Friday, October 15, 2010

Microwaved


Today, some of Dan's tumors got cooked.

We drove to the hospital early today and were greeted by amazing fog rolling over the Golden Gate. Despite the reasoning for the trip, it's so nice to be back home in Northern California.

Anyway, Dan got checked in, prepped, and was ready to go on time...too bad the anesthesiologist was not ready to go until 2 hours later. (I hope she had an emergency!) Finally, Dan got taken down to the procedure room and I was allowed to follow him until it came time for the anesthesia. He was already on the table when the docs let us know his blood levels were low (platelets 79, H&H 8.9-9.5). They were worried about needing to transfuse, but felt confident about proceeding.

After about 3 hours waiting, Dr. Sze came out to let us know everything went well. The 2 biggest tumors were fried/melted leaving some dead tissue to be resorbed by the liver eventually. His liver still hasn't grown much, so it seems like going with radio-frequency ablation (RFA) was a much better idea than surgery. Also, the last 2 tumors are very small (watermelon seed sized) and not growing. This means that Dan can wait a few months before another RFA cycle. To Dan's delight, he can probably get his hip replaced before he starts school. We'll have to scramble to find a surgeon, but it could happen.

Tonight, Dan will stay in the hospital for observation. His new wound is only a couple centimeters and covered with a big band aid, but there is still a chance for bleeding. The chance is low, but it's safer for him to be here tonight. Also, he can get the "good" pain meds. Though, he says it just feels like he got punched in the ribs. He has already talked the nurse into removing one of his IVs by mentioning that they could leave the bigger gauge in his hand so that the one is AC wouldn't beep at night. Good grief, he's a pro. He ate dinner fine and hopefully, it will stay down because he is already asking for more food!

Please be praying that Dan's liver heals fine and that there is no internal bleeding resulting from the procedure. Also, pray his good eating continues (he's halfway to his pre-Whipple weight!) and that his pain can be easily controlled. Finally, pray we can get some sleep tonight and get out of here safely tomorrow morning. We're hoping to drive to our apartment on Sunday with a healthy Dan :)

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Exhaustion


So, I just woke up...at 4:45 pm. This is becoming normal. I've been working night shift (6:45p to 7:45a) for about 6 weeks (about 3 weeks without a preceptor), and I like it. Except, I don't have much of a life. I'm always sleeping when others are awake. Usually, my days off makeup for it, but the last couple weeks have been the exception. Due to Dan's procedure coming up, I've had to pack in all my shifts into a tight time-frame. Also, since I work nights, I sleep a little before the shift and then go to bed after. Dan says it wastes 2 days for each shift. He isn't a fan.
Anyway, I'm saying all this to just explain if I'm a bit of a grump lately. I like my job and am very thankful for it. I am just exhausted. Here's my schedule since last Friday:

Fri: work
Sat: work
Sun: sleep
Mon: work
Tues: sleep
Wed: work
Thurs: work
Fri: get ready for Dan's procedure, do housework, sleep
Sat: housework, sleep
Sun: church, work (Today)
Mon: work
Tues: pack, sleep
Wed: work
Thurs: get home at 8am, shower, drive to SR
Fri: wake up early, drive to Stanford, Dan's procedure, overnight stay (hopefully)
Sat: drive back to SR (Hopefully), sleep
Sun: drive back to La Habra

I also say all of this to remind you all that Dan is honestly the man. He takes care of the cat, makes sure I eat occasionally, cleans the house (kinda :)), pays the bills, cooks me dinner before work, encourages me to do what I love and to lean on the Lord when I hate what I am doing. He is wonderful and the perfect calm to my constant busyness. I hope I can be this supportive when he starts working.

Dan's procedure is this coming Friday at 8am. It should be an overnight hospital stay as long as there are no complications. Please pray for an easy procedure and recovery. And pray that it is successful! He'll need to have this same procedure one more time, so also pray that my boss will be understanding when I need to ask for a special schedule again next month.
One last thing: pray for energy and endurance for me. I am tired.

Well, I'm going to go eat my hubby's yummy dinner, drink my Diet Dr. Pepper (DDP) and put on my scrubs. It's time for work.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Breakfast

So apparently we've been sleeping for a month and a half and we're just now waking up. Ok, that's not really true. But there hasn't been a lot going on. Well there has. But we just haven't blogged about it. I will try and catch everyone up.

Ashley passed her boards and got a job at Whittier Presbyterian. She is now working 12 hour shifts after going through orientation, which was arduous. The 12 hour shifts are long, but it's nice to work only 3 days a week. She will soon be switching to night shifts, which will be interesting. We'll see how it goes. The extra $8 an hour will be nice.

We celebrated 2 years of marriage by going out to some nice restaurants and Ashley going to work. 2 down, 58 to go.

I had a CT to see how well the embolization worked (and if the liver was big enough to handle surgery). Long story short, the liver did not grow as much as expected. I still have pretty good liver function, but it would not be good at this time to further insult it with a surgery. So the plan as of a few days ago is to do Radio Frequency Ablation, which is colloquially called 'Microwave on a Stick'. The radiologist will insert probes into my liver with the tips in the middle of the tumors. The tips will get really hot and melt/burn the tumors. It's a lot less invasive than surgery and still holds a good success rate. The procedure will happen in two parts a month apart (hospital stay is likely minimal- just overnight for observation). I'll let you all know when it is scheduled. Hopefully I can also get my hip done before UCI starts in January.

We got a kitten from Ashley's friend Katie. He is gray, tiny, precocious, ferocious, and his name is Toulouse. He likes naps, meowing when we're not around, going into the refrigerator, and climbing.

While Ashley is at work, I watch movies on Netflix Instant Watch, do chores and errands, read the Bible, read the Book of Mormon (I am almost finished!), keep an eye on Toulouse, eat, and play PS3.

Football is coming up. I am very excited. Predictions are in: I think the 49ers will win the division, but the Super Bowl will be San Diego over New Orleans. Disclaimer: it is very very difficult to predict the Super Bowl before the season starts.

Our new apartment is awesome. If you google IL Pompeii La Habra, you can take a look around.

This last one is not new: God is good. Also, I am hungry.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Double Take II

I'm getting more and more into puns these days. So this title is a pun on the last title (Take II) but now it's Double Take, meaning a second look. So my radiologist (who performed SIRSpheres back in 08 and the embolization back in early June) was looking at my recent CT to check the liver volume, just to be sure that this surgery is a good idea. Well, he thinks the liver is actually a little smaller than it was (which makes sense, since the embolized side was supposed to shrink), so the idea of cutting off more of it didn't seem like a good idea right now, especially since my tumors are slow-growing, if growing at all. So tonight, like 45 minutes ago, the Greek called to tell me that

the surgery is postponed until further noticed.

Basically, since this surgery isn't exactly chopped liver (pun!), it would be safer and smarter to wait a while for further hypertrophy (growing) of the liver. So in early August/late September, I'll get another scan and see how it's going. Another option that we'd discussed in the past was to burn the tumors instead of cutting them out (which was the idea for the 4th tumor of the now-postponed surgery). Theoretically, if September's scan looks the same as this one, the burning option could be the #1 option. I mean, you can't really not use your liver. That's why it's a 'live'-r. I can here your groaning from hear. OK, I'll stop.

I think we're both ok with this. Now I can be in our awesome new apartment for more than a week to start with. Now I can be here as Ashley starts her new work. Now I can definitely be here for our anniversary. I can still recover in time for school, which won't start up until January. My hip surgery will be a little further away, but again, that's not the highest priority right now. So... I'm excited.

Please continue to pray for liver growth. And praise God for a wise choice by the doctors to not rush into a serious surgery without a definitely safe amount of healthy liver.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Surgery: Part II

Nearly six months later, the second half of Dan's cancer resection has been scheduled and set in stone for this Friday, July 16th. The CT Dan had last week showed that his liver grew back some, but not the extend the surgeon had hoped/expected. Accordingly, the surgery plan has been modified to leave Dan with more healthy liver tissue. We have a meeting with the surgeon on Wednesday at which time we can explain the details.

This week will obviously be a busy one: we leave on Tuesday for Lodi, meeting with the surgeon and pre-anesthesia appointment on Wednesday, and then surgery on Friday. It will be nice to see our families before spending more time in the hospital.

As I am starting my new job on the 26th, I have to be back to SoCal the Wednesday following the surgery for a couple days of pre-hire appointments. I'll drive back up to Stanford with a friend for the weekend, and then start orientation on Monday. All that to say, I won't be able to stay with Dan throughout the recovery. I'll try to drive or fly when I can on the weekends, but it will be rough.

God-willing, this recovery will be much faster and smoother than Dan's previous surgeries. The liver is prone to bleeding and becoming quite angry when "attacked". Thus, there are quite a few complications that can arise after surgery. Yes, it is true that this surgery could leave Dan cancer-free. Yet, we are focusing on Dan's recovery before we glory in the possibility of remission.

Dan is doing fine: not worried, confident and encouraging. I am fine for now, though I'll get more nervous by the day. To be frank, I'd rather have a healthy/happy husband with a small of tumor than a sick/suffering husband without cancer. I do understand that it is possible to have a health AND cancer-free Dan. It's just the surgeries and hospitalizations and complications that keep me from believing it's possible any time soon.

Anyway, time for prayer requests. People often ask what they can do for us in times like this. Eventually, there may be material needs, but for now, our needs are spiritual. Please go before God on our behalf in preparation for Friday.

* Ask God to guide the surgeons' hands and minds, giving them wisdom and assurance.
* A safe and successful surgery
* No complications, especially bleeding and infection
* Pain management (it's going to be tricky with Dan's modified liver)
* Quick recovery
* Cooperative digestive system: no bowel obstructions!
* Peace for me and the rest of the family
* Endurance for me

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Transition. No fade, more like a wipe.

