Painful connection

[lesged]

Ever get the feeling that a personal experience has its equivalent in a photo you've taken. I have and would like to share it and ask others to submit their examples.

Backstory:

I had my first colonsoscopy several days ago at one of Boston's VA clinics. Though others have complained about poor treatment at VA clinics and hospitals, I haven't. Not until Tuesday during the indelicate procedure.  The nurses male and female were all aces: friendly, professional and considerate. Two doctors were involved in the procedure. The first was the assistant who approached me head on with a reassuring bright and beaming face, who appeared to be of Asian origin. He explained that a colonscopy was a very low risk procedure and explained what could go wrong and its low percentage rates.  

The doctor in charge approached me from the rear--I was on my side facing the other way staring at a wall. He never had the courtesy to introduce himself. I never saw him before or after the roto-rooting. Have no idea if he was tall, short, thin or fat. Or whether he did his thing with a smile or a grimace. All I can tell you is it hurt like hell a number times as I yelled with pain.  There was some mumbling about there shouldn't be any pain just a sensation of stretching.. There were at least three more spontaneous yells from me before I was told it was over.  Later a male nurse went over the notes, which the main doctor wrote. Good news: no polyps and no indication of potential problem.

Here is the photo, which my VA experience reminded me of.




Puerto Rico, 1965,

Leica IIf, Summitar 50/2, Panatomic X, D76 1:1

Note: I'm guessing I didn't use the dedicated Summitar box sunshade. I hardly ever had any flare problems when it was used.

[Madrigal]

Oh Les! How awful!

Eventually, we all get a turn at this wonderful experience.

I really thought you were supposed to be knocked out, for the most part, for a colonoscopy.

[Captain Slack]

You're the only other person besides me who had one of those procedures & didn't get sedated.  While I don't remember it hurting too bad, it was damn uncomfortable!  The worst part was the "cleaning out" process the night before.  That stuff they make your drink is nasty! :Bolt:

[lesged]

Rose,

They did sedate me with some medication. I asked the nurse what sensation would I feel with the introduction of the juice she added to my IV with a hypodermic needle. She said, "You'll feel sleepy, go with it!" I did and don't remember much except my yelps. I asked her after the procedure (that term annoys me) why did I feel pain. She replied, " Most people have no discomfort, but some people have a hard time."  I have a high threshhold of  pain, but this time it hurt and my yells were autonomic.

[LarryD]

Ya dad I have had my 3rd now...... Pain in the arse ... I refuse to let them knock me out... I have to drive home.. and sit funny in the Chrysler.

[lesged]

Capt Slack,

My response was posted  before reading your comment. I did have some form of sedation, but it didn't seem to work. I agree with the nasty affect from drinking 4 liters of Colyte in 4 hours. ~1 large glassful every 10 minutes. Fortunartely it was a short sprint from my laptop to the john, directly acrross a narrow hallway.

Jim Twohy, a close friend of mine, is also a vet, but used a regular hospital for his colonoscopy. He gave me his paper work, which stated he had valium and Demerol. I mentioned that to the nurse,  who by coincidence went to my alma mater and is a professional banjo player, replied with comment, "we use a substitute for Demerol, which has longer time of effectivity."

[LarryD]

After going through it I can say I could never be Homosexual.

[martolod]

i've had a few in my time...as the song goes:

some think their cardiologist is going to be their best friend/
but the colo-rectal surgeon knows/
he'll get you in the end/

let's hear it for colo-rectal surgeon/
misunderstood and much maligned/
slaving away in the heart of darkness/
working where the sun don't shine/
:2yippee:

i'll have to dig the tune out and post it.

[lesged]

In retrospect, I think the mysterious doc, who never spoke, had both his hands on my shoulders. Was he using robotics? Or? OMG! No wonder it hurt.

I'm going to complain to Gen Shinjiki when he becomes head of VA under Obama.  ......Don't ask, don't tell..................Just yell like hell.

Larry me son, get yer shotgun!

[martolod]

Don't ask, don't tell..................Just yell like hell.

Larry me son, get yer shotgun!

i thought it was 'squeal'........:Bolt:

[lesged]

martolod,

The way i heard it was:

"Don't fool around with the pigs, they'll squeal on you."

