Off The Beaten Path

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Georgia, United States
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same.

Sunday, June 29

Surgery


I went to the Gastrointestinal Specialists of Georgia on Friday and I have to have surgery. I am scheduled for August. I am not looking forward to this, nor am I feeling very chipper. The things that we inherit from our parents.....in my case, from my Dad. Just about the only thing he ever gave me, and personally I wish he had kept it. Celiac's is hereditary, I sure hope that my kids don't get it or have it. I guess it can be aggravated into activity by trauma. In my case this all began about five years ago. I got stung by seven different bees and wasps during a very short period of time and the last sting put me in the hospital because my reaction was life threatening. After I recovered from the bee sting I began to notice that I was having a lot of digestion and stomach trouble. Five years it has been gradually getting worse and worse to the point that I thought I would eventually just die. Well that still might happen, but not today, or not even this year I hope. Celiac's left untreated turns into small intestine cancer, which is what my Dad died of this past year.

On Friday I was given a battery of tests, blood, urine, X-rays. And then in August they will "go in" for an exploratory. Just to see the extent of the damage to my intestines. Celiac's is the body's inability to tolerate gluten. The body's immune system attacks the protein in wheat, barley and rye, and in the process destroys the small intestines ability to absorb nutrients. Thus causing all kinds of problems with the body. I am a bit depressed, which is also a symptom of the disease, so I don't know how much is just being sick, and how much is not being able to ever eat a donut again.....

12 comments:

Lo Kelween said...

I think it's good to have your kids checked, to see whether are they the carrier of the gene and a sufferer of it.

stung by bees? my...how dare they attack the fairy of flora!

no, donut is a no, you have to forget about it, what matters most is your health, Nea. take care.

Anonymous said...

Nea, you have had too much, too fast, to deal with. It is only natural that you should experience a great deal of angst and anger and loss. The depression probably isn't so much a side-effect of the disease as of the symptoms.

Neoma said...

Elween, I had to go and check to make sure this was you, haha......so now you are a Eel wind.....chuckle. A very creative person is lurking inside of you, isn't there......

no, no more donuts, or pie, or any of the things that made my life truly worth living, I used to own a Tshirt that said, "Eat dessert first, life is uncertain." and it truly stated my opinion of life, and of dessert. It was my favorite. But no more.

Neoma said...

Hi Quilly, it is all hard, trying to feed a family when you can't eat a lot of it, trying to cope with the pain, and trying to look forward to the life ahead, when it is so uncertain and also not much fun. I didn't realize how much comfort food was my comfort. haha. Well no more, now I must find something else to do when I am bored. I can only work in my flowers for about so long at a time, that leaves a lot of time to sit and think. I can't read, it gives me headaches, as does the computer if I am on here very long any more. And I have arthritis in my thumbs, thus making gardening a bit painful these days. I can't knit or crochet anymore.....because of the thumb thing also. That leave watching TV and listening to music. So I do a lot more of that than I used to. All of the work that I do in the basement comes to a grinding halt when I am in pain.....I can work through some of it, but when it is really bad, well I am not totally able to block it out. I was never the type of person to just sit around. But I see me doing a lot more of that in the future than I would like to. I was hoping that a gluten free diet would eventually correct some of my problems, but the Dr said it all depends on how much damage there is. We will see. Eight years ago, I was 20 years younger. haha

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

Oh Nea! I've never heard of such a thing. Hope all goes o.k. I'll pray for you.

Libby said...

nea-- my prayers are also with you! it is very hard to get used to not doing something whenever you want to...just because your body won't!

Neoma said...

Hi Andrew, it is fairly rare, one of the autoimmune diseases. It effects the whole body. I will either get better or I won't. but worry and stress just make it worse, so I have to avoid that. Or they will put me on medication to relieve stress. and I don't want that.

the surgery is under sedation, and it is fairly non invasive, they take a sample of my intestines, but they don't cut from the outside, they go down my mouth. It is just the stress of wondering how it will go and what they will find.

Neoma said...

Hi Libby, a person truly doesn't take their health seriously until they are in bad health, or at least I didn't, I was always very strong and healthy and just took it for granted. Man if I had known then what I know now, I would have done more.......stuff..........haha

Bill ~ {The Old Fart} said...

Nea ~ I will keep you in Prayer

jac said...

nea, what ever you undergo, let not depression get you.

The picture rocks with you last words in the post. LOL

Neoma said...

Hi Bill, thank you. I will be okay, many people have this same procedure done. I have a good Dr.,....finally. haha

Neoma said...

HI Jac, I am trying to not let it get to me. I worked in the yard all day today, working helps me, although it doesn't help my back much. I could hardly get out of my chair tonight. I am fine while I am working but then when I stop, and try to move again.....well......:)