Okay, so here's the deal...

I've been out of work for over a month, thanks to the fact that I haven't been able to stop from throwing up once to twice a day every day since July 22nd. At first, other symptoms accompanied it, making me think that it was a simple bout of gestroenteritis (see "stomach flu"). However, after a week, all other symptoms faded except for the nausea and vomiting. Mind you, with losing roughly half of what I attempted to eat, fatigue also is present.

So, when it wasn't likely flu, they ran a set of bloodwork to see if it was kidney or liver function related. Negative, no trouble there. They then ran blood to see if it was anything metabolic at all- diabetes or anything else. Again, negative (much to my relief, diabetes runs in my family). They then had me undergo an Upper GI scan, the kind of radiological scan where they have you drink down a barium shake so they can take picures of your stomach.

The most disturbing thing about that procedure was how much the barium reminded me of old-school McDonald's strawberry milkshakes. Yet another reason NOT to partake of the golden arches.

The Upper GI revealed what looked like a growth inside my stomach, a gastric polyp. These growths are rarely malignant, but still, that needed to be taken care of, so, yesterday I went to St. Mary's Hospital to have a gastroscopy (where they stick a tube down your throat so they can see, take pictures of and perform laser surgery on the inside of your stomach).

Ahead of that procedure, which was scheduled for 3:30 in the afternoon, they don't want you to have anything but clear liquids after midnight and nothing at all after 8:00 am. Needless to say that I was very hungry and thirsty by the time I got to the hospital.

Given the use of anesthesia, they didn't want you to drive yourself to and from the hospital (especially FROM), so Jim took me there and sat with me awhile until it was time for the procedure. It was good to not have to take the bus and be there alone.

So, I was put under for the first time in my life, and the doctor said that most people recalled th procedure hazily while under and was merely comfortable, but a few responded by simply blacking out.

I was the latter. I recall NOTHING of it. That might have something to do with how I don't drink alcohol or use any other form of sedative drug, ever-- my body has no resistance built up to that sort of thing.

When I came to, I discovered that they had not found a polyp while they were in there. There were a few things they took some biopsy material of but that was all they did in there besides take pictures (I have a copy of these images too, if anyone cares to see them).

I was driven home by another friend, Rodney, and it was only five or ten minutes before two more dear folks, Sarah-Jean and Peter showed up to watch over me for awhile, bring me some gentle food to eat and/or cook while my stomach heals, and share some DVDs with me. Peter lost interest in the second movie and went and cleaned my kitchen!

After a few hours, they were quite satisfied that I was doing okay, and they left, letting me hit the sack and sleep. I slept very soundly, only having one dream that was particularly distressing. I woke up this morning around 10:00 am.

So, now I'm waiting to see if I will stil be throwing up when my stomach returns to normal use (I've not eaten much yet, but that's about to change), as they didn't actually remove much of anything or do anything more than get some biopsy samples, so I'm not optimistic that whatever's bothering me has been addressed.

At least I'm doing okay after the procedure.

So, that's the update for you all. Sorry for not giving you all more frequent updates, but I've not been up to much online the last month.