Post #669640 by kraken on Sun, Mar 3, 2013 9:44 PM

And now, the further stultifying medical misadventures of KRAKEN!

Since last summer, kraken has had an unexpected and unexplainable
weight loss of 40 pounds; much of it muscle tissue. Also tiredness,
severe weakness and stumbling. More than a dozen blood tests have
shown nothing, 4 different physicians are perplexed, so kraken was
told to do urine tests involving two separate 24-hour urine collections,
which kept kraken confined to quarters for two days. (Would you want
to wander around carrying an orange two-quart plastic jug, shuddering
every time it looked as though someone was going to ask you "What's
in the jug?") This too produced nothing, as did a shoulders-to-pelvis
CAT scan.

Time for endoscopy at both ends. As initial prep for the colonoscopy
portion of the proceedings kraken was on a restricted diet for four
days, followed by a day of nothing but clear liquids. Then came a
laxative bowel purge using 4 doses of Dulcolax and 14 doses of
Miralax. The latter was supposed to last 3 to 5 hours but actually lasted 15.

On to the gastroenterology lab, where kraken was told both scopings would
be done with the same probe. Before kraken could run screaming down the
hall, he was assured that the upper endoscopy would be done first. Only
things found were kraken's known bowel diverticula, which kraken at times
reflected on as he spent 48 hours recovering from the anesthesia.

Upshot---kraken has been able to restore quite a bit of strength but no
weight by physical exercise. Tiredness has been notably reduced by herbal
concoctions. As of this moment he has no idea what the problem is, nor
even wether it was a passing thing or is still lurking somewhere down there.