Thankful Thursday: Colonoscopy is a go
This week, I'm thankful:
that I'm cleared to have a colonoscopy
I had a consultation appointment this week, just so they could confirm that I'm healthy enough for the procedure. And I am.
Sooo, now my colonoscopy is on the books in two weeks.
I'm not exactly looking forward to it (!), but I am glad I'm getting it done.
I saw some influencer recently say that you should just drink lots of water and eat plenty of fiber and not get a colonoscopy, and I think that is ridiculous. Why are we choosing? We can drink water, eat fiber and get our colons looked at.
Colon cancer is infinitely more survivable when it is caught early, and colonoscopies are how it gets caught early.
that I'm not having a stressful colonoscopy
I was thinking about how anxiety-provoking this procedure must be when it's ordered due to concerning GI symptoms. Mine is just a routine screening, so I don't feel anxious about it (Of course, it is always possible something is there and I just don't know it! But the odds are low.)
that I can say no to almost every screening question
I have answered at least three pre-colonoscopy questionnaires about my health now, covering things like heart disease, diabetes, kidney issues, chronic illnesses, and the like. Those things are almost entirely "No" answers for me, and I am so grateful.
An uninteresting health history is a blessing.
that the scheduling worked out so well
This facility only does colonoscopies on certain days, on certain weeks, but the date they offered me worked out perfectly. It's on a day that is not near any work shifts (I certainly do not want to be at work on colonoscopy prep day!!), and on a day when Zoe can be my chauffeur. Sweet.
that my interim chemistry exams are open-book
I am very happy to report that everything except the final exam is open-book, and that has been saving my patootie. There are way too many formulas for my poor brain to remember without the book.
I am hopeful that if I score really well on the open-book exams, then I will have lots of wiggle room on the final.
that I went part-time before this semester
By the time this semester is done, I will have completed four three-credit classes and one one-credit class. If I tried to do that while working a full-time nursing schedule, I would be cooked.
I am so, so grateful that it worked out to go part-time at just the right time.
that I've made it halfway through the semester
Eight more weeks until a blessed school break. I cannot WAIT.
for the ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel
Isn't it nice that we, as humans, are able to look forward to things? I console myself all the time by thinking, "Ok, only such and such more weeks until winter break."
Or I remind myself that one day, in less than eight months, I'm going to have a life free of schoolwork.
for Chiquita's cuteness
Always. 😉
What did I read yesterday int ecomments? "yard by hard life is hard, inch by inch, life's a cinch". I wanted to remember that saying, because it works that way for me too.
I am thankful for yesterday's Reader question and the interesting thoughts and insights the question provoked. And as always the kindness within the commentariat.
Thankful for sunny autumn weather and the pleasure of swimming outdoors. Thankful that I am sufficiently healthy to enjoy this and that we have a small community of swimmers that make it safe to be in the water even on winter mornings.
Thankful for the long blossoming season of the pelargoniums.
Thankful for the gift of entertaining myself. I do not get bored easily, there is always something I enjoy doing (or can bring myself to do, when it needs to be done).
I also do not get bored easily! I enjoy doing nothing...I don't get bored even if I have 'nothing to do'. I enjoy pottering around, daydreaming or just being 🙂
Very smart to get a colonoscopy booked. I know people who have had them done, and they do not sound pleasant, but it's better to get everything checked. I'm sure it will be fine!
Thankfuls:
- I went to Venice for the first time! It's a stunning city and I feel so lucky to have been able to go there. I went to art museums, the cathedral and enjoyed simply walking around. I am also very thankful that my sister was there and in charge of navigating, as I have a negative sense of direction and Venice is very easy to get lost in!
- I am thankful that we had such beautiful weather. October is a good time to go, it was busy, but less busy than it presumably is in summer, and also less hot, but it was still warm with lots of sunshine. There were beautiful sunsets over the canals.
- I arrived in Venice before my sister and when I had dinner at a restaurant an American woman noticed that we were both alone and suggested that we have dinner together. I accepted and we had a lovely conversation!
- I am thankful that the journey back was straightforward (I had a different flight to my sister and left later than she did) and that the flight wasn't delayed. There was turbulence during the flight but otherwise it was fine.
- I am very tired afer the trip (my sister likes to walk a lot and there are SO MANY cobbled streets and bridges in Venice), so I am thankful that I can work from home this week and rest. I decided to watch Don't Look Now when I got back and it was fun seeing it after having been in the city. I'm thankful that I decided to wait until I got back, rather than be spooked when I was there!
- I'm going to see a friend this afternoon and I'm looking forward to hanging out and telling her about the trip 🙂
- I went to Culture Night before going away and had a wonderful evening going to different events across the city. My favourite was a small music concert in an art gallery 🙂
I have never walked on a cobbled street, but I can imagine that the uneven surface is very hard on feet!
Oh, it is! I wore Birkenstock boots, which are good for those kinds of surfaces, but it was a lot warmer than I expected and what with that and all the cobbled streets, my feet got tired very quickly.
I have a pair of barefoot boots but I don't think my feet are ready for cobblestones in those shoes. I saw a woman wearing a pair though!
On a side note, whenever it was hot, my late grandmother would always say 'I'm sweating cobbs!' (ie cobblestones) which I think is a great expression haha!
I was just thinking that barefoot shoes would be horrible on such a surface!
I am actually wearing my pair today across a short cobbled surface and can confirm!
I forgot to say that my sister and I also went to a bookstore with cats in Venice which I thought you would like! I didn't buy a book but I got a fridge magnet with a picture of books and cats on as a souvenir!
Good for you for scheduling a screening colonoscopy. My advice is to drink the prep quickly through a large straw. I have had several of the procedures over the years and I have found it helps to ask them to keep the anesthesia to a minimum.
I am thankful that I had a good ColoGuard result last month and can wait two years until having anther colonoscopy.
I am thankful that we have a regular schedule for a while. After a week in Maine, a UTI, a week of family visiting, and a long weekend trip to New England staying home is appealing. I am happy for all those experiences (except my first UTI) but I am also happy for some relatively quiet days.
I am thankful we saw some nice fall colors in CT and RI because there doesn't seem to be much color, beyond some maple trees, in my area.
Ooh, yes, I did the ColoGuard a few years and happily it was fine.