The Countdown: Part 9

And the countdown begins....

In writing this new part, the Soldier realized just how extensive his memory laps were during this time. The events come to mind but only when someone reminds him of them. To sit here and type the events is almost impossible. I apologize if some of the events get mixed up, but then again this is a story and unless you were there you wont know the difference.

The IV infusion was the last option. He couldn't keep taking the high doses of steroids to control his U.C. outbreaks. Dr. P.J. would no longer give him the I.V. Infusions so there was nothing else medically for the doctors to do.

It was time to meet yet another doctor. This time it was a Colon and Rectal Surgeon. Dr. Bubba (the name has more to do with the instruments used, then the shape of her body) she came very highly recommended. She looked fairly young to the Soldier, but had a lot of confidence. She is also very personable. She made The Misses and the Soldier feel very comfortable with all her answers to the questions they had.

The first meeting was a get to know you session. She asked the Soldier and The Misses to explain what had happened. She could not believe what he had gone through with the listeria. The meeting ended with another finger in his bum, only she took it one step further. She asked her assistant for some metal torture device. He really didn't know what it was, except it was short, gray, and very cold. After she finished the examination she set up another appointment a week later. She wanted time to get his medical records and talk to Dr. PJ. Before they left, she mentioned that it may be time to look at the surgical options.

Later that night Dr. H called. He knew the Soldier had an appointment with Dr. Bubba so he called and talked to her, then called the Soldier. He was worried and wanted to make sure The Soldier was okay and didn't have any questions. The Soldier in a choked up voice told him that she had mentioned the surgery. Dr. H assured him that if he was to have a surgery in that area that Dr. Bubba would be the one to do it.

This was a pretty tough time in the Soldiers life. He was still experiencing constant migraine headaches. He was working, but not really. He would go to work around ten and leave by two. The headache would just get to bad to be at work. Then he would go home and lay on the couch. Every once in a while he would get tired of laying there and venture out to dinner with his family. His head would end up hurting so bad he would have to leave before the meal was finished.

The next meeting came and it was if The Misses and the Soldier was in denial. When Dr. Bubba came in and said she was afraid it was time for the colon to be removed, she could tell The Misses was very upset. As the Soldier sat there in shock Dr. Bubba went over and gave The Misses a hug. She was visibly shaken, much more then the Soldier. This probably had a lot to do with The Misses job. She worked everyday with people who had their colon removed and saw all the complications this potentially brought. When he asked when they were thinking of doing the procedure she said she would like to do it the first part of December. That was two weeks away. He had thought for the past two years or so that it would probably come down to this, the colitis never responded to any medications except extreme amounts of steroids. Even though he had thought it would come to this he wasn't prepared to hear what the doctor had to say.

Dr. Bubba gave them a pamphlet on the surgery and it answered all their questions. It was going to be a two part surgery, the first one being the worst. They (Dr. Bubba always preformed the surgery with another colorectal surgeon just to be safe) would go in through the abdomen, remove the entire colon and create a J-Pouch out of a small portion of small intestine. Through the years this J-Pouch would expand and slow things down for the Soldier. After the first surgery he would have an illeostomy which is a small opening where things (you know, leftovers) would drain into while the J-Pouch healed. This surgery would take about 7 hours and about 6 weeks to heal enough that Dr Bubba could go back in and reconnect everything.

That night they were meeting his parents for dinner. They sat down and were looking over the menu when he decided to tell them. He had already looked though the pamphlet and searched the Internet, so he was able to answer most of the questions they had. He thinks it went so well because they new it couldn't be worse then the listeria.

For the next two weeks he went to work everyday and searched the Internet for everything he could find on the surgery and the illeostomy. He was at work mainly to get out of the house so he didn't sit and think about it all the time. For the most part he was holding up okay. The Misses after the first shock calmed down and was very supportive. You could tell his mom was worried. After the bout with listeria she would call him two or three times to check-in. After she was told about the surgery she would call four to five times to check-in. Usually this would bother him, but he understood it was as hard on her as it was on him.