In case you don't understand the title, it's in reference to film transitions. A fade is, as it sounds, a slow mixing of two shots that's nice and smooth. A wipe is what you see in Star Wars a lot where the new shot sort of rolls abruptly across the screen.
There, I used my degree.

So in the last 3 weeks, much has happened. The bowel obstruction scare came and went, though Ashley is still concerned I might wake up one morning with that same intense pain. God willing, I never will again. Ashley took the NCLEX (the national certification process for RNs) on June 21st. It is said that the devil works at the NCLEX. It's true, or at least it feels like it. It is by far the most intense, draining, ulcer-inducing test I have ever heard of, and that's just studying for it. Taking the actual test must be like facing a firing squad. But the absolute worst part is after you take the test. Everyone leaves the testing center feeling like they failed, and California is one of the states that does NOT participate in a 48-hours-later-pay-10-bucks-and-find-out-if-you-passed program (and they need the money, why not?). So you're left waiting and agonizing for 1-4 weeks, praying to have passed but dreading that you failed.
Anyway, we found out on Wednesday that Ashley PASSED! (thanks Monique for waking us up at 5am) It was an answer to fervent prayer and a huge relief. Once the official license comes in the mail, she'll be all set. Also, Ashley got a job at Whittier PIH on an observation floor (where you end up if you go to the ER and the doctor doesn't quite want you to go home yet, but you can't stay in the ER). Hopefully, after some time on that floor she can transfer to the adjacent oncology floor (which is Ashley's desired specialty). So... that's AWESOME.
That also means that we are sure (for the first time) where we will live this coming year(s). We found a nice apartment to move into, and we're moving from Biola housing to.......morrow. Yeah. It's been crazy packing up our lives. I wish I had two good hips instead of one, because it has relegated me to non-heavy lifting only, which doesn't sit well with my exceeding manliness. (Ashley laughs... but she knows it's true) However, we have some awesome friends helping us out. We're both excited for our new place.
So, up next is this: I have a CT on July 6th to see how much my liver has grown after the portal vein embolization. If it has grown a sufficient amount to sustain liver function, then Surgery: The Sequel will be premiering on July 16th to lop off the bad section of liver. Hopefully, there will be a quick recovery, because Ashley has orientation at the hospital starting July 26th. I can resume my schooling at UCI in January (where I left off last year), so until then I will apply to sub and/or seek a short-term job to keep myself occupied and start attacking student loans. Also, there will soon be an addition to the Howen family....

No, not a baby. A kitten! It is yet to be named. But you can bet there will be pictures eventually.
Anyway, this is getting really long, especially for me. Keep praying for us, especially for no more obstructions, good liver growth and a complication-free surgery. And make sure to praise and thank God profusely for the blessings we have received.

Dan

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Praying to stay put

So, since last week, Dan has recovered well from his liver procedure. No complications, not much pain. We went to a wedding on Sunday and drove home on Monday morning. I've been finishing my NCLEX review to prepare for later in the month and applying to jobs. Dan's been playing lots of Madden football and eating :) Accordingly, I'd say things have been going well.

Until this morning.

Now, we aren't in any emergency or crisis as of yet, just preparing for one. Dan woke up with a bit of belly pain on his left side. Though it isn't nearly as bad as in March, the symptoms are pointing toward a possible bowel obstruction. Thankfully, he isn't feeling really sick, just a little pain and crampy. Rather than freak out, we talked to his surgeon who agreed that the symptoms sound like a very early, mild obstruction. So, Dan will be on clears at home today and tomorrow to see if it can resolve on its own. If it doesn't get completely better, we have an appointment on Monday at Stanford. If it gets worse, Dan needs to be admitted again.

Our biggest concern now is determining where to do the waiting. If it resolves, it'd be nice not to drive all the way back up. Yet, if Dan needs to be admitted, we want him to be at Stanford. So, by tomorrow, we'll decided whether or not to drive up north again. I don't want to wait too long and have Dan feeling miserable all the way up, but Dan doesn't want to jump the gun.

The timing of another bowel obstruction is not great. This is crunch time for me to study for NCLEX (nursing boards), so I can pass the first time. (Yes, I got great grades in college and am a good test taker. That does not imply that I will pass the boards. It is a different beast. Please, do not comment on my odds of "doing fine" right now). Having Dan in the hospital would be a rather large distraction from my focus. Additionally, we need to be preparing to move into another apartment. Once I know where I'm working, we can put a lease on an apartment and move. Yet, with Dan admitted, I'd be doing the looking, leasing and moving without a hubby.

All this to say, Dan needs prayer--a lot of it. God has been with us throughout Dan's suffering and trials. Our prayer is that God would intercede before everything turns bad this time. Pray that whatever obstruction there is would be able to clear on its own. Pray that Dan would be able to recover completely at home. Pray that there would be no need for another trip to Stanford. Pray that if (IF) Dan gets admitted, this hospital stay would be very very short. Better yet, pray that Dan doesn't even have an obstruction at all!
A prayer or two for me to be able to study intently and pass the boards the first time would also be appreciated.

I will obviously keep you all updated, though there may not be any news for a while.

Pray pray pray.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Rough day? A bit.

So, Dan's procedure went well and ended at about 7pm. He had to stay in recovery for a while to wake up, and the doctor decided to keep him overnight to watch for possible complications. Dan's still really tired, though he woke up long enough to eat some jello and crackers. He's not in a lot of pain, but his stomach is wobbly. He won't go so far as to say it's sick feeling, but he's not feeling great. Stupid anesthesia.
Tonight we watch for his ability to keep fluids and food down and make sure his liver isn't bleeding through the wound it got today. As long as Dan can eat breakfast well and isn't actively bleeding tonight, he'll be discharged in the morning.

Amazingly, Dan was given a private room AND I got a cot! What? The first day? Awesome.
I've been sitting here applying for nursing jobs, while he's asleep. The nursing job market is horrible to say the least. Several polite rejections after making it through the last interview process is getting old. You'd think graduating top of the class, having CNA experience and good communication skills would get you somewhere...not quite.

Dan and I are really beginning to feel the strain of the unknown. We need to know where I'm working before we can move, and we have to be out of our apt on June 19th. Prayers for guidance and a job are coveted. I know that God is guiding me to where He wants me, but this time period kinda sucks.

Prayer Requests:
* No bleeding or complications
* Dan's ability to eat and a hearty appetite
* Safe discharge tomorrow
* Continued health of bowels (no obstructions ever)
* Great re-growth of liver tissue
* A job for me...soon!
* Peace in yet another period of unknown

Another Procedure

I have to type this very quickly because the hospital has decided that they don't like people blogging on their wireless...thus, I am only allotted 10 minutes on our blog. Weird? Yes.
Anyway, we're back in Palo Alto (SHC) for Dan's embolization procedure. Things are running late, so Dan just got taken back to the preop phase. We have even spoken to the doctor yet. They will blocking off the right portal vein (blood supply to the right lobe of the liver) to allow for quicker regrowth of his liver. We have been told that this should be just an overnight stay, so we're really hoping and praying for no complications and a fast recovery.
I'll keep you posted when I can, but just be in prayer as the procedure should be starting in about an hour.

Prayer Requests:
* Successful procedure
* No complication
* Open and happy bowels without obstructions
* Safe discharge tomorrow as planned
* NO SURPRISES!!!
* Keeping Dan at home with me in SoCal for a lot longer :)

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Steady Freddy

Since I've had a few people mention that they haven't read anything new on the blog for a while, I thought we should probably blog again.

Since the last blog, we have gone to Stanford twice for meetings with the surgeon and the oncologist. Dan's wound is healing, but being difficult. He still has a hole the size of a dime, which has to be packed a couple times a day. Luckily, his second surgical wound looks good...and will hopefully stay that way.

Aside from advising us on the wound situation, the docs also met with us to make a decision regarding the next step. Due to the several complications and setbacks, Dan hadn't truly been able to recover from any of his surgeries and was being a bit pressured to "hurry up" with the next one. Dan and I set about intelligently gathering information and advice from his doctors to assure we were making the right decisions. Honestly, his docs agreed that he needed more time to heal, but still advised surgery as the next step. Accordingly, we are looking at the second half of the surgery late in the summer.

Another good part to the doctors wanting to let Dan heal is that the embolization procedure (cutting off the blood supply to the right side of the liver to test regrowth of the left side) is going to be after graduation. Yay! One less thing to stress about for now.

Did I mention I'm graduating next week? Yes, you read that correctly. Next week! My clinical hours are finished, my research hours are finished, my classes are finished, and I have very little left to do. This is a strange season. My friends are beginning to move away, we are competing against each other for jobs, and we're saying goodbye after 5 years of constant together-ness. Weird and sad, but necessary.

Next week's schedule:
Monday-Class party
Tuesday-Senior Baccalaureate (reflection?)
Wednesday-Epsilon Kappa Epsilon Honor Society Ceremony
Thursday-Pinning Ceremony (Traditional nursing graduation)...a BIG DEAL
Friday-Fun with family!!!
Saturday-Graduation!!!

We have a busy week ahead of us, but it is so exciting. We're looking forward to beginning a new chapter of our lives soon...new apartment, new jobs, no school, no more cancer...God willing.

Prayer Requests:
* No complications or new problems
* No hospitalizations or illnesses until after graduation
* A job! (I've had 4 interviews)
* Safe travels for family coming down
* A safe and uncomplicated embolization procedure

Saturday, May 1, 2010

The Latest

We're headed back to Stanford for Dan's first appointment since being released a few weeks ago. It has been nice to have a break from doctor appointments and tests and such. Hopefully, this will be an easy appointment with no need for tests and no need for any hospital admissions. Basically, we're praying for good news and no surprises.

I've still been doing dressing changes 3 times a day, which is getting tiring for both Dan and I. Yet, I'd rather do it at home than have a nurse do it in the hospital. Dan's new incision is healing nicely (finally), while we were within a week of his old wound healing and it opened up a bit again. A blister formed over the scar tissue, the blister popped a couple nights ago, and gave us a bit of a scare since it bled quite a bit. We thought it was healing back up, but today the new tissue split a little again revealing an open hole under his scar. Ugh. Hopefully, it's just a hole in the scar tissue under the scar, and it will heal up completely.

