It's been a while since I logged into my blog and updated folk on our latest actitivy. Our regular listeners know that I underwent some medical procedures and needed a bit of recovery time. Everything's fine; it was just time to put my body in the shop, check out the internal organs, and stretch the old esophagus.
Ever since I was a child I've struggled with constrictions in my esophagus. I used to have great difficulty swallowing food and even chewed pills before gulping them down. 14 years ago I was sitting in a restaurant eating with my staff when I noticed that everyone else seemed to just force large pieces of good down their gullets while I was chewing every bit of lettuce into mush before I would dare swallow. Then, sure enough, I choked, which had become a regular occurance. When food would get caught in my esophagus there was always the uncomfortable struggle to see which direction it would ultimately head. On that particular occasion I excused myself to the bathroom, where I coughed and choked in an effort to dislodge the offending morsel. Ironically, the music blaring from the ceiling speaker was, "Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mac, when are you coming back?" It was the last straw.
A visit to the gastroenterologist proved that I had "webbings" in my esophagus. Small bits of tissue were forming and interlocking that restricted the free course of swallowing. And, being the sort of guy who believes that if you're going to do something you ought to do it right, I had not one, but two, of these webbings -- one high in my esophagus and the other at the opening of my stomach.
The procedure to lessen the constriction consists of stretching and pushing the offending tissue out of the way. And, having undergone the procedure yearly for nearly 14 years, I can confidently say that life is much better, eating is less stressful, and taking vitamins is less painful now that I've endured the stretching process.
The reason I bring all of this up is that I'm surprised how many people struggle with this affliction and don't know that their situation is abnormal. I mean, we all eat how we eat and we have no idea what it feels like to eat any differently than we do. So, some people continue to mash their food to a pulp before daring to swallow because they know they are likely to choke. But, there's help! Talk to your doctor. It seems that the more I talk about this, the more people come forward and admit, "Hey, I've had that problem for years. I just didn't know it could be adjusted."
Meanwhile, being the caring, sharing sort of dad I am, my daughter Megan inherited the constricting esophagus condition. So, two weeks ago she underwent her first procedure to push it open. It was a tough recovery because she was very constricted and has a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis. And during my procedure three days later, the doctor took a biopsy of one of my webbings to see why it keep returning. Turns out, I have the same condition. So, she and I are both on steroid sprays to keep the allergic reaction at bay and keep our throats healthy. Like father, like daughter. (Thanks, dad ... )
But, my interaction with the medical community was not quite finished. Ever since my surgery in 2001, blood tests began returning with "slightly elevated" liver enzyme counts. Months later, similar tests would come back normal. So, it was never a big deal; it was something the doctors "kept an eye on." Every once in a while, my family doctor of 19 years would say that I probably had a "fatty liver." But, since he seemed unworried by it, I followed his example. Still, whenever I tried on new pants, I would ask the kids, "Do these pants make my liver look fatty?"
Well, my new gastro is more aggressive and he decided that a liver biopsy was called for. So, this past Tuesday I visited an ultrasound lab where a technician viewed my innards and said everything looked just dandy -- except that my liver looked "fatty." He drew a Marks-A-Lot grid on my upper right quadrant with an "X" on the spot where the needle was going to pierce.
On Wednesday, Megan took me to the gastro's office for the actual liver-plucking event. I had read mulitple website articles and knew what to expect --- for the most part. The wait was exponentially longer than the actual procedure. Once they were ready to start, the anesthesiologist put a mild sedative in my IV and I got a bit swimmy-headed. As the doctor chatted about his morning signing up for jury duty, he stuck my side twice with doses of xylocaine and immediately sliced me with a scalpel. (Now, that's a quick-acting drug!) As I replied that the judge ought to let him off the jury, considering his patient load, I heard a spring-loaded snap and he said, "Okay, you're done." In all, it took about three minutes.
I felt slightly nauseated (probably from the sedative), but I was surprised how quick and easy the whole thing had been. After the procedure, the patient has to lay on his right side for two hours to stop any internal or external bleeding. I figured that was going to be the easy part. Park me in front of a TV and just let me lay there. But, the nurses seemed unduly concerned that I might have some pain. They were poised and ready when the anesthetic wore off. And, was I glad they were.
In the process of grabbing a bit of the liver, it's not uncommon to nick a nerve. And, as anyone with back trouble can tell you, a simple inflamed nerve can cause all sorts of painful reactions. I went from mildly comfortable to excruciating in seconds. Every muscle in my abdomen and back seized like a vice-grip. Fortunately, the staff was prepared for that eventuality and several minutes later I was sleeping under the spell of morphine.
The two hours on my side with sore, seizing muscles proved to be a real test of endurance. But, once I was able to roll to my back and sit up, things began to normalize. As I write this, it's Friday morning and the discomfort is localized to the area of the incision. Each day is less difficult and I'm looking forward to preaching on Sunday morning.
I want to take a moment to thank Len Prieskorn for leading our Wednesday night service in my absence. I'm grateful that the church body is able to meet and worship, even when I'm unable to attend. I left if up to Len and Tom to decide whether or not to record Len's teaching, but they opted not to. So, there's no new mp3 for the midweek lesson.
Thanks to everyone who looked in on us, fed us, called and wrote to make sure we were recovering. I must say, Megan is a real trooper. Not only did she endure her own procedure (and subsequent visit to the emergency room), but she squared her shoulders and committed herself to the task of taking care of her dad. I couldn't have done it without her.
So, that's the update. I'll get the final report next Thursday. I feel confident that I know what it will say. It's odd for a man my size and weight to have a fatty liver, but as I told the ultrasound tech, if this is my worst medical condition, I'm a very fortunate fellow.
I'm looking forward to getting back into the routine of teaching and writing. I'm very blessed to live in a time and a place where the art of medicine has advanced to the point where they can discover and cure so many ailments ... but, at the moment I've enjoyed as much of them as I can stand. :-)
Keep the emails coming! I always enjoy hearing from you all!
