I survived my colonoscopy. I’m always a little nervous when I am put under anesthesia; it’s controlled dying. But here I am, still alive.
I, of course, embarrassed myself. I have a tendency to babble when I am nervous. So the nurse getting me ready had to put up with a lot of dad-jokes. Even worse is that I try and be helpful. Right before they were going to put me under, I admitted I had a slight need to go to the bathroom (number one). If it was normal circumstances I could hold it easily, but if I am being made unconscious, who knows what will happen. After all the care of them rolling me in a bed into the operating room, they just let me walk out to the bathroom with just a request that I cover up th back of my robe.
When it was time to put me under anesthesia, I started doing the “Gashleycrumb Tinies” poem. The last thing I remember is “G is for George smothered under a rug.” No one could tell me if I continued on after that.
They did tell me that I rolled a lot, and I was halfway out of my gown when I woke up. I was still out of it, so I didn’t care.
No polyps, so I don’t have to get checked for another ten years.
Of course they forgot to remove the heart monitor stickers on me. I was still dazed when I left, so I didn’t remind them. I finally ripped them off this evening. Chest hairs were lost.

I’m getting a colonoscopy tomorrow. That means today I need to fast.
It hasn’t been too bad. I’ve caught myself a few times thinking of having a snack: There are Lifesavers hanging about; My wife was verbally enjoying the blueberries she had just purchased; The big bag of pistachios isn’t going to eat itself. But I haven’t eaten anything but chicken broth and Jello. Now that I talk about it though, I’m craving that big box of Stroopwaffel that I know is hiding in the pantry.
I’m not as weak as I would have expected. That will be tested tomorrow morning when I go for a run. I have to get up fairly early so I can be done before my appointment. I did today’s run before my body had realized it wasn’t getting any meals. Hopefully I’ll manage tomorrow without collapsing.
The medicine I have to drink to encourage a good fecal outflow hasn’t been as bad as expected. When my wife took it, she took an hour to drink it all. Afterwards she had a lot of nausea. I just chugged mine and was done. No nausea. I still have to drink a lot of water, and I’ve been very good at that: runners know how to drink a lot of water.
Hopefully tomorrow will go well.

I did this when I turned 40, so now that I have turned 50 I should do it again; let’s count down the 10 life events that affected me the most.
1/10 – March 2014: Met Catalina: A person I got along with almost immediately. A person I would fall in love with, marry and would make me feel like I was finally doing life correctly.
1/10 – March 2014: Met Catalina: A person I got along with almost immediately. A person I would fall in love with, marry and would make me feel like I was finally doing life correctly.
2/10 – May 2023: Birth of Belle. Maybe it is too soon to judge this event as it happened six months ago, but I do feel it has a lot of potential.
3/10 – August 2008: I ran the Canadian Death Race. This was my first ultramarathon, and turbo-charged my love of running. Ultramarathons forced me to travel off the beaten path to do them. I’ve run hither and yon, over distances and terrain undreamt of by mortal man. Running has introduced me to new friends and kept me in good shape. (See also February 2003 for my first half-marathon and June 2004 for my first marathon.)
4/10 – December 2006: I attended my first “Friday Feast”. This weekly event has greatly increased the number of people I know. I have met good and true friends here that I greatly value. My circles have increased.
5/10 – November 2004: I went to Jamaica and met a new circle of friends from all over the world; friends that let me explore a new side of myself, never judged me, supported me, and helped me improve as a person. These people would eventually lead me to meeting my wife.
6/10 – November 1995: I left home and moved to Edmonton. I was now responsible for keeping myself alive. Edmonton has been good to me; I’ve made lots of friends, and it is a beautiful place for running.
7/10 – September 2016: Moved to Vancouver. The economy in Alberta wasn’t great when I lost my job and a friend was able to recommend me to a great company in B.C. This shook up my life and gave me a different perspective on life and living. I could now experience a different climate and a bigger city.
8/10 – 1985 and 1987 – Le Morte d’Arthur and the death of my Grandfather. Arthur was the first dog I was ever close to and my first experience with death. My maternal grandfather was a great man that I wish I had known him better; a man without fear and always doing something. I’ve tried to live my life like his.
9/10 – 1984 – The family got its first computer, an Apple //e. I had an earlier introduction to computers than a lot of people, and I’ve been coasting on that ever since.
10/10 – November 1973 – I was born. I believe this had a significant effect on my life.