Pseudo-intellectual: to

[Guest guest]

I second that designation for that " mean " professor (actually I

think that it was ego. I have learned that those people who have

low self-esteem, seem to compensate by having big egos).

However, I beg to differ on the word being used to describe

yourself.

I think that the most definite thing that you have to rely on is how

you feel now, compared to how you felt when things were really

critical a few months ago. I use that philosophy to calm myself

when I start to over-react or worry about the future " what-ifs " or to

just analyze present discomfort. Because I experienced two

critical events requiring emergency surgery I am confident that I

will be able to recognize that degree of severity again. It took me

a long time to come to this realization, and I over-reacted a

number of times (I guess similar to the heart attack patient that

runs to the ER whenever a new, but benign, chest-type pain

recurs). I am not saying that you are over-reacting, far from it.....I

am just pointing out that once a person experiences something,

she is more likely to recognize when it is happening again. I was

always taught as an EMT that if a chest pain patient is stating

that his pain feels similar to or exactly like the pain he

experienced when he had the massive attack a few years ago to

take him seriously....that this is a fairly reliable indicator of what

is going on now. I firmly (!) believe that this is the same case with

anyone who has undergone a catastrophic organ " event " . I will

always know what peritonitis due to organ rupture or massive

infection or intestinal blockage feels like as well as severe biliary

colic. But what a heart attack feels like, I haven't a clue (yet). I

was told quite vehemently by my surgeon that if anything like this

occurs in the future to me, to not wait 2 weeks to get help, not

wait until the weekend is over to " ask my co-worker if she will

examine me " , nor not to wait until the holiday is over because I

don't want to inconvenience the house-staff (all things that I did

prior to my two surgeries). However, for the first year, I took his

advice too seriously and ended up calling him over the smallest

quirks, which is why I had to come up with a way to handle the

fear of future obstructions.

I am thinking that this is the same with you: that is, because you

have experienced that catastrophic event with your intestines you

know now what a blockage and / or infection, etc feels like and

know when you need to be seen urgently as opposed to waiting

it out, or scheduling a non-urgent appointment. You are not

out-of-line for considering an obstruction type event. After all,

things are still healing and shifting around and hopefully any

adhesions are being broken down (I read that a lot of adhesions

will regress in the first couple of months or so). I think that

blockage due to surgery oftentimes occurs in the first few

months as the adhesions are forming from the immediate

inflammation effects from the procedure, then occurences taper

down after that to a random, unpredictable event. I think too, that

when you have your follow-up visit, the doctor may be able to tell

what is going on just by listening to your bowel sounds. That

should give some indication if it is a bowel problem or that

gastroparesis that you mentioned. Your intestines are probably

still touchy and may not be contracting 100% efficiently yet.

So in your case, you really have to listen to your gut! Literally!

LOL.

Our weather is still pretty severe. We are under the worst drought

conditions since the drought of 87(?). Some say it is even worse.

The corn and bean crops are gone in the fields at our neighbors'

farms and I hear that our county has been declared a " disaster "

as far as getting relief or financial aid. Our " farm " is suffering

pretty badly and I have resorted to just trying to save the

ornamentals and fruit bushes as the veggies are just annuals

and, while sad to lose, can always be grown next year. I am

trying to save a few pumpkin plants though because we have a

bunch of friends' kids that are counting on them. My husband

spent 8 hours on Saturday hauling water for 12 short rows of

sweet corn. I think it is an exercise in futility but he wants to at

least try. I spend most of my free time hauling water in my truck

and carrying buckets to the plants. We have had that 90 and 100

degree weather too, after a brief respite of 60s and 70s when I

was afraid that Fall was in the air. I love the heat, but just wish

we would get the rain. At this point, we would need a constant,

soaking two day rain to just keep the annuals going. The field

crops are beyond hope, I think The perennials that are

established should make it , hopefully. It is the new ones that I

am most concerned about....if they go into winter already

stressed, they may not survive. The good thing though is that we

have basically no mosquitos!!!! and very low weed problem. So

there are good things out of this too..........

Laurie