Change of plans of course

Greetings folks.  I got my Barrick charts today.  Wow.  So nice to have full size quality paper and print.  I plan to start one tonight.  If I can get the chocolate off my fingers. 

 

First off I want to thank everyone once again for support and concern and helpful suggestions.  There are several reasons we are staying here in this Steward facility, the first being Carole will not go out of town.  She has one son that works shifts and also volunteers (fireman).  He is lucky to catch a few hours sleep without interruption.  She has one sister (who is brilliant... well..  used to be) and one brother (obsessive personality is putting it mildly) and one brother in law.  To be alone a few hours away is very scary to her and with her health condition, does not want to be in a position that her son or we could not get to her if an emergency situation arose.  We are all only 15 minutes away here and that is comforting to her.  And us.  Dr. Sachdeva and Dr. Vallabh are very fine surgeons with excellent reputations that have treated family previously.  We are very lucky to have them both.  Her family doctor has been a Godsend to her and other family members for almost 40 years and treats us like his own family.  The mix ups and errors and rudeness are not as important as the people actually saving your life.  I found out that there is a nationwide shortage of Ativan!  It's not just the hospital, no one around here has any.  So I took her some of mine which they allowed.  The gallbladder removal is Wednesday, nothing tomorrow, because that surgeon is on vacation as we thought, but were told otherwise for days.  The process will be backward, gallbladder first, stones the next week, but that is what it must be.  Good.  She will have a week between anesthesias.  Hopefully the organ will not burst or disintegrate upon removal and that will go smoothly, and she will be monitored and dosed to wake from the surgery.  After the PCP, cardiologist, gastro, and pulmonary people said they are at a loss to understand the shortness of breath, I did my own research.  It seems a diseased/inflamed/enlarged gallbladder and complicated by blocked ducts can cause gastritis, which bloats the abdomen, puts pressure on the diaphragm, and can cause this.  It's the best I got!   Forums with other patients have shown this is common and many have claimed to develop breathing issues, not realizing it could be the gallbladder (or other abdominal issues).  She is hoping this is her case and the scary breathlessness will cease.  Dr. Vallabh said people Carole's age rarely have pain indicating there is a problem (she has NONE), but a younger person would.   Her antibiotics for the sepsis have created a real problem "digestively" and also a yeast infection in her mouth and throat.  But her fever is down and they are pleased.  So there you have it!   Wednesday is the surgery and we are praying all will go well and her heart can handle it.  I will update then, maybe even have a little stitching to show.

 

Thanks everyone.  Bless you all!

 

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