Sorry - me again!

Nervous Mervous.  Me and Monkey Mona (brat Missy who is in here driving me nuts).  When I'm nervous I start many things at one time, make a mess, get upset because nothing is organized or completed, and then throw it all out.  In between the mess, I grab the laptop.  That's you.  Hiya.  One of the things I actually did accomplish was making a box to fit this sampler I plan to sell.  I have searched for weeks and there are no boxes long enough for it without being much too high and wide.  My Amazon shipment came in and I hacked away with glue and tape in hand.  Not pretty, but functional.

Carole is still in ICU and short of breath.  No fluid in her lungs, her heart is causing the problem.  A doctor came in and explained to her that she cannot leave because they are very concerned about the sepsis which is quite serious right now.  Two artificial knees are a huge concern and if they become infected, will need to be replaced.  They still act like anesthesia is not a big deal.

 

The doctor we were told was to perform the GB removal Monday, said he will do it after the stone removal.  The stone removal doctor is off for a week and said the GB will be removed first.  Dammit.  They are both top notch respected surgeons, happy with both, but what the hell???  I am very glad because she is in no condition to be put under for a second time within a few days.  Recovery from this episode is needed.  She has no idea what is going on other than an additional IV in the other arm, trying to get the sepsis under control.  If this does settle in those knees, I don't even want to think about it.  My concern is her breathlessness.

 

In the meantime, my doctor office calls and informs me I must be seen now because the DEXA scan was over the borderline and we must discuss which medication I want.  My hips are fine and the spine is right at the cutoff number between osteopenia and osteoporosis. I bluntly told her that we discussed this, I said from the beginning I will not take meds for this now, and she agreed to try diet if necessary.  Obviously I can't trust her word.  I am tired of being pushed with scare tactics into drugs I do not see the need for.  She's done this with other conditions. But if I want 30 Ativan pills once a year for times such as these, she wants counseling first. I think it's time to move on.

 

Hope your Friday is going swell.

Sorry for the multiple rambling posts.  But it helps.

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Another day

Carole is still in ICU (breathing problems) but will be moved back to her room later this morning.    Over five hours after the 30 minute surgery, nauseated, disoriented, difficulty breathing.  This morning, the anesthesiologist came in to see her and pointed his finger at her saying "this is YOUR problem, YOU are the problem, NOT me.  I did everything by the book and nothing wrong.  This is on YOU.  YOU are the problem."  And they are insisting she go through this again for surgery Monday.  If I was in her room at 6am, this man would be speaking in a higher octave because I would have plucked one of his grapes right off. 

 

I read online that very few cases of this GB removal have been done with local numbing and light sedation for patients at high risk.  I am contacting Cleveland Clinic and the Pittsburgh hospitals to see if anyone there can help.  This afternoon I will talk to the anes. department at the hospital also.  I know there is another doctor that is reasonable and kind, proceeds with the patients' concerns in mind, because I had him.  Then I will ask for the boss.  No excuse for a patient to be talked to like that.  I'm sure he did nothing wrong, other than not taking her concerns and comments about being drug sensitive seriously, but talking to her like that is inexcusable especially when she in no way confronted or blamed him.

 

She will get food for the first time in three days, the jaundice will recede, the sepsis is being treated, the antibiotics will continue.  She deserves a piece of Death by Chocolate zucchini bread which is in the oven right now, okayed by the staff.  Dinner tomorrow will be supplemented by her favorite kugel (low fat cottage cheese and no-yolk noodles).

 

Thank you so very much for the prayers and well wishes.

 

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An Ativan night

They put in a stent to open the duct, did not remove the large stones because of her Eliquis.  Cutting to remove anything could not be done because of the bleeding risk.  They want to remove the gall bladder Monday, and the following Monday go back in to take the stones from the duct.  All went well with the stent.  Until it came time to wake up.  She hasn't.  It's been hours.  She is now in ICU and we are waiting.  When you tell a doctor that she is drug sensitive so go easy, why don't they believe you?  Three hours after a 30 minute surgery and counting.

 

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Waiting

for doctors that were to see her early this morning, for nurses that are too busy to administer the Zofran so she can stop heaving, for the surgeon to explain why he has changed the anesthesia.

 

ERCP (a scoping method to enter the small intestine, locate the duct, and remove the stone blocking the duct) was scheduled for today under mild sedation.  Now they are putting her in the OR, not the procedure room, and using general anesthesia.  She is terrified of that because of her very low BP (88/50).  Whenever someone shows up to give her more info, she will ask to have the gall bladder removed instead of just the stone if she must be anesthetized.  I agree.  Why take the chance of needing the surgery months from now and going through this again.  So we are waiting ......

 

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I was right again

I told the doc this morning that I believe her problem is gall bladder, as I mentioned to him yesterday.  He said it could not be, there is no tenderness or pain.  Ta-Da!!  I was right again!!  Liver enzymes elevated ....  hmmm ... your sister may be right.  U/S proved it.  The surgeon will discuss her options since the duct is blocked by a stone and an infection is brewing.  She is terrified of anesthesia because of her weak heart, but she may have no choice.  My SIL waited too long and hers disintegrated upon removal and bile flooded, keeping her hospitalized and very very sick for weeks.  Carole is still lying in the ER without a room seven hours after arrival. 

 

This past spring Mark was doctoring for extreme pain along the side of his foot and I diagnosed it as an accessory navicular.  Doc said "stay off the internet!  Impossible at his age with no prior issue".  I insisted on an xray first but there were meds and injections instead because he assumed it was tendinitis.  After two months and an MRI which cost us $$$, I was right.  Doc could not believe that it never bothered him before and was shocked.  We're friends but even with his good sense of humor, I never mentioned it.  But I was biting my tongue hard enough to bleed.

 

Thank you all for your well wishes and prayers.  Except for two, everyone is no-reply so please accept my thanks here.

 

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Down that road again

After posting yesterday morning, I got a phone call from an old friend that lost her younger sister shortly after a devastating diagnosis.  During the conversation, someone kept calling over and over (I don't put friends on hold to take another call) so I told Beth I better check to see if there is a problem and ended our call.  It was Carole.  On her way to the hospital.  Was in the ER with her the majority of the day and took her home early evening with extra Lasix for CHF.  Again.  But they did not address the dry heaves and chills which stopped with Zofran.  I questioned that but she wanted to go home and said she was fine.  I was exhausted and fell into bed early even after a nap.  At 7am the phone is ringing and I just knew, the anxiety of those calls flooded back.  She is so out of breath after they worked on her that she slipped into a sleep and they rushed the oxygen on her.  This time she will stay and I suspect gall bladder again.  Surgery would be risky for her, even laparoscopic, but they do not know the diagnosis yet.  Blood panels were OK yesterday but chills and fever this morning.  They should have tested her yesterday for ALL symptoms.  Her son is there now and after working midnight shifts and not sleeping yesterday because of the ER, I told him to go home and I will be coming now.  It's 9am and I wonder how long it will be before they put her in a room.  They were not busy at all yesterday and the amount of time she and another patient in pain waited for answers is ridiculous.  Hopefully we will have a diagnosis soon.

 

Too tired to proofread, please excuse!

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