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AntihopE
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| | Security: | | | Subject: | out and in | | Time: | 02:54 pm | | Current Mood: |  relieved |
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| Haven't posted in a while! Still live in the DC metro area. 2011 started and ended with a bang! Between my serious illness & hospitalization, 2+ grandmotherly deaths (mine, his, and his cousin's), and a car accident (his) the year was probably overall not so great. There were some highlights, I got the wilderness first responder certification, my RN (and CNA) in my new state. And his job has proven to be an excellent move for him (emotionally and career wise).
2011 is starting off pretty well. I start a new job in a few weeks. Scary as it's the first time I've worked in like 3 years (granted, I spent a lot of that time in school which was like a full-time job). Three 12-hour shift/week. Plenty of people do it. Scares and intrigues me. Plus rotating shifts (days and nights!). Will take some getting used to.
Right now, my biggest 'worry'? is my allergies.. I'm sniffly, sniffly, sniffly. | comments: Leave a comment   |
| So, I'm feeling fine now.. Been home a week. Eating well. Seem to be doing everything I should be. No pain. Not stressed out. I am supposed to schedule a follow up CT scan in about 2 weeks, and then have a doctor's appointment about a week later. I may have just spontaneously ejected the need for the second doctor's appointment, or hastened it...
( TMI ) | | comments: Leave a comment |
| So, the guy that did the (successful?) attempt at removing the necrotic tissue from my pancreas is a GI guy. He's not my main doctor, but he's (one of) the reason I chose to come to UMMC. My primary doctors are surgeons. And, well, if what he did worked, they're now out of a job. The GI guy figured I could go home today, the surgeons wanted to give me a feeding tube and keep me till Monday when I can get a CT. I think the surgeons have been under the impression that I was currently experiencing necrotic pancreatitis, rather than recovering from a post-surgical infection of the already necrotic tissue in my pseudocyst. So, they figure I'm having digestive issues, etc, when I really wasn't. I'm still gunna be in the hospital till Monday (it's saturday night), and have a CT scan done, but I don't think I need to have the feeding tube. I'm able to eat fine with no pain/discomfort. So, two more days of IV fluids and being in a hospital (at least I finally got a menu so I could pick my poisons).
They have finally (i've been 2 days now clear liquids/real food) decided to drop my IV to KVO (keep vein open), rather than 100 ml/hr. My pee today has been something like straw colored.
Overall, pain is gone. I can press down anywhere on my belly, and have no pain from it. I get full when I eat. I still have gas. Not terribly annoying, but a little bit.
Just waiting for Monday. =) | | comments: Leave a comment |
| So, the surgery thing was a success. They stuck stuff down my throat to see if they could locate and reopen the hole between my stomach and the pseudocyst. Oh boy could they. There was pus coming out of it and everything (eew!). So, they opened it up and put a stent in to keep it open for a while (I have to come back in 10 days to get it removed). I'm not exactly sure what they did, but it included debriding the necrotic tissue out of the remainder of the pseudocyst. There was saline flushing involved, too. I have some printouts of pictures through the procedure. One shows a big circle where the necrotic tissue was, and then the after picture of healthy tissue (the pseudocyst wall). The surgery went better than expected - they expected to leave me with a draining tube from the pseudocyst and a feeding tube into my jejunum or lower in the intestines. I woke up worried because I had neither. In the morning, I will be allowed a clear liquid diet (I really hate missing out on real breakfasts), and I should be discharged tomorrow or Saturday (more likely).
My throat is in lots of pain (similar to the initial surgery). Hate talking and swallowing. They gave me chloraseptic spray (with Phenol). It doesn't help. I also requested bags of ice for my throat, which I got. Not sure it really helps with the pain, but it still felt nice on the outside. Attempting to gargle with the melted ice can be nice, and trying to get a small ice chip to melt in just the right spots is good, too. Morphine is ineffective against it. And, from last time, hurriciain spray (benzocaine?) didn't help, nor lozenges. Basically, nothing I can do but keep my mouth shut and try not to swallow.
My abdomen confuses me. I think initially, I could "feel" the stent or some sharp pain with certain movements. It is not that bad now. I think it feels better than before. I can even press on the parts of my upper belly that were very painful before (and even hard from inflammation without using my abs muscles). I am afraid it may be tender, but I really haven't found any tender spots. I guess I'll find out when the docs come by in the morning and press away.
