Surgery Success

While there were multiple delays prior to surgery (emergency case before me), apparently all went well during surgery. They were able to go the simple route and I am resting in a comfy bed for the night before heading across the pass.
I was able to hold down dinner though I am still fairly nauseated.  When I woke up...from my dream, it took me a minute to remember that I was having surgery...and oh by the way, it was over.  Last thing I remember was the meds burning as they went in and the anesthesiologist saying that was ok...oxygen mask suffocation, and me realizing it was time to submit to the drugs.  As I woke up, all I wanted to do was go back into my nap...though the nausea and pain were starting to kick in...nothing three doses of dolotted and a few oxy couldn't handle. Super tired now a hoping for some goog sleep!

Another Adventure

We are once again in Seattle at Virginia Mason...and we hope this is our last visit to Seattle for a while (Lynnwood ok to visit). We have made over 20 trips here in the last 10 months...construction on the high rise was still a hole in the ground... 

Gall bladder surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning and we hope it is quick and uneventful.  Today's tests were a little rough...my blood was drawn by a phlebotimist in training and my blood didn't want to leave my arm...next stop was the CT scan where it took 3 tries to get an IV started and a 5th poke to get a little more blood...now the bruises are appearing. 

CT scans are not for the weak stomachs...you start with 32oz Barium Sulfate chalky, nasty drink and ends with contrast that makes you feel like you wet yourself and has recently caused nausea for about an hour.  It took so long to get the IV started that we were late to our next two appts. Poor Jacob had to sit and wait all afternoon, but then we went to a movie and a lovely dinner and now getting ready for bed.

Praying tomorrow's surgery is the culmination of this bout with Pancreatitis...10 months is long enough!! For those of you haven't seen me lately...I am feeling really good, ready to get back to the gym and golfing.  We made two trips downtown from the hospital today...and I could have done a few more.

FYI, I will blog tomorrow when I feel up to it...don't expect to hear anything until late afternoon.  Love you all!! Thanks for your prayers and support!

Tubeless

We had a good visit to VM today...got the last tube out, scheduled gall bladder surgery and a follow-up over a month away!! I didn't have to have anesthesia today...they just gave it a yank and the tube was gone...it has been a long time...I was excited and it was fun to see excitement in the Drs. and nurses...got hugs from lots of the ones I have seen week after week and even got the tubeless in Seattle certificate. I am waiting until after Aaron's birthday to have gall bladder surgery.
Another good thing this trip is that we found Rhodie's BBQ...it moved and I was missing the yummy pork sandwich...it is now off exit 22. I was starving...and now my belly is happy!

We are on our way home!

Home and dealing

We went into today's appointment with hope and optimism, but the doc had other news. He did take the lower drain out but talked to us for quite some time about other fluid formations...and that the internal drains are not fully functional. There are a few fluid formations in hard to reach places including around my spleen...he was going to try to route my last drain so it could drain that fluid...being that they medicate me to not remember the pain during the proceedure...I don't know where exactly the tube is located internally.  Jacob tells me about conversations that go on while I am in recovery and I have no recollection...get me off those drugs!!! I am feeling the pain now and took off the pain patch this week so hopefully the pain rollercoaster doesn't return...all in all, my body is making progress and I feel better overall. One good thing about today's appt is that it progressed relatively on schedule and we were home before 5pm!!

On the road again...

We are headed back to Seattle for a CT, tube check, blood work, and department follow-ups.  We are hoping and praying that they will take the two remaining tubes out. I am trying to not get my hopes up, but I have been feeling better and the drain output has decreased.
Pray that if it is the right time that these tubes come out, and if it is not the right time, pray that I can mentally take another week or two.

Fun note...we had a girls spa day last weekend and then some mother-daughter time and a friend BBQ...first, the 90min deluxe pedi was excellent and turned the rough morning around and at some point during the day I had a feeling of normalcy...it was Amazing! I was tired and sore on Sunday...but it is great that I am having more good days, more stamina, and feeling like I can be on my feet more without crashing!! I went grocery shopping today and hopefully will feel up to camping over the weekend!

Thanks everyone for the prayer and support. We are not through it all, but I feel like we are climbing our way out of the valley!

What it is not...

After a long day in the ER, all the tests came back ok...not kidney stones, not pulmonary embolism, not a clot in the leg, lungs look ok, so they sent me home with muscle relaxers. The first couple haven't completely knocked out pain like I had hoped...though feeling good in general and sleeping more...very Thankful for the little improvements!!
Though setbacks are hard, I feel like I am am moving in the right direction...hopefully heading toward removal of more drains...

Two days, two hospitals...