I'm thankful it happened right before a doctor appointment, so I can get the surgeon's advice. Please pray this is just a little hole from the blister and not anything serious at all. Dan's not worried; his dad isn't worried, but of course, I am worried. I've gotten used to Dan actually being home. I really don't want to have him leave again. :(

Anyway, time is speeding by. I have 12 hours (out of 188) of clinical time left. Graduation is in 28 days. Wow. Please be in prayer that Dan and I can share in this next month living together and celebrating the end of nursing school without any complications or hospitalizations. Having my husband with me for senior banquet, Pinning and graduation would be the greatest graduation present imaginable. So, ask God for this good gift with me :)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Contact

Well, it's been 9 days since the last blog... Ashley is still busy and I am still not a good blogger. At least you can surmise that I have not had any surgeries or infections, which is totally awesome! It's been good to be up and about, going out to places like the grocery store, friends' houses, and church. We even went on our first real date since January (Chili's and the new Steve Carrell/Tina Fey movie, Date Night). I'm still trying to get some weight on me and get my legs working better. Other than that, not much to report. I am pretty excited about the 49ers' draft; we should make a serious playoff push this year. Boston is sucking less than last post, but my NHL team (Colorado Avalanche) got eliminated by the hometown heroes, the Sharks. I guess I don't have to root against them now.
The days go by and so does my food. :)

Monday, April 19, 2010

Still Cruisin

Quick blog: it's great to be doing great.
Excited about playoff hockey, not really excited about playoff basketball, the Sox are sucking, and the draft is nigh.
I drove yesterday, and am driving again today to the store and bank.
Went to church yesterday; I had really missed it.
I'm not a real wordy fellow. And my wife knows this, yet she makes me blog anyway!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

En Casa

For the third time this year, I'm back home. This time I have a good feeling that there won't be a fourth time until after surgery numero dos. It feels so right to be here. I've been eating a lot more than I was in the hospital; I think I could be up to normal rations relatively soon. Ash cut my hair today, and I preceded that with the shaving of my massive hospital beard. I had considered keeping it for the Colorado Avalanche playoff run, but I've never liked a beard that could catch food. My wound from the bowel obstruction surgery is still a little painful, but not as much as it was in the hospital.
So basically things are going great. We'd really love for them to keep going that way. It's been nice being able to have our prayer times not be all about things we need, but about the things that God has done, or even to get to pray for other people. The one lasting prayer request we have (aside from loads of thanks that I'm out of the hospital) is for no more complications. For now, take a minute to sit down, relax, and enjoy your home too.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Done (hopefully)

I am not in Palo Alto, but I am not home yet. I'm in Lodi for a brief waiting period to make sure I'm ok before I move 6 hours away. It was thrilling today to leave the hospital, to have my PICC line and staples removed, and to eat some steak at my parents' house with my two foreign exchange sisters. If everything goes fine tonight (sleeping) and tomorrow morning (eating and such), I will complete the journey home to my wife, who is going bonkers right now with homework and trying to get the apartment clean. I love her a lot.
This one will be short because I procrastinated until the end of the day to write this (to be fair, the first part was spent waiting for discharge and the second was spent in an internet-less car ride). But I figured this was blog-worthy, so here you go. The fruition of a boatload of prayer. But we're not out of the harbor yet. After all, I have been known to eat and suddenly become unable to eat. The doctors removed all the obstructions in my bowels, but if they can appear suddenly, they can come back suddenly. Please pray that they stay away so I can stay home. :)
Also pray for:
Safe drive to LA
No other complications (like fever)
Ability to ingest enough food and drink to sustain myself
Quick healing of my incision, which still hurts when I walk
My facebook friend Mary, whose cancer has resurfaced in her liver and the doctors don't have a clear idea where it's coming from
My real life friend Paul, who's recovering from pretty nasty pancreatic cancer
Peace in the Middle East while you're at it

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Not a bad day at all

Dan here, taking on blogging duties.
Today was pretty good. I found out that discharge is possible by the end of tomorrow at earliest; it's contingent on my ability to eat an amount large enough to keep me hydrated (which could be soon) and my wound's inability to develop an infection. So... awesome!
I also got to watch a great hockey game between Boston and Washington; it's unfortunately rare these days to see the great game televised.
Ash and I filed our taxes, which was done with considerable difficulty with things scattered between Stanford and LA. A refund from our nation's deficit will be nice.
A couple of friends from church surprised me today by stopping in; they had come up from LA to a wedding in Stockton and impulsively decided to see me in the hospital.
My mom came by also and brought some matzoh ball soup for me. I had asked earlier for some, since I missed Passover, but yesterday asked her not to bring it, because Stanford's soups had been both plentiful and banal. However, she brought it anyway, and I thought I'd try a little bit. Turns out, it was really good. Lots of flavoring. I had a whole bowl. I might have another in a little while.
I'm really hoping that I can get out soon. It's been too long that I've been away from home. It feels so right when I'm there. Plus, it means more clinical hours for Ashley when she dresses my wounds.
Thanks for praying for us. Keep praying; I'm not out of the woods yet. I have to get out of the hospital, have an embolization procedure, and then a second surgery--- then I will be cancer free!
Prayer Requests:
Continuous increase of appetite
No fevers/infections
Discharge soon
No coming back to the hospital with complications

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Tut tut

This blog will be short and to the point because Dan has such an aversion to blogging that he makes his sad and tired wife blog right after driving 6 hours away from him. Tut tut.

Appetite: Better but not good enough to get off of TPN, which is the goal. Dan got a hamburger on his lunch tray, was delighted, ate half and has had no room for much else. Dinner was nibbled at most. So far, food is staying down and going through without causing much of a problem. This needs to continue so Dan can go home.

Infection: Fever returned a bit today, but not high enough to be considered a "spike" (38.5 C). Incision is still oozing, but the docs wants to give it time to drain before opening any more. All of the staples will most likely be removed Tuesday or Wednesday. One of the labs drawn Thursday came back "suspicious" (they take 2 days to grow), so another test was done today. No antibiotics until another fever spike or a sudden change in the wound or labs.

Spirits: Doing well, though getting restless and sad to be in the hospital for so long again. Also, we are no longer in the same place. It's getting harder to keep driving away and leaving Dan in the hospital. I won't be able to return until next Monday at the earliest, so we're hoping and praying Dan will be released this week without any complications, so he can get his butt home.

Prayer Requests:
* More appetite and ability to eat and snack throughout the day
* Cooperative digestive system...no vomiting, no distention, no premature full feeling
* Resolution of infection (where ever it is)...no fever, no discharge from wound
* Pain control...continued improvement of pain
* Increase in mobility and energy
* Wisdom for the docs to know what and when things should happen
* Discharge from the hospital within this upcoming week
* Comfort for hearts sad to be apart :(

Friday, April 9, 2010

No Bon Appetit

As an update to yesterday, the most obvious source of infection is the incision. Dan no longer has a fever, but the incision is still oozing. The surgeons are being cautious and slow with removing staples, as they do not want Dan to have an entirely new open wound. They are still holding off on antibiotics unless Dan has another fever spike.

Today has been somewhat better. We got a little more sleep and Dan woke up early enough for the docs to see him out of bed for once. He said walking is a easier, and he is definitely taking longer strides. He finally got tired of the hospital gown, which is a good sign to me.

The problem of the day is a lack of appetite. We aren't sure if the cause is the extremely nutritious TPN telling his brain he is satisfied or that his stomach his tiny or that things are going through or a combination of all of these. After dealing with an intern who doesn't always think things through well (we just got the chief resident to give him the "what-for"), I think we've convinced the docs to decrease the TPN calories. Hopefully, this will let Dan be a little more hungry. Dan is glad he is eating other things besides clears though...sunchips, bread, crackers, etc.

We're bummed because I have to leave for school tomorrow. There have been too many good-byes said at the front of the hospital. I won't be able to return for at least a week, so we are still praying that Dan will get out of the hospital sometime next week. I hate being away as so many things are going on. Hopefully, I receive only good news over the phone.

Now, I need to get him up to walk. The Simpsons is seriously distracting him from moving around. Doh.

Prayer Requests:
* A big(ger) appetite
* No more vomiting
* Continued decrease in pain
* No more fever
* Wound healing...no need to open the wound
* Safe travels for me tomorrow
* Dan getting discharged next week...and coming home

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Hunt for the Infection

Last night was a teeny bit better than the last, though Dan continued to vomit and have bloody noses. We're hoping that the nausea and throwing up is from swallowing blood and not from the food. As Dan threw up again this morning, he is weary of trying to eat for fear of throwing up again. With a 3-4 incision in the belly, throwing up is quite painful.

McGreeky came in this morning with an agenda: find what is causing Dan's fever and illness. About time. Despite the wound being slightly infected, the surgeon is concerned infection could be elsewhere being allowed to run rampant. So, Dan will be getting blood cultures, urine samples, and an abdominal x-ray. The x-ray is also to see what is causing Dan so much pain in his left side, as the docs aren't sure what it could be. Another issue emerged when McGreeky changed the new incision packing: Dan bled, quite a bit. Due to a couple of blood thinning medications, Dan isn't able to clot very quickly...this is contributing to Dan's very frequent bloody noses. The doc is taking away one med and decreasing the dose of another med, which should help things.

Today should reveal some things. Reasons for pain, reasons for fever, reasons for vomiting. God willing, today should also find Dan able to eat more and keep it down. We really don't understand why all of this is happening, but it needs to change soon. Very soon.

Selfishly, I need the docs to get things settled this week because I am leaving for school again on Saturday. I would simply hate to have still this sick while I'm hundreds of miles away.
Unfortunately, I have to go back if I have any hope of graduating (which I do). Due to my clinical schedule, I won't be able to come back to see Dan for almost a couple of weeks. Accordingly, Dan and I are asking for prayer that Dan would be released from the hospital sometime next week. I wouldn't be able to be here for the release, but at least I would know he was doing well enough to get out.

