The initial treatment addressed most of my symptoms. About six months after the initial symptoms I was feeling close to normal.  The only indications that I had Cronkhite-Canada Syndrome was my nails were still not normal. My thumbs and index fingers were “clubbed.” They would grow real thick.  Every week or so I took a heavy duty emory board and sanded them down. I also had a scar to the right of my belly button – starting about 3 inches below and extending to about 6 inches above. This was related to having my ascending Colon removed.

During a follow-up colonoscopy and endoscopy – I believe the third from Emory over about a 5 month period,- for it took place a few days before the 4th of July, my Colon was perforated. The colonoscopy identified an area of concern. The doctor had taken many biopsies and there was a particular area of my ascending colon she was concerned with. Before I left to go home from the colonoscopy she had made me an appointment to have another procedure done (I can’t remember if it was MRI or CCT) – I had to drink some nasty contrast before the procedure.  I believe the Colonoscopy was on a Tuesday and the MRI/CCT was scheduled for Friday. Thursday was the 4th of July. We went to the fireworks like we always did and had a good time.

I woke up about 3am with a significant pain on my side. I got up and took some aspirin and got dressed. My appointment was for an 8am procedure. I left for the clinic around 6:30 and called the doctor around 7am. She answered her personal cell phone that she had given me in case of an emergency. I told her what was my symptom. She said she would call the clinic as she wanted someone to look at the results as soon as possible and that I should call her after the procedures. Which I did.

I called her on my way home, just after I left the hospital. She asked that I not go home, to park close by and she would call me after she talked with the doctor that would interpret the test results.  In hind sight I believe she had a good idea of what had occurred.

She called me back about 20 minutes later. The test had identified the colon was perforated in the area where she had taken several biopsies. It appeared that part of the colon was diseased.  I turned around and checked myself in to the hospital. Later that day the infected area was drained. A tube was left in for additional drainage – but there was little drainage after the it was initially drained. I was on an IV and an antibiotic for 8 days.

A few weeks after I left the hospital I was back – to get my Ascending Colon removed. At this point even though I was not having any external symptoms I had to many polyps to count. In some places on the color pictures from the colonoscopy there was as much white (the polyps) as pink – the healthy condition. The removal of the Ascending Colon was uneventful. The reason for the big scar was the doctor wanted to get a good look at my colon to get a better sense of the overall condition – that was okay.

Initially the doctor had talked about removing more of the colon – but I would only agree to remove  what was dieased.  He ended up agreeing that was the best approach.