Doctor appointment turns out better than expected

The day the dreaded letter came saying it was time for my five year colonoscopy test, I thought to myself, how can this be, it seems like only yesterday that I had my last one. Just receiving the appointment stressed me out, I began counting the days until my appointment.

Four days before the dreaded day, I was to stop eating anything with seeds -- such as tomatoes, cukes, kiwi's and pickles. And before I knew it, it was the day before my procedure.

Time to make my gallon of drink. This is a gallon of water added to a package of ... uh ... I really don't know what. -- it was sent to me in the mail. To me it tasted very salty and bitter. You drink a glass of this terrible stuff every 15 minutes for four hours.

I made out a list starting at 2 p.m. and ending four hours later at 6 p.m. I decided to keep the list in the kitchen -- where my computer is -- and close to the bathroom.

Did I forget to mention that this "stuff" is a terrible laxative? Each time I drank a glass, I marked it off on my list.

After the fifth glass I felt so bloated, I wondered how in the world I was going to last for four hours. By then I was running to the bathroom almost constantly. I would sit down at my computer and just start to check my e-mail or whatever when I would have to make a run for the bathroom, each time wondering if I would make it.

I finally gave up sitting at my computer and just sat in the bathroom reading the Reader's Digest. By the time I had finally finished the last glass there was nothing left in me but water.

I forgot to mention, for that whole day all I could have to eat or drink was coffee, tea -- no sugar or cream -- sprite, Jell-O, popsicles, and bouillon soup. As much as I love coffee, I gave that up for the day -- hey it's a diuretic too.

Doesn't sound like any of the good food I eat in restaurants. Wheeeeee, when I was finally finished, I thought to myself, "now I can sit down and relax." Think again Marilyn. I still ran to the bathroom all evening, finally went to bed and got up several times during the nite.

My appointment was at 9 a.m. the next morning. I got there early and checked in. The waiting room seemed to be full of people waiting for colonoscopies. I really dreaded it when they finally called my name. The last time I had it done, I thought I was going to die when they began to thread that piece of equipment into my colon.

But it was very different this time, a doctor talked to me and told me I wouldn't feel a thing. Yeah, they told me that the last time. The nurse came in and got me all ready, and then put one of those heated blankets on me, hey that was nice. Then she began an I.V. and I was immediately in la la land.

I came to a short time later and they said it was all over. I thought they were lying to me. But it was true! I hadn't felt a thing.

By the time I was finished dressing and was ready to leave, I realized I was ravenously hungry. Bob even let me choose where we would have lunch. I chose "The Cracked Egg" a new restaurant in Marshfield -- at least new to me. It's down by the tracks where Jimmies Restaurant was years ago. I dearly loved it. Old fashioned tables, chairs, antiques and to me it was quite quaint. The lady who owns the place does all of the cooking and baking from scratch.

I ordered a chicken salad sandwich on a croissant bun, cabbage slaw and cups of steaming coffee. Bob ordered meatballs on a hoagie bun and homemade apple sauce. They both were absolutely yummy. I then had a cinnamon scone. It too was warm and homemade.

Another day filled with -- dare I say it -- adventure.