I'm not positive what to expect for recovery (I really wasn't expecting this procedure to work). Not sure how the stent removal will play a part.
( post-surgery TMI ) | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Still no MRI/MRCP thing done. Plan is to try endoscopically make a larger hole between my stomach and pseudocyst, and even stick a 10mm metal stent in to keep it open. I've been tired tired.. Doctor told me that I had an albumin of 4 (normal is over 20). Albumin is a good chunk of the protein in the liquid part of blood (not the cells). It helps a bit with fluid regulation and other things. It is also an indicator of nutrition in the last few months. I know my appetite has been pretty small, but I've been trying the Weight Watchers Points Plus program for a while, and using all of my points on it (until the last week when I knew I couldn't really eat). So, now I'm just not sure the WWPP plan is right for me. I'm basically wasting away (not a good thing). Sure, I am still overweight and have fat, but I've become weaker, and probably lost muscle mass. Whatever happens will happen. I think they're going to take me down for the MRI in a little while, the nurse just got off the phone with them. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| Wow. woke up in some crazy pain. I was lying on my left side and it felt like there was a tube jammed inside of me. I don't know if the tube idea came from a dream, but, I was holding onto the siderails of the bed. Not sure if I was fully on my side or not, felt like I was holding myself in place. The gas bubble or whatever it was felt like it was originating on my left side near my mid-lower back nearish the spine in the muscle layer. At some point I called the nurse, said I was in pain. The charge nurse came in and gave me morphine. Not really sure if it helped, or if the gas pain itself had died down (as it can do on it's own). Eventually the pain travelled around a bit. I think finally it's gone. My stomach feels 'warm' again. Not sure what my protonix order is/was. I didn't get any last night, so maybe need to wait till 10am again.
After he gave me the morphine, I had a 'warm' sensation that felt like a sheet of discomfort/hot right below the muscle layer in my abdomen. I also became kinda nauseous and thought I was just going to puke from the pain on my bed. Luckily, that passed without incident. But for like 10 minutes, I was still tearing from the pain, or the new sensations of discomfort I was feeling. I am still getting much less horrible intermittent gassy pain, towards the front not back now. But, seriously that may have taken the cake for worst gassy pains I've felt thus far. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| So.. anyhow.. after the 3 update, I picked up a fever on Sunday and went back to Suburban Hospital. Had a CT scan. Found an infection on my pseudocyst and I've been transferred to the University of Maryland. NPO. The last thing I ate was a 1 inch square of Aaron's poptart in the ER.
Seen by a zillion docs today.. All the "Emergency Surgery" labels make me scared. They also did bloodtyping on me. I should get an MRI sooner or later (probably tomorrow), then the docs will figure out what the game plan will be. I believe one of the more popular options include me getting a sexy NG tube again and get tube fed into my jejunum for about 2 weeks to let my insides chill out a bit, then open surgery to drain the pseudocyst. So, a week recovery from that, and eventually I'll be able to taste food again. But, still, docs haven't really told me anything yet, and I am waiting on an MRI. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| So, well before January, I started feeling like I get acid reflux. In the hospital in January, I was in a lot of pain that felt like my stomach was burning itself, so I started eating Maalox and zantac there (after getting a CT scan). On Friday, I was 2.5 weeks post-surgery. felt awesome. Had my doc's appointment.. I swear, I felt perfect, just had to wait a few more weeks before I could lift heavy stuff (I met a girl on Sat night that mentioned having her gall bladder removed, then being back in the hospital 2 weeks later from bleeding!).
Anyhow.. I was pretty busy. Thursday, I came to Philly (4ish hour bus). Had dinner with some friends in West Philly (ate a milkshake and half of a bunless burger). Friday, I had my doc's appointment, then had lunch with my brother (had some nachos and a small part of a spicy burrito), then played with his kids at the Franklin Institute.. Came home, took a nap, then a friend of mine picked me up and I had Mild/medium indian food for dinner with him and his (7 mos pregnant!) wife... I stayed at his place overnight. Breakfast was ramen noodles with some indian seasonings. Still felt fine, just getting tired.
Saturday night, I met with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1) systris. We went to Dracula's Ball. I was trying to have a good time, but I started feeling like indigestion. The vibrations from the music seem to just mess with my insides. I made the mistake of ordering a soda (I rarely drink soda). It just seemed to make the feelings worse, not calming. So, though the night, I battled the indigestion from the music vibrations, and then getting kinda grossed out by the smells of cigarette smoke (outside) and stage smoke (downstairs). I wasn't miserable, but surely uncomfortable.