This is truly a miserable situation that is just being prolonged. Pray that God moves now. That's what Dan needs more than labs or meds or doctors: he needs God to save him from this mess.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Wound Infection #2

As if Dan didn't have enough to deal with, his wound has become infected. It has looked a little red and angry today, but we were just watching it. Then, he spiked a fever of 101.1 this afternoon. Finally, we got the team to pay more attention to the incision. The intern thought they would take out a staple or two tomorrow to let any pus drain out. The nurse and I helped to convince the resident (his superior) that maybe that should happen today. So, 3 staples got removed and a good deal of drainage came out of the wound. It was deja vu as this happened with Dan's last incision--which is now a wound that we are still dealing with.

The plan is to let the incision drain and to recheck it tomorrow. If it doesn't look markedly better, Dan will be started on antibiotics. Hopefully, the wound will be able to heal better this way and not need to be opened all the way.

Dan really isn't feeling well right now. His immune system is pretty low (WBCs=2.5) after being in the hospital for so long (TPN is causing some problems with immunity also), so it is taking a lot out of him to fight this infection. He's been tired and sleepy all day. He's fighting some nausea here and there. He's still in pain. I just convinced him to give in and go to sleep, though I don't know how much that will help him.

I'm really not sure what tomorrow will look like. The doctors were anticipating advancing his diet, but Dan didn't really eat enough to be sure he can tolerate the clears. As I blogged earlier, his GI system is sending mixed messages, so that isn't helping the docs make decisions. Yet, the resident commented tonight that it might take real food to get Dan's bowel working again...though he cannot give a regular diet yet. A catch-22 of sorts.


I wish we had chosen to do Cyberknife. It may not have worked, and Dan might have needed more treatment later on. Yet, it would have been a week of out-patient visits. I might still have a job. Dan might have been able to finish his credential. I would have had Dan around to celebrate my final semester of nursing school. Yes, I understand that those are all potential outcomes and that complications could have arisen there, too. Yet, I cannot bring myself to see this surgery as a success.

I haven't the faintest idea what to pray for now. A wound infection, nausea, vomiting, non-improving pain...all of these things have been prayed against, yet they have happened. Yes, God has a plan for Dan. It just hurts to see Dan continue to suffer more and more set-backs as he tries to be in God's will. Of course, Dan has more faith than me. Always has. I know we're not supposed to test the Lord, but sometimes I just yearn for proof that He actually loves Dan and is caring for him.

So many people declared that 2010 would be a year of victory for Dan. No more cancer, a new hip, a teaching credential, a new job, etc. Instead, Dan is stuck in a hospital bed with half as much cancer, losing his strength, losing his immune system, losing so many things.

We need a turn-around. Dan needs to feel better in the morning. Dan needs to be able to eat and not be nausea. Dan needs his pain to abate. Dan needs his infection to resolve. Dan needs his immune system to bounce back. Dan needs a miracle.

Mixed Messages

Question of the day: is Dan's GI system awake, asleep or obstructed?

Since Dan passed a little bit of gas yesterday, he was allowed to have sip on some clear liquid last night. Things went down fine, but around 3 or 4 in the morning, he got a bloody nose. He proceeded to swallow some blood which made him throw up quite a bit. The nurse got nervous as it was mostly bile (too much bile in vomit means the GI system is not absorbing and passing the bile through quickly enough), called the on-call resident who put Dan back on NPO.

This morning, when Dan's team rounded, he explained about the bloody nose and that he wasn't nauseous at all otherwise. The docs agreed Dan could be back on a clear diet today, especially since his bowels were making lots of noise and letting free lots of gas. About the time the tray of clears came, Dan got another bloody nose (heparin and toradol and a dry nose is making this happen a lot). Dan also received a rather large dose of dilaudid. Between swallowing blood and his head swimming from too much med too fast, he threw up again. Great. His day nurse also felt that his vomit had too much bile in it, so she asked Dan not to eat any more until the team makes a decision. Dan insists that he is not nauseous anymore and wasn't until he received the pain med and really doesn't think the episode had anything to do with eating.

Dan's body is once again sending mixed messages. Good messages: passing lots of gas, active bowel sounds earlier, no nausea when eating. Bad messages: vomiting bile, quiet bowel sounds now, no BMs. Though we know the vomiting could be from multiple things (food, drugs, bloody nose, gag reflex), it is often assumed that food is the problem. Unfortunately, the longer it takes to find out if Dan can handle solid food, the longer he has to be here. As his stay will hit the 4-week mark on Sunday, he'd really appreciate no more hang-ups. Of course, we also want the docs to make the appropriate decisions.

Thanks to the dilaudid, Dan is sleeping like a baby. This is a nice thing as no one let us sleep last night. We have a lot of walking to do today to catch up on our slowness this morning. Hopefully, Dan will also have eating to do....without throwing up.

Prayer Requests:
* No more throwing up and no need for another NG tube
* Dan's ability to eat and tolerate the clears well today
* Wisdom for the doctors making the decisions (hopefully, quickly)
* Control and improvement of pain
* Continued healing of incision and wound
* No complications or infections (he had a fever again last night)
* Ability for Dan to come home with me very soon
* A period of peace, health and rest for both of us...very very soon
* Encouraging news and events today

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Not better

We're already having a hard day.

There's no point in trying to make up points of encouragement or happy anecdotes. Dan's not really progressing much. He's still in pain, he's still exhausted, he's not motivated to get up and no matter what anyone says, he never feels like things are getting better. Sure, he could barely walk around the unit on Sunday but now he can--he's still not better. Sure his pain was 8/10 after surgery, and now only gets up to 4/10--that's not any better either.

To be frank, I sometimes don't want to get up in the morning. All that is ahead of me is forcing Dan to do things he doesn't want to do, trying to determine whether or not his pain is better/worse/new so as to tell the doctor, hoping for progress that doesn't ever happen how doctors expect, changing the linens, trying to talk Dan into getting cleaned up, trying to do the homework I have no motivation for and then putting on a happy, encouraging face for everyone else. It's exhausting and rather unchanging.

I apologize for the lack of cheerfulness or good news. This is a blog to update on how Dan is doing, and today, he's not doing great. His heart rate is back up, his energy is lower and he barely talked to McGreeky when he came in this morning. As far as the surgeon can tell, Dan isn't doing any better than yesterday and that doesn't make sense. Labs are good, incision is healing, etc. Dan should be feeling better. Alas, if you have been following this blog, you know Dan seldom feels like he is supposed to. It's frustrating to watch elderly patients cruising the halls, but see Dan just lay there. Yet, there's nothing we can do but "wait and see".

Though, he got out of bed and walked once around the unit, he just got too tired and went back to bed. So, we're back at square one for the day: wake up. Sometimes, that truly is the worst part of the day.

Prayer Requests:
* Sudden and long-lasting energy and endurance for Dan
* Resolution of pain (muscular and intestinal)
* Passing of gas--lots of it, today
* No infection or complications
* Motivation for Dan to move and want to get better
* Motivation for me to keep encouraging him and to keep doing my schoolwork
* Unmistakable improvement today
* Good news and encouragement
* Wisdom for me to know when to go home again
* Ability for Dan to be able to come home with me soon
* Our marriage
* Hope

Monday, April 5, 2010

Nursing Student

I must make a confession: though I am a nursing student, I am not always fond of Dan being cared for by nursing students. I know, I know...hypocritical. However, some SNs just aren't on their game and let mistakes happen. Accordingly, I have become a wee bit more watchful tonight, as Dan has a SN again. This one is graduating in May like me, but has fought with this IV pump multiple times tonight and if I chewed gum like her, I think one of my preceptors would have smacked me. Oh well. We all have to learn. Dan is her easy patient, so I'm pulling for no mistakes this time around.

By the way, Dan is doing alright. (He was supposed to blog in exchange for taking the computer away from me, but he thought checking sports stats would take priority.) The NG tube came out this morning, freeing him from one more tube. His heart rate stayed up for most of the day until McGreeky came in. After he left, Dan and I went for a walk. When I hooked him back up to the pulse ox (measures oxygen and heart rate), his pulse was barely high. Now, it's back to the normal range. Yay! He still has a teeny fever, but that's better, too. His new wound looks good--like a football, Dan says. The staples will probably come out sometime next week, so long as everything goes well. His pain is under control, and he is much less sleepy since they changed the medication today. He still has a pain that the doctor cannot explain, but Dan said it is getting better.

Tomorrow, we're hoping for gas! That would mean a clear diet finally, and some progression toward the true test: solid food. Accordingly, we'll keep walking around the unit and staying out of bed as much as possible.

Keep praying. We're both tired of this hospital business. Dan wants to eat and go home. Seems pretty simple, right? Oy.

I'm off to sleep, too. I need to be alert when the nursing student comes in...maybe I should crawl in bed with Dan and freak her out again! Ha. Don't worry, we'll be nice.

Prayer Requests:
* Passing of gas tomorrow!
* No infections or other complications
* Ability for Dan to eat normal food without any pain or recurrence of obstruction
* Resolution of weird pain...and all pain very soon
* Energy and endurance
* Ability for Dan to come home with me soon...this is getting very old :(
* NO MORE COMPLICATIONS EVER EVER EVER AGAIN
* Encouraging news and events tomorrow

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter in the Hospital

Unless you are a little kid, holidays in the hospital can be pretty boring. People feel sorry for children missing Santa Claus or the Easter bunny, but adults get to fend for themselves. Accordingly, if we didn't have a calendar in the room, we wouldn't know it's Easter today! Though it is a bummer to not be with our families or finding hidden eggs (yes, we still do that), we hope that this is one of the last holidays spent in here. Well, we hope it's one of the last days spent in here period!

