more fiber, no broccoli or beans - they cause gas which can irritate one's stomach, eliminate fried, greasy foods, smoked meats, BBQ (smoked is a known carcinogen) and no lunch meats with nitrites. He says a few other things but I cannot recall them...he says we will do a two year follow up on both...I say OK and leave.
Wow...I cannot believe it. It's not the "C" word but it can become "it"...I call my husband, Steve, - he is in Dubai. He is shocked too. He wants me to get checked in one year instead of two. I agree. I go home. The polyps are straight forward - checks and removal should help protect me from colon cancer. I research intestinal metaplasia - not exciting or very good news; lots of unknowns about it. I am praying.
I feel fear but I keep saying, "OK God, I trust in You! I have a HOPE and a future in You!" (Jer. 29:11) I will keep saying this and proclaiming this! I have a HOPE and a FUTURE in the Lord! The medical community is a healing agent for God. There are also times when our healing comes supernaturally from God. I have a HOPE and a FUTURE of being healed of whatever comes my way! So I will rejoice and be glad in this day!
Are you rejoicing in this day He has made? What makes you glad? What gives you hope?
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