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‘The Duo-Dennisite ulcer family’

By Father Dennis Meinen
View from the scooter

I AM NOT A TURNIP.

You’ve heard the statement, “You can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip,” meaning, “You can only get from people what they are willing or able to give.” I AM NOT A TURNIP. I freely donated blood one day in July.

Why? How? I found out that I have a duodenal ulcer. A duodenal ulcer is a raw area in the lining in the upper part of the small intestine (duodenum), where it connects to the stomach. My ulcer wanted to be a blood donor gushing forth like an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. That is not how you donate! Now I know what it feels like to cook in a microwave oven from the inside or how it feels to be the center of attention in an emergency room.

Who gets it?

I found out that people who have a family history of duodenal ulcer are more likely to get them. After twisting the thumbs of my relatives I am a family member of several who have this. We should call ourselves “The Duo-Dennisite ulcer family.” Of course I found out that the problem is four times greater in men than in women over fifty years of age (I’m 59). Other risk factors include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as my aspirin and ibuprofen and the use of cigarettes (incense smoke?) and alcohol (Altar wine?) Remember the commercial where a person has a heart attack and a little baby aspirin saves the day and now he has twice as many cattle, children and property. (No, that was the biblical Job, not the baby aspirin supporter or the Duo-Dennisites.)

How did I discover I had an ulcer? Because it started bleeding! In the next 5 days, I received 6 bags of blood and 1 bag of plasma! I simply prayed, "Lord, my life is in your hands. Assure me always of your Abiding Presence.

I came home in 5 days and you can't even tell what I went through, except my arms look similar to a pepperoni pizza from the IV's and blood draws! What is the future? We all wonder. I sometimes smile and rejoice when I see how the Lord uses me. "Lord, you put me where you want me!" Another lasting memory was feeling/listening to the Ragbrai band “Smash Mouth” who kicked off the concert (seemingly right under my hospital window) with the popular hit “Can't Get Enough of You Baby ... I KNOW ONE PATIENT WHO QUICKLY HAD ENOUGH OF THAT MUSIC AND THE BOOMING FIREWORKS WHICH FOLLOWED….

*****to Siouxland Blood Bank and ***** to Mercy Medical Center (6th floor)!