The Wilson's Property, Part Dos
Okay, so where was I?
Oh...I was losing my marbles. Or...I already lost them. It doesn't matter, I have about 3 left.
So, at this point, we knew that it was my liver, but we still didn't have a diagnosis.
The paralyzing muscle cramps and the agitation I faced with outside stimuli was worsening by the day. I told you how I couldn't listen to the radio while driving. Well, if I accidentally turned it on due to habit and Milli Vanilli was on, there would've been a very good chance that I would've rolled the car. I had to be ultra-disciplined. NO MILLI VANILLI, KEVIN!! NO MATTER HOW tempting they were...
With symptoms worsening by the day, and knowing that it was my liver, I went to a health food store to see what they had to flush my liver out.
"FLUSH, THE LIVER...OUT!! YAOOOWW!! FLUSH, THE LIVER...OUT!!!
Isn't there a song like that? No?
Sorry, my bad.
Actually, I may have done this before that biopsy...I dunno. It's been 9 years after all, so I'm not sure when I did the whole liver-flush thing. But, I'm going to tell you about it because it was disgusting. And you know how I like sharing disgusting things with you.
Well, I did this herb-thing for I don't know, like 10 days (this must have been before the biopsy), then drank a whole shitload of pure apple juice mixed with goat piss or something like that, for 3 days, THEN...are you ready? Then, I was suppose to drink a cup of coke, juice from one lemon, blended with 1 cup of OLIVE OIL. A WHOLE CUP OF OLIVE OIL.
yuk.
I blended it. Then, I proceeded to drink it out of the blender.
It...
Was...
AWFUL!!!
It was like listening to Milli Vanilli and seeing Paul Giamatti naked at the same time.
I was bouncing up and down in the kitchen, pacing, grimacing trying to force the rest of it down without hurling.
It was truly disgusting.
Then, I was to lie down on my right side, hoping that the olive oil would seep into my liver, causing it to spasm and spew all the toxins out of it.
So, I did. And I fell asleep that way.
When I awoke the next morning, I burped. I burped an OLIVE OIL BUBBLE.
And then, I puked.
It was grand.
I went to work later that day. I was working as a bartender at the time and my boss knew that I had been facing some rough stuff. I told him what I had done and that there was a good chance that something...peculiar might happen during our evening shift.

And sure enough, it did.
I felt a low rumbling and looked at him with a bit of concern. He returned the look of concern mixed with apprehension and masked disgust.
And I ran as fast as I could.

And there certainly was "anatomy" involved.
I'm also certain that the display was witnessed by neighboring states.
I held on tight to avoid lift-off and was gone from the bar for an hour. When I returned looking haggard and sweaty, he just looked at me with suspicious eyes as though I had just devoured a small child.
Well, it was as if I had induced the flu. I felt worse for a few days, but then things began to simmer down. I began to feel better and the symptoms seem to subside a little.
So, back to the biopsy. The doctor actually felt like we couldn't wait for the results and sent me to the eye doctor to check for Kayser-Fleischer Rings in my eyes. These rings have a brownish-yellow hue (consisting of copper) and are present in the cornea in virtually every patient with neurologic disease associated with Wilson's Disease. And they usually go nicely with a nice Tweed sport coat, or even a nice traditional Burberry jacket.
He sent me to an emergency eye-clinic and with-in minutes, we had a diagnosis.
I had Wilson's Disease. It's "a genetic disorder that is fatal unless detected and treated before serious illness from copper poisoning develops. (That means no more gnawing on copper pipes or freshening my breath with a penny or two...damn it.) Wilson's Disease affects approximately one in 30,000 people worldwide. The genetic defect causes excessive copper accumulation in the liver or brain." (SEE? SEE? THERE'S REASON FOR THIS MADNESS!!! MMUUUU-WAA-HAHAHAHA!!!)
I wasn't crazy. Well, a little, but that's okay. I can't tell you how I relieved I was to actually have a diagnosis. I felt like I knew my enemy's name. Now, I just needed to find out what to do about the little fucker, 'cause just between me, you and the woodwork, this asshole was pissing me off.






