To the fans of my Perky Parkie blog, this post is for you. No, your email notifications and social media posts are not malfunctioning, and no, I didn’t fall off the face of the earth. You’ve been asking, and the truth is easy: I haven’t been myself, so I haven’t been blogging. My last post, “I have to be honest,” was over a year ago. Many of my readers know that when my blog goes silent, it’s not a great sign. How is the Perky Parkie, and more importantly, where has she been? Well, the easiest way to answer that is to blog, so hold on to your knickers, baby, you’re about to go on a wild ride with me.
It all started after a normal day at work.
As many of you know, I am a licensed Psychotherapist who works in a Neurology clinic in Orange County, California, and I specialize in patients who are experiencing cognitive impairment. On top of doing testing, I also see individuals, couples, and families who are going through the life cycle changes of getting a diagnosis, role reversals of partner to caregiver, and shall I say, all the other crap that goes along with a Neurological disorder. This is important to know at the beginning of this trip we’re about to go on, because it shows how quickly the strong can fall.
After work, I left my office and went home, not feeling so hot. Maybe I ate something that didn’t agree with me. I did eat that Chinese orange chicken that looked a little like squirrel lathered in orange sauce. Maybe I should have kept my initial leeriness of the unknown meat from lunch. That evening, I experienced the all-too-familiar feeling of painful bubble guts. I knew these waves of agony from previous bowel obstructions I had endured, so I knew what I had to do… go to the emergency room.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with a bowel obstruction and how they treat it, let me indulge you with some details. I had my colon removed in 2001 due to colon cancer. *Fun fact: your large intestine is about 5 feet in length. I was left with a colostomy bag while my body healed, which could then be reversed, and everything would go back to normal. Sounds simple, right? What they don’t tell you is that just like in life, there will be complications. With multiple bowel surgeries comes the possibility that I could get an obstruction. That is when food, gas, or liquid can’t move through your intestines. This is bad and can lead to death or at least your head spinning and projectile vomiting across the room… I need an old priest and a new priest.
After arriving at the hospital, I had an IV started in my arm to get fluids in me and had a CT scan to confirm that I had a bowel obstruction. This is when my journey takes a turn. They wanted nothing to go through my stomach, so I was put on NPO status. That means “nothing by mouth”. So all my medications, including my Parkinson’s meds, my mood and hormone medications, were no longer available to me. But rather than worry about how my body is going to handle no Parkinson’s drugs, I had to get my mind in the zone. It was time for me to come face to face with my personal demon… the NG tube. A nasogastric tube is a treatment for a bowel obstruction where they insert a tube through your nose, push it down towards the esophagus, and you swallow it into your stomach. If it sounds nasty, I will say yes, it wins the lifetime achievement award for the most painful and brutal procedure in the emergency room. And this ain’t my first rodeo if you know what I mean.
As for pain medication, many different versions of opioid medications bypass the gut. My favorite is Dilaudid. It has an analgesic potency approximately two to eight times greater than that of morphine, and it works fast. I also know that it helps me emotionally get through the dark times. I believe it’s best to do what you must to get through the scary and punishing road in front of you. This includes pain and anxiety medications, even though I know that the large amount of drugs used to treat my obstruction would ultimately lengthen my recovery time. But at this time, I didn’t care. Just give me the drugs so I won’t have to be here mentally.
To summarize:
-I feel like I might have a bowel obstruction coming on.
-I have a friend drop me off at the emergency room.
-I get my first dose of nausea and pain medication, gotta love that Dilaudid.
-I start vomiting. Get the CT scan results to confirm my worst fears.
-I am at the hospital alone.
-All necessary medications that I needed to function have been stopped cold turkey.
-I called a friend in my wolfpack to pick up my dog, Penny Lane, because I knew I was not going home that night.
The Allison army has been activated, and my mom was getting on a plane to fly into California to help with the upcoming hospital stay… one little problem, she accidentally left her phone in my dad’s car when he dropped her off at the airport. There I lie alone in my hospital bed with the glow of the television illuminating the room. The next couple of days were a mix of tests, IVs, blood draws, my NG tube nightmare, and a ton of opioids. I knew my mom was coming to save the day, but by that time, I was mentally gone. In and out of a fog of consciousness. I have this feeling that the nurses are looking at me differently, like I was being sneaky, and they were planning to withhold my Dilaudid from me. I noticed a man standing outside my window, and I thought that was kind of weird, but he was smoking a cigarette, so maybe he was just enjoying a well-deserved respite.
I am going to break this blog into multiple parts. There were just too many juicy details to get through in one post. I told you it wasn’t going to be pretty. Let me give you a break from the gory details with an adorable picture of me and my dog Penny Lane, taken just last week, so you can see this story’s happy ending. Be sure you subscribe to my blog to get notified of any new posts. Till next time…
Oh Allison, you have been missed! Anxiously awaiting your next installment. I wish you the best.
Thanks, Jan! I’m writing as we speak!
It’s so awesome to get a new blog from you, even though the subject matter is so painful.
So sorry about all you had to endure.
YOU ROCK girl!!!!!