My days of pain started Sunday night at the hotel at Virginia Mason...I felt pain in my lower right flank that we thought were muscle spasms...I couldn't lay flat or even get comfortable at any angle other than full sitting position...needless to say, I did not get much sleep.  We got up ans got down to the Ct scan and then we were sent to the other building for tube check. It is a long walk and I was tired when we got there...only to hear my proceedure would be done at the Buck Pavilion...exactly where we came from ...so we headed back over there...waited forever and then found out there was equipment that broke down and I would be heading back to Jones pavilion...this time they brought a wheelchair and a parking voucher for the inconvenience.  They were really behind and my 9am proceedure didn't get underway until almost 12:30...they switched where the two drains were positioned inside and sent me on my way...the whole day plagued by these spasms or whatever they are. I was in so much pain by the time we got home that I went straight to bed...it was another restless night with more pain and trouble breathing that I called the Doc and got right in this morning...after he poked around and listened to my lungs, he sent me for a Chest CT at ER...3.5 HRS later, I am still here...waiting...watching as cell battery dies. I will post again when I know something...

...and then there was 2

We were "fit" in this morning for a tube check and now we are on our way home.  We had gone to Seattle without an appt but I called as soon as I could and left a message that we had an urgent need to be seen today. They I'd get a call within two hours so we waited in our room...which is attached to hospital...I called the nurse at 8:15 to ask a few questions about clear liquids I could drink that morning.  She said she would talk to scheduler and they'd get back to me...got a call from nurse that they had opening and to head over. Within five minutes I get a call seeing if I wax going to check in today so I asked what time I had been scheduled...and she said 8:00...would have been nice for a callback since we were up and ready...waiting for the phone to ring.

We pack our stuff down and check into the correct area...no CT scan...just a thorough tube check.  After that the doc left for a bit to put together his plan...taking out front drain and reducing the size of the back two drains...may still have to deal with leakage since the new drains are smaller...a price to pay to be closer to having them out but not fun nonetheless. Now they will be easier to flush and we flush less each time and twice a day.  We will see how tomorrow goes...hopefully a step forward and not a lazy or painful day... 

Praise the Lord that Aunt Mickey and Uncle Jerry are flying home.  Please pray for safe travels and continued healing in his hip. Also pray that Aunt Mickey who is taking care of uncle Jer..may she rest on the plane and when they get home!!

Find Blessings this week...if you look enough, you will find them all around you!  Also, to the "moms" in my life...you are priceless and I can't put into words what you mean in Jacob, Aaron, and my lives!!! Happy Mother's day week!!!

Feeling good, but...

It has been a week and a half since the last drain check and feeling ok. I have been mobile a lot this week cleaning the shop...well for the most part I am sitting in the computer chair while Jacob does the dirty work...and thanks so much to the friends and family who helped with operation shop clean out!!

The doc switched the dose on my pain patch with the hopes that I can get off the oxycodone...don't know if that is what has been giving me more energy or if it has been the fresh air and a project?? I am beat at the end of the day but such a productive week.

Last night (Sat) one of the sutures holding one of the back drains pulled loose and now there is only tape holding it in place...I was worried and called the doc on call and we agreed I should come in (to VM in Seattle) to get it fixed.  She wasn't worried that any damage had been done yet...that is good, but waiting a week for my next appt scared me...what if I moved wrong or Aaron grabbed and pulled...I'd rather make an urgent trip rather than emergency. Another reason we thought it was good to go sooner rather than later was that this was the drain that has leaked through two dressings a day since we got home from getting it put in...it is hard to flush because of the extension piece needed to make it work...it has caused me the most pain (the suture was really tender...shooting pain when Jacob would change the dressing)...and it isn't draining a super amount of fluid...basically our problem child right now...

We are headed to Seattle even though we don't have an appt...the Doc knows we are coming and said they will "fit us in" Monday. She is the one that differentiated urgent from emergency...I am hoping for morning since I have to fast before procedure...but peace of mind is the main goal. Last time I had a problem, we called for an appt Monday first thing and didn't get in until Tuesday afternoon because of the pass being closed and involving a third party to make the appt...the scheduler in my gastro Drs office and I played phone tag all day. This time we will be at the hospital ready and waiting for an opening and will call the IR dept directly.

I will post again tomorrow after the procedure. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

Another good appt!

We had another decent visit at VM today. I would say great or one of best, but I did still have to be put out...IV took two pokes... and I still have drains protruding out if my body...and rely on pain meds... We were excited to hear that one of the areas has shrunk to one-third or one-quarter its last size!!! They still switched out the drain because they hope to pull more sludge in the actual process. I still came home with three drains, but none of the drains had clogged or stop working. Actually the last drain still comes out of me at the same place but is reaching a new fluid collection on the inside... Hoping that I feel good tomorrow and continue to improve my nutrition, energy, and strength!!
It is not a good thing that everyone knows me on a first name basis...the CT scan gal, the IR nurse and techs, etc...and they ask what Aaron is doing this week...

Our little Superman is eating more varieties and textures, pulls himself up on everything and most recently started singing the "dadadadadada" song. Jacob is waiting for Aaron to look at him and just say, "Dada".

Better day, in perspective...