Dan is doing alright today. He's still having considerable pain, but it's better than last night. Oddly, his pain is on the opposite side of where the biggest band was, but the surgeon isn't concerned about it as of yet. The NG tube has to stay until tomorrow since it was still draining quite a bit. Though, the foley got to come out this morning. Dan has some post-anesthesia affects still (low fever, high heart rate), but they will be considered normal as long they resolve by tomorrow.

The goal for the day is to get Dan out of bed, get walking, and wean off the oxygen. So far we have been successful. Dan got out of bed by himself (for the most part), went for a teeny walk and sat in a chair for a couple of hours. He is now as clean as is possible without the possibility of a shower. Apparently, that wore him out, as he is now asleep again.

Long term goals are similar to before surgery: bowel sounds, pass gas and be able to eat. Dan will be NPO (no food or drink) until he can pass gas, which could be anywhere from 2-5 days from surgery. At that point, he'll start with clears and work his way up to solid food. God willing, Dan could squeeze out of this joint by next weekend eating happily again. (McGreeky does NOT think that's going to happen, but you can't blame us for hoping).

Enjoy Resurrection Day, as that is what today should be about...Jesus and the price He paid for us to receive salvation. Dan and I certainly missed going to church to celebrate, so if anyone knows of a good webcast of an Easter sermon, let us know. For now, here is one of my favorite musical reminders of God's grace and mercy for us. (The Power of the Cross by Keith Getty)

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Prayer Requests:
* Safe, complete, uncomplicated recovery
* No infections, no internal bleeding, no bowel damage, etc.
* "Awakening" of bowels (bowel sounds, gas, etc.)
* Control and continued improvement of pain
* Ability for Dan to get moving, get eating and get out within a week (that's the normal recovery time for this type of surgery)
* Ability for Dan to come home with me soon
* Good health and endurance for me (I don't want to get Dan sick)

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Night One

Dan made it back to his room accompanied by lots of tubing, though not as many as after his last surgery. After the nurses got everything situated, I could finally say hello to my hubby after a few hours of waiting. He is still in a good deal of pain, though the PCA (pain button) has helped considerably. I have yet to see the incision, as Dan is tucked in and cozy for now. The NG tube is still in, but draining only a small amount.

Dan wanted to know how the surgery went, so I told him, but I bet I'll have to remind him tomorrow. He wants the surgeon to explain it, too. Hopefully, morning will find him feeling better and more alert. Of course, there is probably a long road of healing up ahead. Our prayer is that the recovery goes as smoothly as the surgery did.

Pray for no complications (no infection, no internal bleeding, etc.) and a cooperative digestive system. Also, pray for easing of the pain so Dan can sleep and regain strength.

Recovery Room

Dan got out of surgery after only a couple of hours.

McGreeky said they found 3 thick bands of scar tissue wrapped around his bowel, which were causing Dan the pain when he ate. The surgeons had to make a large incision to check all of Dan's bowels for adhesions. Luckily, he didn't have many adhesions elsewhere in his bowels, but these bands were causing some serious problems. McGreeky said they took care of those bands, checked everything out and closed him up. There was very little blood loss and the open surgery time was very short.

So, the surgery was definitely necessary, though there was no way to see this for sure on the CTs. Tomorrow, they should be able to remove the NG again (which will thrill Dan). They will wait until there are bowel sounds and passing of gas before letting Dan try eating again. Hopefully, eating will go much better, though this is still a concern.

For now, we are waiting for Dan to get out of the recovery room and go back to his room. As McGreeky said, "we aren't victorious until Dan is out of the hospital." Keep praying.

Prayer Requests:
* Quick and uncomplicated recovery
* No infection, no problems
* Successful eating trial...completely successful!
* Ability to get out of the hospital and go home within the week
* NO COMPLICATIONS AND NO MORE OBSTRUCTIONS

Waiting Rooms

The doctor officially decided to do surgery to get rid of the bowel obstruction. He will be doing a lysis of adhesions (cutting the scar tissue that is holding the bowel up). McGreeky said he would try to do this through a scope (laparoscopically) first, though there is a high chance he will need to make a larger incision. If they simply find adhesions, they can take care of them and close Dan up. If they find that his bowels are "very sticky" (lots of adhesions), the surgery could take quite a while longer. Additionally, they are hoping to not find a need to resect any of Dan's bowel. That would potentially create more problems and longer healing.

Basically, McGreeky doesn't know what he is going to find when he takes Dan into surgery. He gave us a time estimate only because I asked: 2-6 hours. Lovely.

Currently, Dan and I are waiting in his room for transport to pick him up for surgery. He was supposed to go at 2, but a trauma surgery took precedence. So, we wait. Unfortunately, Dan has to wait with another NG tube until surgery. Bummer.

His parents, my parents and his aunt and uncle are waiting in the surgical waiting room. I'll join them as soon as Dan is actually taken back to the OR. Hopefully, we won't be waiting more than a few hours this time.

I will update as I can. Keep praying.

Prayer Requests:
* Successful, short, simple surgery
* No complications whatsoever (no infection, extra bowel obstructions)
* No bad surprises
* Peace for those of us in the waiting room
* Quick and unremarkable recovery for Dan
* Ability for Dan to eat comfortably and go home within the week :)

Friday, April 2, 2010

Good Friday?

As a kid, I never really understood why Good Friday is called Good Friday. I mean, Jesus was beaten, betrayed and killed. What is so good about that? Now, with a little more Biblical and theological understanding, I know that what happened on Good Friday was the best thing to happen to humanity since...ever. Still, meditating on the events of the Crucifixion does not leave one in a joyous mood. Our sins put Christ on the Cross. He was innocent, yet paid the price on our behalf. It wasn't fair, but it saved our souls. Wow.

In a much much much less severe way, Dan's Good Friday wasn't all that good either. His diet was moved up to solids, but that didn't work very well. By noon time, he was in pain and vomiting. McGreeky got finished with his surgery early and told Dan he'd have a CT to make sure there was an obstruction and then be scheduled for surgery tomorrow.

By the time I arrived from LA (a nice, easy drive for once), Dan was headed to CT. Results showed...nothing. The CT was normal except for a very small amount of dilation of the same bowel that has been problematic. McGreeky called and said this was definitely not something to operate on. In fact, he said this CT looks even better than the one done last week. The other surgeon who came in agreed, put Dan on a clear liquid diet again and apologized repeatedly for how frustrating this must be for Dan. After banking on surgery tomorrow, we just had to take this change in stride. McGreeky told us that if Dan's symptoms persisted through the weekend, he'd have surgery on Monday. Sound familiar?

About half an hour later, McGreeky called back (he and Dan are on cell phone basis now). He had spent some time thinking about the situation and wasn't comfortable leaving Dan in pain all weekend. So, he was actually leaning more toward surgery tomorrow after all. He wanted Dan to keep drinking tonight to see how he felt and they would discuss things in the morning. He also put Dan on the surgery schedule for tomorrow just in case. The interesting thing is that McGreeky feels Dan is now a better candidate for a laparoscopic surgery, meaning he would not need to make a large incision to open Dan all the way up. Thanks to the improvement shown on the CT, it is possible for this type of surgery to be successful with less risk of missing something. (Of course, there is always the possibility that they will not find what they need to find and Dan will be opened up a little bit into the surgery.)

We tried to take this turn of events in stride, discussing what to say to McGreeky in the morning to get something done. Dan's pain seemed to go away, he was in good spirits, and he ate most of the clear liquid on the tray. It began to look like Dan wouldn't be in enough pain to convince the doc he needed surgery! Of course, another hour told a different story. Even the clears caused Dan pain and cramping. As he is now drugged and sleepy, we're pretty sure Dan will have a date in the OR tomorrow.

As the disciples must have felt scared and disappointed and doubtful in the day between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, Dan and I (and family) are having a hard time grasping what God is doing here. Yet, the pain and sorrow for the disciples and believers of Jesus was replaced with rejoicing in that glorious morning when Christ conquered death. Wouldn't it be spectacular for Dan to have a glorious morning of healing and renewal on Resurrection Sunday?

Prayer Requests:
* Wisdom for the doctors in making the 'final' decision
* Safe, effective, simple surgery done laparoscopically
* Swift and uncomplicated recovery time (this has to be possible for Dan)
* Peace and comfort for those in the waiting room
* Resolution of this bowel obstruction once and for all
* Rest and comfort for Dan as he sleeps tonight
* A 'glorious morning' for Dan very soon

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Eating

So it's update time; sorry for not blogging yesterday. I tend to forget when Ash isn't around; she's more motivated than I am.
Yesterday and today were very similar. My mom came both days, we did the cryptoquip and crossword, I walked, watched TV and movies, and perused facebook more than the average day. The main difference was that yesterday I ate broth and jello, and today I had more milky products like cream of wheat and what may become a dietary staple in the coming weeks, Ensure (or other protein supplement to gain weight). Once again, they're working me up to solid food and seeing how my bowels respond. So far, everything's moving through. (yayyyyyy)
But here's the rub: this exact thing happened last time, and at the end of the solid food day, I was in some nasty pain and eventually threw up, restarting this process. I really want this food trial to work, but at this point, I can't say what I think will happen.
Ashley has been working her gluteus maximus off back at school these past two days, and for that I am really proud of her. She's going to make an excellent nurse one day. But for now, nursing school still makes her life pretty stressful. Tomorrow, she'll drive up and actually be on a break! Praise the Lord.
Insurance has been really weird. They kept trying to shirk payment of my bills by claiming I had an accident I didn't report. Yes, I had an accident that meant I needed a Whipple surgery. April Fools! If Obamacare makes health insurance worse, I'll really need God's healing! (not that I don't need it now...)
Anyway, please pray for one thing: that this works and we can go home together (and maybe even go to Easter with our extended family!).
Thanks friends. More to come later.
Dan

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Passing

Today's theme is Passing.
Passover is today (I think?), when God spared the children of Israel right before His mighty deliverance from Egypt.
This morning, I caught the end of To Kill a Mockingbird on TV, including the immortal moment when everyone stands and the old black man says to Scout, "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passing."
I am passing gas.
I am also passing through the contrast from yesterday's test.
Therefore, this morning, the doctor passed on the surgery option.

