A very long month | smays.com

July 18 – Discussed bowel habits with Dr. Tunic.
September 23 – Dr. Morris prescribes med for bowel issues and scheduled a colonoscopy
September 29 – Colonoscopy at MU Health. GI doctor found a “mass” on the wall of my colon that he believed was malignant. Said I should consult with a surgeon. Barb reached out to our friend, Dr. Jim Green who recommended Dr. Kevin Bartow as one of the best surgeons in Columbia. Dr. Green reached out to Dr. Bartow to get me an early appointment.
October 3 -Met with Dr. Bartow. Having reviewed the colonoscopy report, he agreed the mass looked malignant and should be removed. He scheduled surgery for October 22 and ordered more blood work; a CT scan (normal); and recommended a sigmoidoscopy and more thorough biopsy with Dr. Hinds, a GI doc in Jefferson City.
October 3 – Received a call from Dr. Bartow. The path report from the first colonoscopy “found no evidence of carcinoma” and my blood work indicated a low likelihood of cancer. Surgery on for October 22.
October 8 – Sigmoidoscopy and biopsy by Dr. Hinds. Said the mass needed to be removed buy did not look malignant to her.
October 10 – Call from Dr. Hinds’ office. Pathology report found no evidence of cancer.
October 22 – Robotic colectomy removed 8 inch section of colon. Surgery went smoothly with no problems.
October 24 – Pathology report (from surgery) negative for cancer. They also found “acute diverticulitis” which is an inflammation of the colon lining… and a small perforation was beginning to form. All of that was removed during the surgery. He thinks it’s likely that this was what was causing my bowel changes that had plague me for the last several months.
October 25 – Discharged and sent home.