[Ronald Bishop]

I think it was back in the late 70s/early 80s that I underwent the procedure for the 1st time.
I was the doctors first patient he ever performed it on. The sales rep from the company was there to demonstrate how to use the machine.
   So the day before I went out to his office and got the 'kit?' and was at his office bright & early and ready to go!
   The Dr. asked me if it would be OK if he 'invited' a couple of observers, I said OK. I think the janitor may have been there to watch?
   I was awake all through it, even watched it myself on like a TV monitor.
He did curl my toes a time or two if I remember right.
    But the second time was a little different, they sedated me and I still felt it somewhat. I think the procedure is a little more 'in depth' now ah days?
    So far I have stayed away from the VA hospital, I use Tri Care for perscription drugs but I am still able to use our family doctor so far.{using my wife's insurance}
    I could use the VA but I figure why should I when I don't need to. Other people need it a lot more than I do. I remember on active duty of having to share facilities with the retirees and some of thier attitudes toward the enlisted.--- Not until I have no place else to go will I use the VA.

[lesged]

Ron,

I never used the VA medical service from the time of my discharge in 1946 till 2003 when for the first time I was put on a regime of permanent prescribed medicines. When I was laid-off from GTE in 1989 I was short the magic number to get a pension and its excellent health benefi plan. There was a handshake-- but not a golden one-- it was more like brass.

My Harvard- Pilgrim HMO, once considered one of the very best in the USA, dropped all seniors in my area just as I needed those expensive meds. When I heard how cheap they were through the VA ($7/med/month,) I signed up. Part of the deal is I must go twice a year to my assigned VA pcp to confirm I still need the meds as prescribed, ord if the dosage has to be increased or decreased.

Claudia and I switched to Blue Cross/Blue Shield as our Medicare supplement which allows us to choose our pcp. In our town, most of the older more experienced doctors don't take new patients.

We picked a bright young pcp, an ivy league med school grad who did internship and residency in a top teaching hospital. He was great at the beginning, but we feel his enthusiasm is already burnt-out after a few years working at the local medical group's nearby clinic. Its policy has put pressure on its staff doctors to cut down on exam time. On my last annual check-up, he never asked me to take off my shirt, didn't use a stethoscope, nor looked in my mouth or eyes with a lighted instrument only the ears. He asked for the standard blood tests and spent most of the 10-15 minutes we were together seated at his PC inputting info to my record.

He missed completely Claudia's distinct bulls eye rash when she had Lyme disease. He prescribed an ointment to relieve the itch and discomfort. Only on a follow-up visit to the clinic when symptoms got worse did the stand-by utility doctor, who covers urgent visits and when patients' pcp are not at work. He is the best of the bunch, but prefers to work as utility infielder--so to speak--covers everybody's bases, instead of having his own dedicated patients. He spotted Claudia's rash immediately and prescribed the appropriate anti-biotic,.

I never got shoddy service at the VA. It was my VA pcp, not reg pcp, who suspected I had an internal organ problem and the VA that asked for a catscan and found my left kidney had a large tumor. Fortunately,
mine turned out to be benign. My older brother Dick, also a WW2 vet, also had one on same side, but his was malignant and the kidney removed.

Many vets complain about the poor treatment they have received at VA clinics and hospitals.and lots are justified, especially those new vets coming back from Iraq that don't get the super attention we see on TV at the top- notch medical facilities, where our congress are routinely treated, i.e. National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and Walter Reed Army Medical Center

I've found the VA doctors very competent and all employees very helpful and friendly except one grouch who was the receptionist at our Framingham VA clinic. He retired, thank goodness. My brother's local VA clinic in or near Boynton Beach, FL had a year or two waiting list for enrollment, when he applied. In St.Augustine, there was no waiting list. One nurse down there said at the conclusion of our meeting, when she brought my records up to date, "Thank you for your service to your country." I was momentarily stunned at the remark, because my WW2 service ended over 60 years ago. Then she showed me a framed photo of her father as a young guy in a WW2 uniform and mentioned he died the year before.

I appreciate the attention I've received from the VA medical folks. Despite my initial complaint about the silent doctor that caused some momentary pain, it was counterbalanced in spades by a female nurse, who called me at home the next day to see how I was feeling and if I had any problems whatsoever. No private hospital ever did that for me after a procedure (aka operation or intrusive test.)

[Glenn Thoreson]

The very thought of that procedure makes me cringe. Several years ago, a neighbor had me make B&W prints of his colonoscopy pictures, which he sent out as Xmas cards. Weirdo! I had to sterilize my darkroom after that episode.

[martolod]

i don't have colonoscopy pictures....but i do have the pictures of my torn and nonexistent(at the time) right cruciate ligament before it was re-installed....
(interesting procedure/surgery  the surgeon cut a 10-12' slice of muscle from my right ham string-i gots BIG LONG legs i has- and then folded it, folded it again stitched together and that became my new cruciate ligament.then attached it to where the original was supposed to have been. all keyhole surgery. i was up and walking 12 hours after surgery with crutches and 2 days  later i tossed the crutches. and the knee has not bothered me since.)