Let me take you back to 1995, I was 9 years old and in the third grade. Life was pretty good. All I had to worry about was homework and keeping my room clean. It’s also the year that I first started to experience GI symptoms.
I remember noticing blood when I went to the bathroom after I wiped myself. I told my mom and being the adorable naive 9-year old I was, I assumed it was my period. I was excited at the thought (ugh) and was proud. I knew something was wrong when my mom looked concerned. It has happened, but it is rare for a 9-year-old to start menstruating.
We went to the bathroom together and my mom calmly asked me to check again. Was the blood coming from the front of the back? Well, we all know where this is going. It wasn’t my period. I went to see my doctor who did a brief rectal exam and sent me to a specialist. After everything I know now, I’m lucky that I had a doctor who sent me to the right place, many patients go misdiagnosed for years.
I still remember the day I met my pediatric GI at Miami Children’s Hospital. Over the next few weeks, I had several diagnostic tests administered. FYI- all GI related tests suck, they almost always involve drinking something terrible. Not sure which is worse, a colonoscopy prep or an upper GI series.
For the Upper GI series, you drink this chalky white disgusting drink while the radiologists take several X-rays. It’s kind of cool to see the barium go down into your stomach, but that is overshadowed by the disgusting barium. Awful, awful, awful. However, it does give the doctors a good image of your small bowels.
The colonoscopy prep involves a day of clear liquids and no food except Jello. I hate Jello because it reminds me of colonoscopies and being in the hospital. My mom and I picked up the colonoscopy prep from my local pharmacist who informed me the gallon jug of liquid was cherry flavored, like candy. Yum!
I haven’t had cherry flavored candy since 1995, it’s ruined for me. Oddly I still enjoy Cherry Coke. That night was awful. My mom pleaded with me to drink and I was being very difficult. My mom called the doctor’s office and they offered an alternative to drinking the gallon jug of pure evil, be admitted to the hospital and have a tube inserted up my nose. I politely declined and tried to drink. My mother resorted to bribing me with a dollar per glass. I made $5 that night! I didn’t drink it all, but after 5 glasses I started to throw up and had nothing but water coming out of me when I went to the bathroom. My mom said I was done and I have never been more relieved (up to that point in my life).
The next day was nothing. I was nervous and didn’t really understand everything that was happening. When I woke up my mom handed me some pictures of my colon, I thought it was the coolest thing ever! None of my friends had pictures of their colon, I was unique and that’s how I saw it. I brought that picture to school and showed my friends. I was weird, well I’m still a little weird.
The doctor told us that everything they tested for me came back negative and that I had a mild case of colitis. It was something to keep an eye on but to go about my life. I did and completely forgot I was a little different. I continued to enjoy a normal childhood until I turned 14 and my symptoms intensified to a point that made it nearly impossible for me to develop.
To be continued . . . .