26 Comments:
I think I used all my copper jokes when you told me this story.
I'm just glad you didn't tell me you were allergic to latex and ass-hair or that party would have ended quickly.
Hope you're doing okay.
Dude. That sounds awful.
I know I'm kind of a psychotic hypochondriac but I'm pretty sure that now I have Wilson's disease too.
Ready for part 3.
well i'm glad you got the name! and i like that it says it's fully treatable! which is like.. YAY, no dead kevin!!!! :)
I totally saw this on an episode of House. Glad you caught it early.
Scary. So glad you got a name to put with the symptoms, and then to find out that it's treatable.
Get better/stay well, because there's a whole lot of us out here that like you.
Jeez, the liver is in a constant state of "a woman scorned" no matter how you treat her!
And now...?
The offer for a recuperative vacation here in NM is still open, although I lost the guesthouse in the divorce so you'd have to stay in the room next to the toddler who is generally quiet except between 2 and 4 a.m.
Whoa. That's scary stuff. I swear I saw an episode on Discovery Health Channel about this disease.
Does it affect you on a daily basis? Or will all that be revealed in the next episode?
ok, wait so you're telling me that olive oil thing WASN'T served at the bar?
I had a naturopath convince me to do that liver flush; blahhh...
I was on the couch all morning, slowly dying while small children meandered about me. (They weren't random urchins;they belonged to me. I think it traumatized my nephew.)
And it didn't cure me either.
So glad you are ok. Take care.
Jesus Christ, Kevin. I hope you're okay through all this. Take care.
Sweet Jebus! Glad you've got a name for what's been ailing you. Now get better!
Sorry about that previous post. I was trying to sign off as Anastasia "you'll never catch me, you dirty copper" Beaverhausen. But it was too long. And the unfortunate result appears as though I might have been calling you something unseemly. I should stop trying to be funny.
Kevin,
I admire your wit in the face of such an awful experience. I can't wait for installment #3.
I've had breast cancer twice and I know that it is so much better to laugh in the face of danger than to curl up and cry.
I'm happy to know that we are sisters in arms!
Hugs,
Tami
OH! That's your genetic disorder. I always thought it was... never mind. ;)
Glad you're back. I missed you something fierce.
Treatable is the best word there is, isn't it?
Glad you're okay Kevin.
And if you're in need of a good tea, try Yogi Tea Peach Detox -- I don't know if this would help, but the box says that it helps liver and kidney function. And NO EXPLOSIONS! I've had 4 cups a day for the last week and I'm sure if it was going to happen, it would have. :)
Not knowing is the worst! Especially when you know something is wrong. That fucking parasite, Giardia got in me a few years ago. I lost 15 pounds, tired all the time, and bloated. It took 4 months to figure out was wrong with me. Up until then everyone just thought I was a hypochondriac in need of serious mental help. I was so relieved to know that there was a reason and I was not going crazy.
Dude. This is like watching Mystery Diagnosis.
I am so glad you are back! Now I hope you get better soon!
No more homeopathic remedies for you! Or...at least stay near home..if you do! :)
And yet...we still want you to be our sperm donor....
I'm glad you are okay, and just sent you a total freak out email.
What Mama Tulip said...I swear Wilson's Disease WAS on an episode of Mystery Diagnosis.
And I cannot believe you've managed to make me laugh hysterically a thousand times during two posts on a serious illness. (Oh, wait, yes I can, because you're fucking hilarious.)
Keeping you in my thoughts...
You scared the crap out of me! My biological mother just died of Liver Cancer. I'm going to her funeral this Saturday.
Stay on top of it man. And it's virgin Mai Tais for you from now on out!
This is how House should be written.
If you could just find a way of extracting the Copper from your eyeballs we could make fortune!
bring it ... lets hear part 3 ... where Kevin uses copper to save the world from Republicans....
Bossy is stills tuck on the part where you think Paul Giamatti naked is a bad thing. He he. Glad you have a diagnosis, now: onwards and upwards with treatment.
ok, but what hasn't been mentioned so far is that the house episode about this copper thing was because a woman had an old iud in her. you didn't...oh, i don't want to know, then.
and is it selfish to know that a man whose blogging i do so highly admire and enjoy has been avoiding writing because he, too, is down in the happies? i'd buy you a drink but can't afford one much less two. knit you a hat? i can do that.
prayin' for ya, babe.
I want to know if your concoction tasted better than Constulose (Enulose)?
That stuff makes me gag!
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home