A GOOD LAUGH

On day one, I drank from a gallon container a liquid of something or other ordered by my doctor, a full eight ounce glass of it every ten to fifteen minutes. It was difficult after the first few. Starting at noon until I finished about three o’clock after throwing up twice, I felt as though the worst was over. It wasn’t, but we won’t discuss those things.

On day two, we arrived at the doctor’s surgery center for the two procedures, upper and lower GI’s. I was prepared by the nurse and given an EKG, which made me very happy because I hadn’t had one in many years. Although I had only seen the doctor the previous week to discuss my swallowing difficulty and expecting to have my esophagus stretched, he suggested I also have a colonoscopy. After checking with my primary care, I reluctantly agreed.

I was glad when I was finally sedated hoping the worst would soon be over. I woke up with tremendous stomach pains, a very sore throat and as well as a sore upper lip. The nurse informed me that a polyp was removed and that I had diverticulitus. The stomach pain was only gas, but I would soon get rid of that. The sore throat would last only a day or so.

When washing my hands at home, I looked in the mirror and saw how horrible I looked. Very pale and not exactly looking like myself, I thought how something like this could really age a person. I kept feeling uncomfortable about my upper lip and I looked in the mirror again to see myself and burst out laughing. No wonder I didn’t look like myself, my upper lip was humongous.

By the third day, my gas was gone, my sore throat was gone and I could eat almost normally, but laughed when I saw my upper lip was still swollen.

Today day four, I’m going to a party. All is well.