I do not have Long Covid. Hurrah! I have never had Covid at all, of any variety, which is excellent news. But I certainly can relate to Long Covid. I have every sympathy for sufferers of the affliction. This is, after all, yet another post about the continuing ailments brought about by the mystery virus I contracted last year. You might be wondering if the photo is in some way an intro into this latest episode. It is. We are stood at the bottom of the steps that lead into the mobile endoscopy unit of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.
A few moments after taking the photo, I climbed the steps and went inside. You lucky fellows have to wait outside. I will spare you the precise details of what happens inside the endoscopy unit. You may well have a good idea already. You can google ‘colonoscopy’ if you’re unsure. I’ll just say this much. I don’t know if the makers of the chemical drink Moviprep (two litres of which I downed the day before the procedure) advertise their product. But if they do, I imagine the slogan is ‘ Moviprep! Doesn’t fuck around.’
And watching the big TV screen on the wall during the procedure, whilst heavily sedated, is a somewhat surreal experience. Disturbing, even. I definitely don’t need to see a repeat, thanks. Generally speaking, any part of me that cannot be seen in the bathroom mirror is not a part of me that I ever wish to see.
The good news is that I don’t have cancer. I had a good idea of what I did have before the procedure, but my symptoms were such that cancer still needed to be ruled out. I would have given the doctor a high five when he told me the good news, but in these Days of the Plague, high fives are definitely not allowed. Besides, I knew exactly where his hands had just been. So, no. No high fives.
There are tests to be conducted on the bits the doctor cut out of me. There are further consultations and reviews of blood samples. And thus a formal diagnosis must wait. But there is a stand out candidate, and that is Ulcerative Colitis. It’s an autoimmune disease. Something I’m familiar with. I’ve had psoriasis for decades, which is also an autoimmune disease.
The cause of Ulcerative Colitis is not certain, but one of the three leading theories is that a viral or bacterial infection in the bowels sparks the immune system into action. And the immune system doesn’t turn off once it’s beaten the infection. It simply selects a new target. In this case, my colon. Most unfortunate.
Hence my empathy for sufferers of Long Covid. And my healthy respect for the dangers of a virus. Keep you distance. Wash your hands. Wear a face mask. You might consider this to be a bit of a pain in the arse, but at least it is so in a figurative sense and not a literal one.
The Mexile 
I know from experience that colonoscopies are no fun… especially drinking the “prep” the day before. Glad to hear that cancer was ruled out. Is the colitis treatable.?
Stay safe. I fear that this is going to be a scary winter on both sides of the pond.
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It’s not curable, but it is treatable. Preferred treatment is through medication, but for the worst cases treatment involves the surgical removal of the colon. I don’t think there’s any sign that I fit in that latter category, thankfully. And this is, of course, assuming that I do indeed have UC.
The prep isn’t fun, but wasn’t anywhere near as bad as some people had suggested. The taste was ok, with a bit of orange and mango squash added. The first litre went down easily. The second litre was harder work. In fact the last 250ml went down the sink. I was full to capacity. Until….suddenly, I wasn’t!
It’s not going to be a nice winter for a lot of people. It is important not to get too worked up by it all. The virus is dangerous enough that it merits attention and action. But we have to work around it. My approach is quite pragmatic.
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