Journal entry

My GP phoned the surgeon today and was able to arrange an earlier appointment for me - Feb 15th instead of March 31. If the surgery is to be done then I want it over ASAP. I want to find a job, and I need to find it soon to keep a roof over head and food on the table. Details, details.

I am lucky that I have private medical coverage, that will cover some of the costs. Not all, but some. I won't have to pay for the hospital. Medicare will cover some of the doctor's costs and insurance some, but there will still be some out of pocket expenses. Private health coverage means I don't have to go on waiting lists, I can choose the private hospital I want and the surgeon that I want. I hopefully will have had surgery and recovered before I would have been processed through the public system as I would still bedeemed elective surgery. If I presented as an emergency it would be different of course.

I saw someone on American TV waving a placard at a tea party and the placard read "Health insurance is not  right!" WHAT? Health care is a right for everyone. It is a basic need for life - just as food, water and education is. Every citizen should get equal access, no one should be victimised because they are poor. No one should be thrown into poverty because they are ill. One can only wish karma hits though horrible selfish people...

I increased my fibre yesterday - I ate half a banana and 6 slices of tinned peach. I could feel the bulk in my bowel...it worried me all day. So I went low fibre today. Safe but boring.

That is me these days - dull and boring. I bore even me!

Types of fibre

Insoluble fibres are the fibrous structural material of plant cell walls and have a low water holding capacity. Fermentation of the fibres is slow or does occur at all. Included are cellulose (from vegetables such as celery, legumes, fruit and nuts), lignin (found in wholegrain wheat, wholegrain oats, rye meal, brown rice. flaxseed seeds, pumpkin seeds, caraway seeds, sunflower seeds and the seeds of berries) and some hemi-celluloses (in cereals, fruit, legumes, vegetables and nuts)

Soluble fibres are the plant cell contents and have a high water holding capacity. They are fermented by microbes found in the intestine. They include beta-glucans, gums, mucillages, some semi-celluloses and pectin. Rich sources include legumes, fruit (especially apricots, bananas, cherries, figs, grapefruit and plums), oats, oat bran, rye, barley and psyllium.

Resistant starch is part of starch that passes undigested into the large intestine and is digested by microbes found there. Found in legumes, bananas, cooled cooked potato, al dente psata, corflakes and products made with Hi Maize.

Fructans contain a link between molecules which resists digestion in the small intestine but are digested by microbes in the large intestine. Examples are inulin and oligofructose. They are found in some vegetables ( onions, garlic and chicory) and grains (wheat) or may be added by some processed foods such as yoghurt.

How much fibre should I eat in a day?
25-35g of fibre daily is recommended for adults. During an attack of diverticulitis it is recommended that this be dropped to 5g per day and gradually increased after resting the bowel.

The average Australian currently eats about 15g of fibre per day.

opinions, opinions

Well, the gastroenterologist  had no magic cure for me. He is the opinion that surgery to remove part of the colon is the way to go. Presently, I run the risk of developing an antibiotic resistant bacteria which could be nasty or I could suffer an acute attack and have to present as an emergency and run the risk of major infection, drastic surgery and even a colostomy bag which could be permanent. The down side is that I could suffer chronic diarrhoea after the surgery - but I shouldn't have diverticulitis again.

The surgery can be performed laproscopically, and hospital stay is about 1-4 days. Full recovery can take up to 8 weeks. I guess that it is better to have it now, while I am "healthy" and not employed. Financially it is a knock we could really do without right now as I need to get a regular income. Oh well, better to get things sorted out now and back into a new career after that.

I am still going to see the dietician. She can assist me with a pre and post surgery diet at least.

I am tired of being stoic over health issues. I know a lot of people have far, far worse, but it is so tiresome always having some health issue. Next time around I am going to ask for better gene selection!

Outside help

I have an appointment with the gastroenterologist who performed my colonoscopy today. His receptionist has rung three times to move the appointment forward by 15 minutes each time. I don't mind as I am not unemployed and have no plans except to get well today, but I imagine it would be annoying if you had to arrange time off from work, or babysitters. I was surprised that I was actually able to get in so quickly as I only called on Friday. Usually one has to wait weeks to see a specialist. I am so lucky that we have medical insurance, as it allows me to avoid waiting lists. If I was in the public health system it would all no doubt take a little longer, except if I presented as an emergency. However, I would eventually get treatment.

 Not that private health insurance covers all that much! I mean we had to pay $500AUS towards the cost of my colonoscopy as it was performed in a private day hospital. Oh and $55AUS for the lovely "special drink" before the test. Suffering costs big money! It must be very distressing for people who live in countries that don't provide basic health care. To me it is a basic right that everyone should be provided. Everyone has the right to health care, along with education and should not be subject to any hierarchy or capitalistic trends. If everyone is healthy and educated then the whole community benefits.

Anyway off to the Gastroenterologist. I only met him briefly before my procedure and he sat like a stone on a chair while they prepared me for my procedure last week, so I already know he is not a fun guy, but my doctor says he is highly competent. My GP actually wanted to send me to another gastroenterologist but said that etiquette meant she should send me back to the gastroenterologist who performed the procedure. I said, "well, now you have made me want to go to the other gastroenterologist" and the GP "well this one is very competent and the other one did something that made me angry the other day, she made a patient have a 2nd colonscopy just because she hadn't performed the first so..." So I am going to the original gastroenterologist!

Not that I expect any miracle cures from him. I expect more help from the dietician, whom I visit on Wednesday.

Being ill is a full time job!

First Day

Gently, gently, that is how I have taken today. I am not silly enough to try and introduce change too fast or too strictly. For instance, I am not going to say I must drink 8 glasses of water a day, as this will just lead to me failing. Rather, I am just trying to increase the amount of water that I drink each day, which I managed today.

I also swapped a couple of cups of black tea for green tea. That one is easy. Because I have been ill for a couple of months now, I have added a multivitamin containing selenium and a calcium and vitamin D supplement, as well as an omega fish oil capsule. I hope to eventually just obtain the right amounts of all from my diet, but I think that will my body is under stress that I will "top up" with supplements to jump start recovery.

Due to my diverticultis being so severe at the moment, I am limited to a low fibre diet. It is a fine line finding the right amount of fibre my body needs, as too much can cause problems for me, just as much as too little fibre. I did drink a "superfoods" fruit drink that contained goji berries. I tried previously to eat goji berries but found them unpleasant. I suppose juiced may not as beneficial, but for the moment it is the best I can manage. Tiny steps.

Tomorrow is another day!