Guts update

The H. Pylori, bloodwork, CT w/iodine, and gallbladder ultrasound are all over. Strangely enough, though I've had iodine before, I am now officially allergic to it, having had a full-blown reaction to it in the machine while the IV pump was still injecting it in. During the first pumping, the roof of my mouth, my hands, and some other areas started to swell and itch, and I thought, this can't be happening?!? And they immediately said they were starting the machine's 2nd pump injection and there it went, and it all got worse and spread. By then they knew something was wrong, I jumped upright, had the tremors like I was in drug withdrawal, grabbing at myself all over from the itching, trying to pull my skin off, and saw someone go running out of the room. She returned a moment later with the facility doctor. Sigh. Fun fun.

So, somehow, it's all come back normal. No ulcer, no celiac, no tumor, no gallstones. However, yesterday I met with the gastro doctor for the first time, and she said the CT was a very poor way to check my body for the symptoms I've been having. So, on Friday I go to the hospital and get put under so she can take a look around my stomach, esophagus, and duodenum. Then I go back to the hospital Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, for a colonoscopy. Gee, aren't I looking forward to Tuesday's drinking prep for that one? Ugh.

Gastro said these tests will show what the others things I've done so far won't, things such as lesions, polyps, etc. We trust her. Other than my urologist & my pain man, this is the first dr who has ever known what my Chiari & my Ehlers-Danlos are. She was pretty shocked by them both. She's not had any patients with them, nor has she ever even heard of a female with my EDS before, but she's willing to take me on, 16 surgeries and all, and dig her way through all that scar tissue inside me with these two exploratory surgeries to figure out what is going on.

Now, to get through being in pre-ops again twice in the next week without a major panic attack. Like that's gonna happen. Thanks a lot, PTSD.