Hi Connie,
Thank you for your sweet comment! I’m happy your’re enjoying my blog!
Glad to see your blogs again. When you got back onto your Parkinson’s drugs, did you any side effects, or did you need any modifications to your array of parkey meds?
Hello Chris,
It was a whole process to get back on my PD meds, because even after we cleared my obstruction, I wasn’t absorbing food properly. I will be writing about this on my upcoming blogs.
Welcome back Ally. Since I’m your aunt I know the whole story and I am glad you are breaking up the story in three parts. I can’t wait to read the next two! Keep on feeling better!
Aunt La La, you’ve had a front row seat for the event! Sorry for the gross stuff you had to see! Thanks for being there!
It is good to hear from you again. xx
Hi Paula,
It’s nice to be blogging again! Thanks for reading and your comment!
Spoiler Alert! Oh, okay I’ll wait for the next installment. You need to live with a caring person that can put up with a dopey dawg.
Dad, Penny is currently taking CVs.
I have wondered where you have been I thought I had lost the website. I’m so glad you’re back. I so enjoy your blog. It’s good to know someone else out there. He’s going through Parkinson’s problems.
Hi Joanne,
Thank you for reading and commenting. It’s always nice to hear people are enjoying my blog.
Allison, you did it! Great to know you are back in the saddle with Penny Lane right there with you. Rarely did one day pass in your absence that I did not think of you, and I admit worrying some at times if you were okay. You know having you back with us is more than a little comforting. In our little community you are the Alpha as well as somewhat of a celebrity to us. You know after my diagnosis it was not a pack of talking heads on YouTube that got me jumpstarted, it was YOU! I learned from you that the “best part of living, is the giving”. You’ve given plenty of yourself Allison.
Every time you dip the nib of your quill and write, your indomitable spirit, your encouragement, your warm and genuine personality, your sharing of relevant information through your unique and fun writing style and your unending altruism all begin to glow; lighting up a few more remote corners of this darkened and difficult world. You make it brighter Allison. Thank you for being with us.
Hello Wayne,
Yeah, I did it! Getting back into it. It took me a while to get used to writing, editing, uploading media, and then. posting the blog, but I got it done. WOW! Thank you for your kind words… remind me to have you write my eulogy one day! You make me sound pretty cool. It’s always mind-blowing when I hear how much people love my blogging. I try to make my blog like you’re reading my journal, or that you’re having a conversation with me over frozen yogurt. Thank you again for reading and commenting. It gives a smile!
It is go good to hear your bubbly spirit coming through your words again. I had no idea you were having such a hard time. Glad you’re back writing and I hope you are now well…or as well as PD will let you be when you have all that other stuff going on. The universe needs to give you a break!
Hi Lauren,
I will gladly take a break. I’m ready for a timeout!
I’m so sorry for not reaching out Allison. You and stories of Penny have been missed.
No worries, Benji, I haven’t really been in my right mind, so you haven’t missed much. Ha!
I’m so sorry for the pain you had to go through. I was wondering what happened to you, I was starting to wonder if you were still with us. You brighten up my day.
I’m still here, Steve! Don’t write me off just yet.
Perky, I am glad you wrote this update as I, and I’m sure many others in your Wolfpack, have wondered why your blog has been silent for so long. I am sorry for your most recent health problems and am glad it has a happy ending if the pic of you and Penny Lane is any indication. I look forward to reading about the rest your experience and hope that you feel well enough to continue writing your blog. I am inspired by you and have a lot of admiration for you. Thanks again Perky for your update. Welcome back!
Hi John,
You’ve been such a supporter of my blog. Thank you for your continued reading and commenting. I’m back!
Dear Allison,
Must have been ESP but I was thinking about you a few days ago. I also wondered if you were okay. Nice to see that beautiful picture of you and Penny Lane. I cannot wait to hear more of your story. We all need you to be strong.
Take care,
Paula
Hello Paula,
I knew it was important to leave a picture on my blog just to show that I am doing well despite the trauma I endured. Thank you for thinking of me. Looking forward to continuing my story.
Oh gosh Alley Cat, that sounds awful! 😟. I hope you’re doing better now. Sounds, and looks like you are.
Jer-Bear!!! So nice to hear from you. I know if Shar-bear were still here, she would have been calling my mom, the hospital, or anyone else she could think of to help me. Thanks for reading and my comment!
I was wondering where you have been. Glad there is a happy ending. Are you avaiable for speaking engagements.
Hi Cathy,
I am available to do Zoom, I’m currently not traveling. But contact me here so we can chat. https://www.perkyparkie.com/contact-allison/
You are an amazing woman! I have been worried about you – so glad you are ok. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Hi Peggy,
Thank you for your concern. I’m happy to be writing again!
❤️❤️❤️❤️Sending love from Laguna Niguel.
Rebecca,
You live in my part of the world… I love Laguna Niguel!
So nice to hear from you. The journey continues for me to. I’m at south county RSB
Doing okay 👍 a day to day battle.
Hi Boker,
It’s great to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog!! Hope you guys are doing well!