Sunday, I still kinda felt out of it.. I came home (another 4 hour bus ride). Then had a fight or something with Aaron (very rare). Went to gaming night with the DC board gamers. Still felt a bit weird.
Monday and Tuesday, I slept for 12+ hours, and took naps during the day. I was getting more acidy/abdominal pain. I swore I'd call the doctor on Wednesday, but another day of pain and lethargy, instead. Thursday, I finally got the nerve to call the surgeon (talked to someone other than his usual receptionist), and then saw my new doctor. She prescribed for me Protonix (a PPI inhibitor) assuming it is GERD. The pills seem to help a little bit, but I still feel pretty acidic. Eating tums throughout the day. Have no appetite, but I'm eating small meals regardless. Usually just makes my tummy more upset. My lower/mid back is getting sore, too. I don't know if it is from the lethargy, or referred pain from whatever is going on. Hopefully on/by Monday it will either be better or I'll have spoken to the surgeon or my GP again. My symptoms are including "acidy" pain in my stomach area, occasional burping through the day (I rarely burp, and usually only after drinking carbonated beverages), and intestinal unhappiness. Stools were soft, but mostly formed yesterday. Think absent today, but I've barely been eating but cans of soup. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| I'm pretty much not sore.. Feeling pretty good most of the time. The steri-strips have been falling off in little bits and pieces. I was kinda surprised. I expected them to come off like bandaids. My other wound is healing fine. It's got a layer of tough skin over the exposed part, and no signs of infection.
I am still eating pretty small meals. Makes going out to dinner cheaper (since I have leftovers, and leftovers). I guess doing Weight Watchers is probably "helping" too. I figure I should use this chance to lose as much weight as possible (within healthy limits). I've lost nearly 30 lbs since I went into the hospital in January (so, 3 months). Granted, about 20 lbs were lost in the few days after the initial hospitalization (I was NPO for at least 5 or 6 days in there, but they filled me up with TONS of fluids). I think I peed out at least 10 lbs right after I came home. So, I guess since early February, I've only lost about 10 lbs, but that's something (and probably healthier than 20 lbs in 10 days). While weight loss isn't really about the recovery, I think previous weight gain (and crappy diet) was the cause of the gallstones that are likely the cause of the pancreatitis. The severity, no clue. I think my severe acute necrotizing pancreatitis was something that occurs in well less than 5% of pancreatitis cases. So, with that I was unlucky. With the development of the pancreatic pseudocyst was pretty likely (I think like a 50% chance). The size (~11x7x8) and the fact that it was probably symptomatic (intermittent pains I was feeling between mid-February and when I was scheduled for removal), was a bit less likely, but maybe normalish because of the amount of necrotic pancratic tissue (they say I lost like 50% of it).
So, now I just want to get myself down to a more healthy weight, and get back into exercising. It hasn't been two weeks yet, so I haven't started running. I did hang out on a recumbent stationary bicycle to the Couch to 5k plan. There are some iPhone apps for it. Before the surgey, i was doing a couch to 10k app. I was up to week 4, I think. At this point, I'll probably try to ease back into it. Since I'm heavy, I'll probably wait till at least week 4 before running (I'm paranoid my belly will do untoward things to the internal surgical bits). Who knows.
On the bright side, I have plans to do a week long Wilderness First Responder course in Pennsylvania in July. It will end on my birthday. So, I kinda consider it a birthday present to myself. It'll be a week of car camping, I think.
On the not so bright side, I think my husband has had the "Man-flu". http://manflu.info Luckily, as a woman, I am naturally immune to the man-flu (I have an XX chromosome where he's got XY). So, if I come down with a "little cold", it will be nothing in comparison to all of the coddling he requires to stay healthy. (I'm just not sure if my system will be up for getting sick right away). Seems to be a sicky feeling, starts with nasal-drip/throat issues. Heads up towards the head, or possibly the chest. Just as I'm getting my lungs back into shape! The horror!
Regardless. Next weekend, I had better be well! I have plans to go to Dracula's Ball on Saturday night, and see some old Philly friends while I'm up (I also happen to have a doctor's appointment). Maybe he'll have the surgery video! I just wanna see splooshing pancreatic goo (like the stuff that ended up being collected from my NG tube)! Hmm, if all goes well, I guess I can stop using my "sicky" usericon. | | comments: Leave a comment |
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AntihopE
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