About time for an update.

How do you start a post like this?  With a hook I guess.

I like this one.

Also a warning: This might be is pretty gross.

So, there I was in the hospital, talking to my mom on the phone, and she was like, "Hey, you should put this on your blog!" and I was like "Hey!  That's a fantastic idea!"

History, minus the important, world changing bits.

I served my mission in the Merida Mexico Mission between 2005 and 2007.  In Merida, two things are constant: Soccer (¡futbol!) and Habaneros.  I loved both, so we got along. 

Once, while playing a heated game of soccer with a few youths from the area, I took a hard line shot directly to the stomach while looking the other way.  I wasn't prepared for it, and I wasn't prepared for the pain that would follow, it was excruciating!  But, being the invincible person that I was, I kept playing and shrugged it off.  Over the course of the next week, the pain would intensify leading to a decrease in work and a visit to the hospital.  I was told I had inflamed my organs, and it generally felt like nobody believed me when I said I was in a lot of pain. (I like to think I hide it pretty well.)

This is the face of an invincible person.

During the course of my mission I developed a case of gastritis, like many of my companions.  Gastritis causes some abdominal pain and leaves one more susceptible to certain infections.  It wasn't too bad, so I continued to eat WHATEVER I WANTED BECAUSE I'M AN ADULT DARNNIT!

A little more than a year ago, Catherine and I were living in Logan, UT.  I was attending USU, and she was busy being awesome all the time.  I started to get really bad pains in my lower left abdomen, but just attributed that to the gastritis and continued doing what I do.  Unfortunately for me, the pain continued to increase.  After about a week of this, and a few days of no sleep, I decided to magnanimously allow Catherine to take me to a doctor and get checked out; something she had been nagging me to do but, psh, I didn't need no stinkin' doctors.

This gentleman certainly doesn't have need of doctors.  Or badges.  But especially badges.

Upon visiting the doctor, he determined that I'd need a CT scan and sent me to the ER, which I thought was dumb.  This wasn't an emergency.  CT scans are weird.  The results came back with a scolding.  I had diverticulitis, a condition where bits of the intestine bulge out, things get stuck in the bulge and subsequently get infected.  I was advised that, had I let it continue any more I may have needed an induction into the hospital and possibly a surgery.  As it was, they could just put me on some pills and send me on my way.


I've now experienced diverticulitis about ten or twelve times over the past year.  We've narrowed it down to hot sauce possibly being the root cause of my flare ups.  I also believe it's genetic as I have relatives who suffer the condition as well. **Edit: We've determined that it was caused mainly by stress and physical activity. Diet had literally zero to do with the flare ups, and dietary 'causes' could never be consistently replicated. The only thing that was consistent with my flare ups were stress and physical activity.**

So, what happened?

Recently, (the day after I got a promotion at work) I began experiencing abdominal pain unlike my regular diverticulitis pain.  Normally, I get that stabbing pain in my lower left abdomen.  I immediately begin a clear liquid diet and hit up my favorite licensed drug dealer (usually the InstaCare) for the necessary antibiotics.  However, this time, the pain was more centered, almost where you'd expect to get a UTI.  Upon visiting the InstaCare, the doc there expressed some concern that this may be worse than normal due to the shift in location.  After ruling out UTI and any other issues, I was again prescribed my Batman and Robin antibiotic pills to fight diverticulitis and sent on my way with a warning to watch this closely.  I could do no other thing for a day, a night, and a day.

Normally, after starting my clear liquid diet and first day's dose of antibiotics I usually begin to feel better, however this time was different.  The pain just kept getting worse and worse.  I was a little freaked out now because of that dire warning the first time I found out I had this condition.  On the second night, I asked Catherine to take me to the hospital.

At the hospital they performed a CT scan and found that I had developed a perforated bowel due to a weakening of the intestinal lining by the diverticulitis.  I was immediately admitted to the hospital, put on IV and advised that I would be going into surgery either that night or the next day.  Lovely.

I was every nurses favorite patient.  I'm not even kidding.

Fortunately, a specialist reviewed the CT scans and determined that my body had built a wall around the perforation.  So while painful, it was no longer dangerous.  They would keep me in the hospital for observational purposes, but would not need to perform the surgery this time around (probably).

After about 10 or so needle-pokes (blood draws, IV insertions, etc) I've now been discharged for two days and the pain, while not as bad as before my hospital stay, is still quite debilitating.  I'll take that over morphine headaches any day, though the 'phine was nice to get some sleep.  I have a follow up visit in a few days where they'll perform more tests.  Then more tests, then the Bowel Resection surgery.

Yup.  I still have to have surgery.  They are waiting until the infection cools off to perform the surgery as to decrease the possibility of complications.  They will determine which bits of my intestine are worse off because of the diverticulitis, then perform a surgery to remove about a foot of intestine and sew the rest together.  yay!

The doctor was very clear that the science behind Diverticulitis is very underdeveloped.  There are a lot of "old wives tales," (as he called them) out there regarding its cause and prevention.  Diet has less to do with the flare up of diverticulitis than weight and genetics.  The only exception to this is fiber intake, as a good fiber intake *should* help prevent flare ups in the future.  When I explained my theory, that hot sauces and spicy foods caused my flare ups, he advised that he was still more likely to consider those as coincidental rather than causative factors.  This doesn't mean I'm going to bust out my longed for Sriracha bottle anytime soon, but I will be taking Metamucil or BeneFiber or something.

It's just like this. Source.

So, I have a surgery and hospital stay to look forward to.  Bowel Resection surgery will keep me in the hospital for about 5-7 days, give or take.  I don't know how I'm going to handle that, as the three days I spent in the hospital recently just about drove me nuts.  Here's a picture of Marek in a stroller for reading to the end!

Cruisin' for the ladies.

I was thankful to be discharged in time to spend the evening of Easter Sunday with my family!

 Fin. For Now.

PART TWO!!