Found this draft blog post from a few days back...sorry for delay.  Today I have felt much better! Last week was a really bad week...and hopefully the rest of this week is as good as today or better...actually looking forward to dinner tonight...appetite better than last week.
BTW...I am home...my Tues appts finished and we were sent home same day!!

Up, Up, let's get the show on the road..

We had a good talk with multiple doctors today and we are going to try a few different things.  First with the drains, we went bigger...going smaller last week didn't move us in the right direction...treading water... They seem ok but let's see how I do sleeping and how tomorrow goes when meds are back to normal. I had another iron infusion with another planned next week...antibiotics may get switched up a bit too.  Feeling ok as I head to bed. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!!!

Back to VM

Quick update while I wait for Jacob to park the car and walk up the super steep hill at Inn @ VM. My drains have gone crazy the last few days and started leaking stinky greenish fluid at the drain sites...while the smell is enough to gag a medical professional, the wet on my clothes felt disgusting.  I have been using new burp cloths to soak up fluid... When I called this morning, they got me in first thing Tuesday...and now we are here. I will post after we see how things go.

Home and dealing

I went for a CT and drain check and things went awry after the Interventional Radiologist reviewed the CT.  After delays and procedure location change, I finally got called back and prepped for my drain check.  I asked the admit nurse what the plan was since things can change based on CT results. She read the screen and it said drain placement and tube check.  All I was expecting was tube check and was looking for an answer more like take out front drain and see what contrast does in back drain. After quite some time I finally saw the Radiologist doing the proceedure and we went over CT and drain checks from the last few months.  He saw a fluid collection heading toward my pelvic region that he wanted to drain. I had talked with Jacob and decided we did not three drains that two was enough to manage at one time. The Doc and I talked about taking out the front drain, downsizing the back drain and adding this other drain...while I did not 100% like this plan, it was my compromise.  I went to CT for drain placement and then they would take me across hall for drain check.  I told people helping get me ready about our plan and a while later I woke up in recovery.  Basically, they added a third tube, changed the front one and added a piece that hopefully helps when putting Aaron to sleep and downsized the back drain...what happened to only two drains? I was very tired and very disoriented and did not get answers to why they did what they did...or at least I don't remember...Jacob usually is there and gets all the answers, but Rodney took me this time and he dropped me in morning and picked me up at 9pm so he was not there to hear what they had to say...I had a bit of a fever so they kept me until my vitals looked ok...9pm...got home at 1am...did not get out of bed until afternoon today...pain was bad so I'd take pain meds and then accidently fall asleep during the time they were working so today has felt like one big ball of pain...hoping tomorrow is completely opposite and I feel half normal...I'd settle for 25%...
Thanks for your prayers and continue to pray for reduced pain and adequate drainage.  One good thing is that the garden hose in the back is much more flexible...but new drain 3 could interfere with wearing clothes out...give and take...praying for these drains to come out soon!!!

Visit not as expected...

Quick update to let you know a bigger one is coming when I have some lucid time...still at VM, waiting until 9pm to see if I am ok to go home...IF fever goes away and pain manageable...so far, it could literarlly either way.  Earlier had a fever of over102..._now 99...

Homeward bound

Drain check showed front drain working well and even flowing into the inner drains!  There was a partial blockage in the back drain.  They both have had drainage at the drain site so they replaced them both and slightly upsized the front drain.  While in recovery, the infectious disease doc stopped by and wanted to admit me for my fevers last week but she settled for cultures of what was coming out of drains and will let me know about antibiotics later this week. I have to go back in one week, but as of right now I am ok with that...just need to get a ride.  At this moment, I am in such incredible pain that I am having Jacob pull over until the pain meds kick in. Prayers and Blessings to those who are praying for me and those that need to be surrounded in prayer themselves.  Much love!

Deja vu...all over again.

My appointments this morning showed progress over the CT scan done on the 12th, but not enough to remove drains...and they upsized the front one...so at least two weeks of drains left.  It was good that the front tube contrast actually made its way to the stomach...so internal drain working!! I kept mentioning the pain management and it went in one eat ans out the other of multiple people...very frustrating...hoping for more good progress weeks and at least tube downsize or removal.

More of the same...

I have been home about 10 days and had to make a trip to the ER last Monday due to fever.  I still have low grade fevers, but not enough to go back to ER. I am scheduled back at VM on Monday for a drain check and follow-ups.  I am still on the pain meds and frustrated that the pain from the back drain is not going away...I am told that some pain may be with me as long as the drains are in.  I am balancing rest with getting out of the house...may be a busy weekend, but all fun stuff!! Pray that the sharp pain I have been experiencing that is not helped with pain meds goes away. Thanks to everyone praying, helping with Aaron, and sending well wishes our way!

Cuddling

I am home and still fighting lots of pain but enjoying snuggle naptime with Aaron. I am trying to balance gaining strength and resting. This is going to be a long haul but we can get through this and take each step one at a time...

PRAISE THE LORD

Our family is reunited! They let me go this afternoon and my Uncle Joe drove the first leg to Ellensburg and we met up with Jacob for the rest of the trip.