Polyps
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:58 pm
It all started with a routine colonoscopy. Dad's mother died of bowel cancer, so when he turned fifty, he decided to be checked out himself. It went well. The doctor found a pre-cancerous polyp, which he removed. Good result. The colonoscopy had been worthwhile, and intervention had probably averted the development of cancer.
He was advised to have another colonoscopy in three years. Odd discovery this time. Seven polyps, four of them pre-cancerous, one almost true cancer. All were removed. This time the doctor suggested another colonoscopy in twelve months rather than three years.
Very disturbing result this time. Twenty six large polyps, all pre-cancerous. What's going on?
Six months this time. Don't wait twelve. But he didn't get that far. Four months later he suddenly doubled up in pain in the middle of the night. Taken to hospital in an ambulance. Bowel obstruction. Goes to theatre. Bowel opened up. Full of polyps!
Never heard of anything like this before. Polyps don't grow like that. They don't go that quickly. Like a great big mass of writhing spitfires in his guts.
Anyway, all cleaned out. Spends a couple of days in hospital, then sent home. One week later, same thing all over again. What's going on?
Never left hospital agin. Kept in at first for three days of obs. Day three, same thing happens again. Back to theatre. Gut full of enormous polyps. This just doesn't happen. What are they feeding on?
They just grew faster and faster. For the last week, he has been permanently anaesthetised. Polyps being removed every few hours. Starting to suck the energy out of his body. Muscles wasting to provide energy to feed the wretched polyps.
Everybody quiet. You can hear them growing!
Intravenous nutrition, but it can't keep up. Growing thinner and thinner. Don't these polyps realise they are killing off the goose that laid the golden egg? Cutting off their nose to spite their face?
Apparently not. Dad died last night. The polyps continued to grow for several hours after that, but now they're slowing down. You can hardly hear them at all.
Silence brings relief.
He was advised to have another colonoscopy in three years. Odd discovery this time. Seven polyps, four of them pre-cancerous, one almost true cancer. All were removed. This time the doctor suggested another colonoscopy in twelve months rather than three years.
Very disturbing result this time. Twenty six large polyps, all pre-cancerous. What's going on?
Six months this time. Don't wait twelve. But he didn't get that far. Four months later he suddenly doubled up in pain in the middle of the night. Taken to hospital in an ambulance. Bowel obstruction. Goes to theatre. Bowel opened up. Full of polyps!
Never heard of anything like this before. Polyps don't grow like that. They don't go that quickly. Like a great big mass of writhing spitfires in his guts.
Anyway, all cleaned out. Spends a couple of days in hospital, then sent home. One week later, same thing all over again. What's going on?
Never left hospital agin. Kept in at first for three days of obs. Day three, same thing happens again. Back to theatre. Gut full of enormous polyps. This just doesn't happen. What are they feeding on?
They just grew faster and faster. For the last week, he has been permanently anaesthetised. Polyps being removed every few hours. Starting to suck the energy out of his body. Muscles wasting to provide energy to feed the wretched polyps.
Everybody quiet. You can hear them growing!
Intravenous nutrition, but it can't keep up. Growing thinner and thinner. Don't these polyps realise they are killing off the goose that laid the golden egg? Cutting off their nose to spite their face?
Apparently not. Dad died last night. The polyps continued to grow for several hours after that, but now they're slowing down. You can hardly hear them at all.
Silence brings relief.