Two days prior to the surgery he had to start "prepping" for the surgery. He had "prepped" for several colonoscopies so he knew what to do. This one was much worse. He had always preferred the small bottle of elixir over the 1 gallon bottle. He figured it was like a shot, just hurry up and get it over with. For this prep he had to drink three of the small bottles over a 12 hour period as well as take several pills.

The first bottle went down as well as can be expected. The stuff is nasty, thinking about it now makes him gag and gets the shivers. About 40 minutes later things were moving like they were supposed to. He was on a clear liquid diet at that time. About 4 hours later it was time to take the second bottle of go-juice. He stood at his kitchen cabinet and stared at the bottle. He got sick just thinking about it. He picked up the bottle and started swallowing. It took him several tries but he got it down. His poor bum was raw by now. He spent most of the next couple hours reading a book on his new favorite seat. 6 hours later it was time for the third and final bottle. He couldn't stand the thought of taking another swig. He figured this time he wouldn't think about it. He would walk in grab the bottle and just swig it down. Easier said then done..... After the second swig he got sick. He put the last swallow in his mouth and struggled to get it down. As it slid sown his through his gag reflex came and up it came. He was done, thank god.

That night he took a sleeping pill and he was out. The next day he was woke to a new sensation. For the past three months he woke up to pure pain in his head. This morning was different, the headache was gone. He didn't know what he had done differently, but it was gone. Something in him thought it may be his mind telling him he was sick and shouldn't go to work. He wasn't the type to sit at home. If it wasn't for the headache he would have been back to work a few days after the hospital stay for listeria. Maybe his mind knew how sick he was and the headache was a way to keep him home to recover.

That day he sat at home alone. The Misses was taking some time off so she worked those three days before. He couldn't eat or even have clear liquid. He wasn't hungry he was just nervous. That night him and The Misses talked about the surgery and the illeostomy. He was tired of being chained to a toilet. He thought it might not be a bad idea to just stay with the illeostomy and not have the second surgery to reconnect the plumbing. The thought of not using the bathroom was a nice thought. She understood what he was saying and told him it was his decision. She would support him whichever he decided.

The morning of the surgery he woke up from a dream that it was already done. He quickly realized it hadn't and got in the shower. He knew this might be the last time he was to shower this easily for a while so he took his time. He was alright. He hadn't broke down and was feeling pretty good. After the shower he laid on the couch and watched ESPN Sports center. Trying to take his mind off what was going to happen.

Then the phone rang. It was his sister. She was just calling to wish him luck. As he sat listening to her, he got a lump in his throat. Then he couldn't breath. As he sat there and tried to answer her questions it got worse and worse. Pretty soon he was in tears. His sister promised him he would be okay as she fought back the tears and told him she would be there when he woke up.

The next thing he knew he was at the hospital in the preoperation room. He was laying on a hospital bed in a gown waiting for his turn. A nurse came in and introduced her self. She was there to find the best place for his illeostomy. She had him stand up and sit down several times. As he did, she watched his abdomen and eventually found the spot that would be the least irritating. As she made the final mark the Soldier got worried. For some reason he thought it was going to be much lower. The mark was on the right side of the abdomen and about even with his belly button. At that time he realised if he kept the illeostomy he would never be able to take his shirt off again.

Up until that point he had decided not to have the second surgery. He was so tired of going to the bathroom he had made up his mind to keep the illeostomy. Once he saw how high it was going to be his mind started racing. He was never going to be able to swim again. He had no doubts that people with these probably did swim, but he couldn't. How comfortable would he be with the Misses? It would be to uncomfortable for him to have people looking at it. It was then and there that he decided to have the second surgery.

The next thing he knew he was in the surgery room. Dr. Bubba was there and assured him she was on her "A game". The room was cold, and they had the radio blaring. He doesn't remember the song, it was an oldie but a goodie.

The next thing he knew he was in a different room with his parents and The misses watching over him.