You read right. No surgery today. Hopefully no surgery at all.

The doctor said that my study looked normal. He even showed us the images. Neither he nor the radiologist nor I could see any dilation. Combined with me passing gas and contrast out of my system, he felt like surgery was not necessary for fear of opening me up, running his hands all over my intestines, and finding zilch. We're kind of relieved, since the surgery is a big deal, but also a little nervous that the food trial will yield the same result as last time. We'll take it slow, though, and pray that everything works fine.

Is this what we've been waiting and begging for? After months of prayer coming back seemingly answered with a 'no' or 'not yet', is God saying yes? The only thing that could have stopped the surgery was a clean study, and that's what I got. Will this last, or will it be only a moment of triumph? I don't know, but I'm going to flood God's inbox with e-mails asking that this be the end of my complications. So to speak. I hope you will do the same.

This, too, shall pass.

Pray for:
Successful food trial (no more need for hospitalizations or surgery)
Safe travels for Ashley (who is going back to school for a few days to pick up some much-needed clinical hours)
My release from the hospital by Easter
and thank God that I won't be in surgery in 4 hours as was thought.

Monday, March 29, 2010

The Surgical Option

After 2 weeks of trying to get rid of the bowel obstruction with NPO and an NG tube, it looks like this obstruction won't move without some surgical help. McGreeky ordered a test to be done today, but the resident who put the order in the system put the wrong order in. So, Dan had a GI test that showed part of his bowels, but not the part that is obstructed! I tried to convince the radiologist that McGreeky wanted something else, but he wouldn't budge. Of course, when McGreeky paid them a visit in radiology he changed his tune.

So, we're now waiting for the real test he wanted to be finished. The surgeon really wanted to make sure Dan needs this surgery before doing it, but he is fairly positive that he'll be operating tomorrow. The surgery is scheduled for 3pm tomorrow...but it could go earlier or later depending on the other cases in the OR. Basically, all we know is that sometime tomorrow Dan is having surgery. Considering his last operation took 15 hours, we're thinking this one should be shorter. :)

Prayer is certainly necessary. It is not a complicated surgery, but there are all sorts of things that they could find or that could happen. Obviously, we have no control over that at this point, but we can pray to the One who does have control.

Look for updates tomorrow.

Prayer Requests:
* A safe and successful short surgery...with no complications
* Rapid recovery...with no complications
* Wisdom and skill for the surgeons
* Ability for Dan to eat normal food from here on out without pain or problems
* Peace for the family and me
* Ability for Dan to come home with me very soon
* A night of rest
* NO COMPLICATIONS

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Tentative Tuesday

Not much has changed since yesterday. NG is still draining, bowel sounds are still present but quiet, and not much is passing through. On a good note, Dan's belly pain is gone (unless an unruly resident presses too hard).

McGreeky came in and told us he has put Dan on the tentative surgery schedule for Tuesday. He still doesn't want to do surgery, but feels like it's nearly inevitable. The final decision will be made after the results of Dan's GI study (he'll drink some contrast and they'll take x-rays every hour or so to see how far the contrast goes in the small bowel) are seen. The GI study i scheduled to start ASAP today or tomorrow morning, but radiology is pretty slow on Sundays.

We've been told the surgery isn't complicated, but will still involve a new incision in Dan's belly and risk of infection and more adhesions. To date, Dan hasn't had a surgery without complications before, so we're hoping this surgery will be the first quick-healing-no-complication-fix-the-problem-without-making-more-problems surgery.

Obviously, our prayer is that Dan wouldn't need surgery at all, but the requirement for that is for Dan's GI study to be "stone cold normal." Accordingly, that would only be in God's domain of healing. God is powerful and can heal Dan in a second, it's just a matter of whether or not that is in His will to do. We cannot coerce God to do anything, but we can plead and plead until He gets tired of hearing us and grants our request. As there are probably hundreds of people praying everywhere, I'm hoping God is getting close!

Today we wait. My parents are visiting after church to bring me some more food for my "hospital pantry" and just to say hello for a while. Otherwise, we just wait.

Prayer Request:
* Completely normal GI study showing complete resolution of obstruction
* No need for surgery...miraculously
* If surgery: no complications, no infection, no muscle problems, no digestion problems
* A week of healing and successful recovery
* Ability for Dan to go home with me very soon...and not return to the hospital for A LONG TIME
*Lots of encouraging and excellent news to report this week

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Alrighty then

After discussing it between ourselves, Ashley and I thought that surgery was a better option than trying to wait out my obstruction only to be obstructed again and need surgery. So we were going to wait for the doctor to come in and let him know how we felt. The only game-changer would be if my morning x-ray looked impeccable.
I did not get a lot of sleep last night. NG tubes do not let you get really comfortable. Just to let you know.
Well the doctor finally came in, fairly late since it was a weekend, and told us that the x-ray looked better, and that he didn't want to operate on someone who was passing gas and other things (that would be me). Well, so much for our opinion. After a long talk with him and him showing us the scans, we decided to give it 'til Monday like we had said last night. The biggest factor was his strong hesitation to do surgery. It is a big deal, and doesn't guarantee no complications. And especially for me in my condition, since I'm not in an ideal state for surgery, he wants to avoid it if possible, and he feels like there is objective data to go with his plan rather than a hunch, which is what our plan was based on. Hopefully this time, it will resolve with no surgery and will STAY that way. The interesting thing is, last night Ashley prayed that the doctor would be strongly opinionated one way or the other; though she was expecting him to be strongly for surgery. We'll see. We'll pray.

Please join us in praying for:
resolution of the obstruction with no surgery (quickly!)
NG out soon and eating soon (as is safe)
wisdom for the doctors
out of the hospital soon, at least by Easter
no more complications EVER

Friday, March 26, 2010

What next?

McGreeky and the team came in a little while ago with CT results. The obstruction is definitely back and not resolving well. Though the doctor doesn't want to have to do surgery, but he feels that the odds of the obstruction healing on its own are getting much smaller. His gut feeling (pun?) is that surgery will be necessary. He's going to do an x-ray in the morning to see how things compare to today, but he is willing to wait until early next week to make a decision.

After they left, Dan and I talked about what he wants. It seems as though we are simply postponing the inevitable. Dan could start to feel better and look better, but the last time that happened, we were surprised by a re-obstruction. Our fear is that that will happen again or that we will always be on the look-out for a recurrence of the obstruction. Dan's life has been put on hold for quite a while now, and he (we) would really like to work toward healing finally.

The surgery is not without lots of risk, especially considering Dan's state of health. It would be a separate incision to reach the distal part of the small bowel. It could be a simple surgery (removal of adhesions or whatever is blocking the bowel) or it could be complicated (resection of any part of the bowel that has become injured or has died). Those things will not be known until surgery has already begun. Additionally, surgeries involving the bowel could cause more adhesions and obstructions. Then, there are the normal surgery risks: infection, pain, malnutrition, etc.

Dan and I need a lot of prayer tonight to help us make a good decision. If surgery has to be done, we would rather it be done tomorrow rather than next week. Yet, there is no way to know whether or not surgery is absolutely necessary. Dan made the point that God could heal him and end this situation, but how long do we wait on God for a miracle? Perhaps, the healing we are seeking from God is coming through the hands of a surgeon. We really don't know.

Please pray that God will be very clear with us. Pray that the surgeon will stew on the situation tonight and make a firm recommendation in the morning. Pray that if surgery is required, it will be successful and the recovery would be smooth this time. Pray that we stay in the safest place in the world: God's will.

Stay tuned. The next few days may be more exciting than we would like.

Second opinion

The gastroenterologist walked in while we were watching Grey's Anatomy (Dan's uncle was on it again last night!). He and the team did a brief history and exam and then gave their opinion...the agree with what McGreeky is doing. It's nice to know that the second opinion is the exact same as the doctor we've been trusting so far.

Basically, the GI doc said it is completely the surgery team's decision regarding surgery. Some people heal and get passed obstructions without surgery, some do not. Looking at Dan's last CT, this doc was almost certain that this is not a medical issue (not paralysis of the stomach or bowels) and could not be fixed with any medications they could prescribe. Accordingly, he feels Dan is best taken care of by the surgical team. He will join McGreeky in looking at today's CT, but feels confident they will concur.

Dan's still working on the CT contrast. Pretty much a champ. After he finishes, he will wait for 90 minutes or so before getting the CT. This will allow the contrast to work its way through his intestines to give the docs the best picture.

Perhaps, this is a 3 update day.

Keep praying!

Out of control

The night went smoothly. We both slept, though I had to get the NG running every now and again. It hasn't put out much since last night, which is encouraging. Some of the belly pain has persisted, but it's gotten better.

McGreeky came in and said he had been expecting to operate on Dan today. Then, he looked at the x-ray from last night and was pleasantly surprised. The bowels are slightly distended, but there is air in the colon, which means things are still getting through. My favorite part of the conversation: McGreeky asked if Dan was passing gas, and Dan answered by doing so in his presence. Ha. (Hospital humor). At this point, the surgeon still doesn't think surgery is necessary. Though, he has warned us that if another trial of NG suction doesn't resolve the obstruction, surgery will be warranted.

Dan is currently giving himself contrast through the NG in preparation for the CT. So long as the CT shows improvement, we wait. Otherwise, this may be a bigger weekend than we would like. Also, the gastroenterologist is coming in eventually (possibly after the CT) to throw his advice in. We're not expecting anything different from the new doctor, but I suppose it won't hurt matters.

This will be another two-update day, though I am hoping the next update is nothing more than "things are looking better." We are definitely not in control of the situation, though God is.

