This blog explains the minor medical emergency that changed our plans to tour Oregon’s cities (Portland and Eugene). You might want to pass this explicit explanation. At least we are forwarning you!
Boots had some internal bleeding from hemorrhoids (always a fun topic to discuss). It turned into anemia and they gave her 2 pints of blood and recommended surgery. Since the recovery time for this type of surgery is painful and long (4-8 weeks), we wanted to be near our doctors in Reno and her son in Quincy. Hence the quick trip back to repair the bleeding.
Hemorrhoids tend to bleed with hard bowels or constipation. If you have that a lot or often the bleeding can be excessive. Boots would have bouts of bleeding. You know a couple of days then no problems for weeks/months. Ruthi has very occasionally found some blood on the toilet paper. But Boots has fresh red blood and clots of deep red blood. This is a “good” sign in that it means there isn’t blood inside the stool – a bad bad sign. Fresh looking blood means it is from the anus area not from farther up the colon. This episode continued for days and Boots loss so much blood she was pall and weak – hence the need for blood transfusion. The concern then was will it stop and how is the bleeding prevented in the future - surgery.
As long as we are on the subject of colons. Have YOU had you colonoscopy yet?? I think 50 is the age to have your first preventative look-see. Use the offered drugs so you was “out” and have them film the procedure on VHS/DVD, if you are interested. Preparation is a bit icky in that you have to drink a very awful liquid to cleanse the colon. The procedure is a tiny tiny camera up the colon across and then back down. Depending upon what is discovered, you are advised to have another one 2, 5, 10 years later.