Prayer Requests:
* Complete resolution of bowel obstruction without the need for surgery
* Encouraging news on the CT scan
* Wisdom for the doctors (McGreeky and GI guy)
* Bowel movements and passing of gas (such a weird thing to pray for, I know)
* Disappearance of belly pain
* Ability for Dan and I to celebrate Easter at home
* Peace and confidence in God's control

Thursday, March 25, 2010

NG 2

Two updates in one day? That hasn't happened in a while. Today it is necessary.

Last night was awful. Thanks to exhaustion and 4mg of morphine, Dan slept until almost 1pm this afternoon. He obviously needed the rest. When he finally got up and moving, his pain kept him from walking around much. The belly pain got better as the day went on, but never really went away. The two meds he got put on ended up making him sick...so, we got the doctor to ditch those. We also convinced the doctor to order an x-ray for tonight instead of waiting for the morning. As we explained to McGreeky how Dan's symptoms had progressed throughout the day, he agreed with our thought that this was his obstruction returning. Accordingly, he wanted to get a jump-start on taking care of the problem.

While we waited, Jamie made a surprise visit since she was taking the exchange students to San Francisco. She brought us fruit and gifts from Israel. Very fun!

Unfortunately, the x-ray did warrant some concern. As the on-call resident is quite busy tonight, the only detail we got on the results was that his abdomen looks a little distended and the team wants to decompress the bowels before any obstruction gets worse. So, Dan got his 2nd NG tube inserted about an hour ago. The nurse was awesome and made the experience much less traumatic than the previous NG placement by the resident. We're awaiting x-ray confirmation of proper placement before Dan gets hooked up to suction again. Hopefully, this NG won't need to be in place as long as the last.

Luckily, Dan isn't feeling too bad tonight. Before the NG got placed, his nausea and pain were very minimal and sometimes, not even there. Perhaps, this will mean a quicker resolution of the obstruction, as the doctors caught it early. On the other hand, McGreeky is going to be even more cautious regarding advancing Dan's diet. Surgery is what we want to avoid.

Tomorrow, the plan is for a gastroenterologist to take a look at Dan's case (at McGreeky's request) to make sure nothing is being missed in his care. Also, Dan will have a CT to see the extent of this obstruction. Hopefully, by tomorrow evening we will have a more solid plan for Dan.

Let it be known, I have never seen a patient endure so much, have so many setbacks and still find the resolve to laugh and smile. Dan is honestly the most amazing man I have ever met, and no, I am not biased.

Prayer Requests:
* Complete resolution of obstruction without need for surgery
* Wisdom for the doctors
* Encouraging news from the CT
* Passing of gas very soon
* Short period of NG necessity
* Comfort and rest for Dan (despite NG)
* Wisdom for me to know when to go to school
* Ability for Dan and I to celebrate Easter at HOME

Back up

Approximately an hour after Dan blogged last night, we figured out something was going wrong.

His belly pain was coming back, his stomach felt full and he just couldn't comfortable. Over the course of a couple hours, Dan was vomiting and having terrible back and abdominal pain. The on-call doc got paged, she ordered an x-ray and checked him out. The x-ray came back mostly normal, though all his intestines looked a tiny bit distressed (mild ileus). The pain got worse and since the resident had ordered oral pain meds, he threw up any relief he might get. We called the nurse again, she saw how sweaty and miserable he was and came back with a large dose of morphine. Since then, Dan has been mainly sleeping. It was a terrible night.

This morning, McGreeky came in looking pretty disappointed, but not as much as Dan. He said it looked like the solid foods were a little much for his intestines and pushing it anymore could result in another obstruction. He wants to give the bowels a break today...thus, back to NPO and TPN. Dan was relieved that an NG isn't necessary today, though it's always a possibility if this continues. McGreeky and the team are pretty sure this isn't another obstruction but just distress on the bowels. He'll be starting Dan on a couple new meds (Reglan and erythromycin) to help the GI system get moving again, but we have to monitor him carefully. If he does have an obstruction, these meds would make it worse. If no obstruction, they help the situation. We're always walking a fine line here.

Dan will be watched today and if the pain continues, will have a CT tomorrow to make sure nothing is out of place. Additionally, the pain he is having in his back could be related to his pancreas, so he'll be having some extra labs to rule out pancreatitis.

This time yesterday, McGreeky said Dan could have his PICC removed and go home today as long as food stayed settled all day. Now, we're back to having no clue when discharge will be. As frustrating and disappointing as this is, I'm just glad it happened before we left the hospital. McGreeky told us that most obstruction patients go home when they can tolerate liquids, but with Dan, he wanted to be extra cautious and watch him progress through solids. Thank goodness, he decided to keep him a little longer than normal.

So, now we back up and wait a while. This could be only a set back of a day or two, or this could keep Dan here a lot longer. Only God knows what is in store for us.

After one of the best days we've had since January, that was one of the worst nights on record.

Prayer Requests:
* Dan's bowels calm down and do not become obstructed again
* That this is simply a matter of eating too much too soon
* That the meds help
* No more pain
* No need for more invasive procedures (NG, surgery, etc)
* Ability for Dan to be able to progress through a diet again soon
* Home for Easter (only a week or so away!)
* Creative clinical hours for me to make up this week
* Total healing for good!
* NO MORE COMPLICATIONS

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

More good news!

So two days ago I gave some good news: that I ditched my NG tube and was starting to eat. Well... things went well sipping, so I thought I would get upgraded to clear liquids (not just sipping). Wrong.
I got upgraded to full liquids, which is one step above. Hot dog. That's not what I ate; I had creamy soups and ice cream. Anyway, that went well, so today I went on regular diet. I mean... !
So that was nice to eat real foods. That has been going pretty well. I still have to remind myself not to eat too much. It's also been nice because they're holding off on the TPN tonight (to let me get more hungry) and they've also canceled my IV fluids, so I am currently wireless. Oh yeah.
If things keep going well while I'm eating, then I have no more reason to be here. Which means I get to go home. Oh yeah! So hopefully that will be soon.
Ashley got back last night and it was really good to be with her again. I got to kiss her for the first time in a while now that my NG tube was out, and it's really nice to cuddle with her on my bed. But it'd be nicer to cuddle with her on our couch. Soon. For now though, she's dealing with some belly pain that's just annoying.

Please pray for the following:
Food to go down well
Reduction/Elimination of Ashley's belly pain
Soon discharge from the hospital
Wisdom for doctors

Monday, March 22, 2010

Good news is good, you betcha

I like good news. Get ready for some.
There was zero drainage in my gravity-induced bag and my x-ray looked good, so this morning the doctor pulled out my NG tube! At first, my nose was extremely confused. My throat hurt a little bit, but that only lasted a while. I feel SO much better now. As of now, my new diet is sipping on clear liquids. If that goes well (which it is so far), I can drop the 'sipping' part. And advance as possible after that. It feels good to taste things again, and also to not be confined by my nose. Pray that things continue to go well!

Ashley is back at school. It's sad that she wasn't here for the gloriousness of the NG being removed, but there will be plenty more good times for us to share in the future. Unfortunately, tonight she is headed to the ER to check out some belly pain that has been off and on in the past months. Pray that nothing is wrong with her so she can make her scheduled flight on Tuesday night.

Well, I need to go because the battery's dying and I'm due for a walk around the unit. Keep praying-- I am encouraged by all of your prayers. Hopefully tomorrow I can give some more good news.
:) /\ |\|

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Patience

So, we didn't blog yesterday. I was busy writing a paper all day, and Dan didn't really feel like it. However, don't feel like you missed a lot.

Dan had an x-ray yesterday and it looked a little better than the previous one. McGreeky came in and told us that a few loops of the bowel are still distended, but that the distention is decreasing (Thurs: 6cm diameter, Sat: 4 cm, Normal: less than 3cm). The obstruction is still there, but hopefully it is beginning to resolve. When we asked about what the obstruction is, McGreeky said there is really no way to tell just from a CT. However, the main options are still surgical adhesions or an internal hernia. Regardless, the plan of care remains the same: wait patiently for as long as possible. Though the obstruction could be fixed through surgery, Dan is not a good surgical candidate right now. Accordingly, McGreeky (and the other surgeons consulted) do not want to be hasty about making this a surgical issue.

(My blogging was interrupted by a victorious Dan announcing the passing of gas! Normally, we wouldn't post this, but it has been a prayer request. So, that means this is a praise!)

The NG drainage is still a lot, but is thin and light which encourages the doctors.

(My blogging is again interrupted by the doctors coming in.)

Between the NG output being light and the passing of gas, McGreeky has decided to put the NG to gravity with a drainage bag for a day to see how Dan does. If he can stay the day without being nauseous or vomiting, they'll start giving him fluids tomorrow. If not, they'll put the NG back to suction for a couple days. Once the diet keeps advancing, it will be the true test to make sure Dan can tolerate the food and that the food goes all the way through the system. An x-ray tomorrow will determine whether or not the NG gets pulled all the way out. So, it's a big day tomorrow.

I am unfortunately leaving for school today and won't be back until Tuesday night. Hopefully, I will be missing some exciting events so that when I get back, Dan will be eating a bit. It will be nice to get some school work done and to gather more clean clothes from home. It will be even nicer to get back to a happier, healthier Dan!

Luckily, Dan is able to talk better with the NG tube, so he can communicate to the nurses without me around. Also, he knows the signs to alert the nurses to quickly. He's a smart guy, so I trust he will be intelligent about his care. He wants himself to get better even more than I want him to get better! Though, somethings will be more difficult without me here--washing up, motivation to walk around, asking questions of the doctors, and remembering what the doctor says. It really isn't a matter of preference for Dan to want me here, it is actually very helpful for both the doctors and my husband. Sure, we can be apart when necessary, but when my professors are working with me so patiently and ensuring my graduation, why wouldn't I want to be with Dan?

Anyway, this has the potential to be a very exciting day or a very disappointing day depending upon what happens with Dan's GI system. We are hoping and praying this is indeed the turning point for Dan's recovery.

Prayer Requests:
* Complete resolution of the obstruction without the need for surgery
* Continuation of passing gas, bowel sounds, etc.
* No further complications!
* No nausea or vomiting or increased belly pain
* Safe travels for me (and the girls driving me down to school
* Peace and confidence in the doctors for Bob and Jamie
* Wisdom for the doctors to watch the progression
* Successful food trial this week
* Ability for Dan to come home with me very soon!
* Good news and encouragement for the rest of this hospital stay...may it be short!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Stuck

Things that prompted this title:
The NG tube stuck up my nose
The fact that I am stuck to the wall when the NG suction is on
Sometimes my NG tube gets stuck because of all the mucus
The fact that I am stuck in the hospital, with little progress
ESPN is stuck on March Madness right now
My bowels are stuck

I am really not a fan of this time. Not counting follow-up appointments, I have spent 41 days in a hospital this year, or 52.6%. And still, I wait. With a tube up my nose.
Granted, there is so much to be thankful for. I have made a lot of progress on other areas physically, but it's so easily masked by another setback that puts me in the hospital and not even able to eat the little cups of jello and drink the plain chicken broth. At least I get ice.

Before Ashley and I got a private room, I was in a shared room, and had 3 different roommates. The first was a guy with no legs who got transferred to a different floor and was later discharged. The second was a younger post-op who went home like the next day. Both complained about the food (because it is popular to complain about airplane and hospital food--I will never complain about either ever again). At least I have legs, right? My third roommate was an old Indian chap who was able to eat, but slowly. His wife and family were extremely nice and I felt really bad that I had to transfer out while rooming with him, for fear of seeming like we didn't like them. Whenever I walk by my old room, if I see them, I wave, and they wave back like I was part of their family too. They remind me of my Indian neighbors back at Biola. How I wish to see them again and eat their yummy chicken.

But really, I'm not obsessed with food. I think. The point is, 52.6% is too much. 41 days is too much. I'm done. I want to get on with my life and be normal again. I haven't taken a regular shower since January. I want to eat a home-cooked meal by my wife and gain weight and muscle mass back. I want to be at home for more than 2 weeks at a time and be with my friends and church family. And hopefully, I will soon. I'm hopeful that this will pass (and praying for it to not be surgically-induced). I'm praying that this will be the last complication, even for the upcoming second surgery in June. I've been on this ride too long, and it's time to get off. But wouldn't you know it, I'm stuck. Which is why I need God's help getting out. May He have mercy on my body.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Patient's Progress

Drum roll please...not much going on.

Dan is feeling a little better with more energy from the TPN. The morning has included getting cleaned up and an abdominal x-ray, which took forever because of radiology students.
Somehow, when Dan was here for a month, he only had one nursing student for part of a day. In just these past few days, he has had 2 nursing students (SN), a med student and radiology students. Good grief. Being a nursing student, I know we need to be nice and understanding since they are learning. Yet, I am also more aware of mistakes...(like dumping the NG canister down the toilet and never recording the output, causing the doc to think great strides were being made when nothing has happened). Today's SN is much better than last night's and has been very accommodating. What's more, she's not nervous and performs her tasks efficiently and well. Phew.

McGreeky came in twice this morning: once he was very excited because the intake/output record showed a very low NG output from yesterday and again with the x-ray results. After I explained the SN's mistake last night, he seemed a little disappointed. The x-ray showed not a lot of progress since Tuesday--maybe 20% more open. At this rate, Dan will be here for a LONG time. McGreeky told us we had to have patience and added a note of encouragement when he saw the look on my face that told him we have more patience than he does (patients, ha). He also reminded us that the possibility of surgery remains in the back of his mind.

Anyway, we're going to be up and walking a lot today to encourage his bowel to get past this obstruction. At this point, it looks as though Dan will have the NG for more than 3 days, which is not making him happy. The overarching goal: bowel sounds and passing gas. Seriously, without those...he's stuck here.

On the note of being stuck, I'm beginning to feel a little stuck myself. School is on break this week, but will resume next week. Dan feels pretty helpless since he is attached to the wall with the NG and has asked me to stay even if it means missing school. He hasn't asked that of me before, so I know he is serious. I have a lot of school work I can get done here (papers, readings, research, etc.), but there are some things I cannot make up while here. I'm becoming concerned that the grace my professors have given me is stretching a little thin. In the end, I know I need to choose Dan over school (and will), I just hope that doesn't prevent me from finishing school.

Speaking of school, I better start writing some papers!

Prayer Requests:
* Complete resolution of bowel obstruction with the need for surgery
* Quicker rate of progress (10% a day is too slow!)
* BOWEL SOUNDS AND GAS!!!
* Decreased NG output (less than a liter/day)
* No complications or further problems
* Wisdom for the doctors
* Wisdom for my decisions regarding school
* Ability for Dan to come home with me very very soon

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Third time's the (Lucky) charm?

For the third time in 2 years, Dan got a PICC line placed today. Somehow, he got to the top of the PICC nurse's list, which means he'll be able to get TPN tonight. After a week of not eating (and losing 10 more pounds), some solid nutrition will do his body well. He has no energy and is pretty apathetic about getting out of bed. Such a bummer.

McGreeky came by this morning and reminded us that this is a "waiting game." Yes, we know, sir. The NG tube drained about 2 liters yesterday, which is still a lot. Additionally, Dan's belly pain has returned here and there. The surgeon says that is his bowels trying to overcome the obstruction. He doubts the blockage has changed much in the past day -- for good or worse. McGreeky might rethink the x-ray tomorrow if the NG keeps putting out so much fluid. So, now we just wait.

In other news, today is one of my favorite holidays...St. Patrick's Day! Of course, as a good (mainly) Irish lass, I enjoy the celebration of my heritage. Yet, I also find excitement in this day because it is celebrating a missionary! St. Patrick spread the Gospel using culturally relevant object lessons and stories--allowing the good news of Christ to permeat Ireland. Makes one wonder how many pubs full of people slamming pints tonight actually know what they are celebrating!

Usually, I make Irish soda bread on St. Patty's Day and watch The Quiet Man (classic John Wayne film that takes place in Ireland) to celebrate. As we are stuck in the hospital again, no soda bread will get baked today. Also, my movie is 500 miles away from me, so we had to switch to another great Irish movie: Waking Ned Devine (hilarious). I even forgot something green to wear, so I'm making due with a lime-green head band I found in my backpack. It'll have to do.

I hope everyone has a wonderful St. Patrick's Day and remembers what the day really is about...God working through a man to reach people for Christ. Though celebrating Irishness with a Guiness, corned beef and cabbage or wearing shamrocks is quite fun, too!

“Before I was humiliated I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and He who is mighty came and in His compassion raised me up and exalted me very high and placed me on the top of the wall. What is more, let anyone laugh and taunt if he so wishes. I am not keeping silent, nor am I hiding the signs and wonders that were shown to me by the Lord many years before they happened, [he] who knew everything, even before the beginning of time.” ~ St. Patrick

Prayer Requests:
*
Complete resolution of bowel obstruction without the need for surgery
* Miraculously quick healing of the obstruction
* Positive signs by today or tomorrow: bowel sounds, gas, etc.
* Improved nutrition status with TPN
* Quality rest for both of us
* Wisdom for the doctors
* My ability to get school work done in such a distracting situation
* Dan's ability to come home with me very soon
* Normalcy and a long period of good health in the near future!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

And, here we go again.

McGreeky came in around 7pm to let us know the results of the CT. It definitely showed a bowel obstruction in the distal small bowel. Fortunately, is a partial obstruction meaning some fluid is still getting past the blockage. However, it is a very small amount. The doctor could only give a well-educated guess about how long it would take to resolve and threw out the number 3-4 days (at least). Dan will have the NG tube at least 3 days, which he is thoroughly unhappy about. He will have an x-ray on Thursday to see if there is any change in the blockage. We will also be watching for warning signs indicating worsening of the situation: increase in white blood cell count (WBC), fever, low urine output, abdominal pain, no bowel sounds or movements in the next few days. If these things happen, this problem may need to be surgically fixed. McGreeky said he is dragging his heels to avoid another surgery, but it is still a possibility. Surgery carries many risks, especially when Dan is already sick.

Unfortunately, we are embarking upon another "wait and see" type of journey. There really is no way to tell how long this will take to resolve. It's quite a bummer for all of us, but especially Dan.

Dan will be getting a PICC tomorrow (hopefully) or the next day for TPN. We asked the doctor to start him off with lots of calories to make sure he gets some heavy duty nutrition after so many days of nothing. We're hoping this PICC is definitely not needed for too long, as Dan should be able to eat normally after this resolves. We don't really know if he'll go home with TPN again, but I won't mind mixing to keep him "fat and happy".

Our lives have been seemingly put on hold since January 8th, and we are so ready to move past this. Dan misses how he used to be and I do, too. We need a little "us" time that doesn't involve meds and tubes and nurses and doctors and fevers and hospitals. We'll get through this, but we are weary and in need of joy and encouragement and normalcy.

Please be in prayer that something McGreeky said will be accidentally prophetic: "You'll have that NG for at least 3 days and be here a while unless something miraculous happens and the bowel opens up very quickly." So, pray for something miraculous! Pray that Dan's bowel opens up and the obstruction resolves very quickly...bowel sounds appear, gas gets passed, etc. Let 3-4 days be more than enough time for Dan to heal. Wouldn't it be great to point out to McGreeky that something miraculous did happen due to the prayers of the saints?

Prayer Requests:
* Complete resolution of bowel obstruction without surgery
* Miraculous speed of healing...which can only be attributed to God's hand
* PICC placement tomorrow
* Bowel sounds, movements, etc. in the next day or two
* None of the "warning signs"
* Comfort and rest for Dan
* Wisdom for the doctors
* Ability for me to stay with Dan throughout his healing
* Encouraging and joyous news in the next couple days
* Ability for me to get all of my school work and clinical hours completed for graduation (it's getting pretty tight)