So the doctor said he would be operating unless the x-rays looked perfectly normal and behold, THEY LOOKED PERFECTLY GOOD! No Surgery. Hallelujah! The nasty NG tube is out and Dan will start having some liquids tomorrow. We are excited that Dan may be sitting at Aunt Patty's Resurrection Day celebration dinner table EATING! Lord Jesus, let it be so! I was at a wonderful prayer meeting last night and we prayed for this as well as praying for a good outcome in the possible surgery. I am so thankful Dan is not having surgery. Here is his blog form this morning:
Passing
Today's theme is Passing.
Passover is today, 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.
Passover scriptures:
Exodus 12:1-14
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
“This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.
“Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household.
“And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
“and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.
“They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
“Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.
“And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.
“In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover.
“For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.
“The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
So thankful that the Lord spared my firstborn by the blood of the Perfect Lamb of God, Yeshua the Messiah!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday night
Prayer Team,
It looks like Dan will have surgery tomorrow afternoon around 3:00 pm. PLEASE pray for an easy repair of the obstruction, NO complications, a smooth and quick recovery, and finally his discharge before Easter Sunday! He is not the greatest surgical candidate due to his previous surgery and diminished nutritional state but he is an amazing young man with a great attitude, a great heart and with faith in the One true God.
So many are praying for him and Ashley - we just need to perservere.
Word for today:
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints
Here is Ashley's blog from tonight and yesterday:
Monday March 29
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
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
It looks like Dan will have surgery tomorrow afternoon around 3:00 pm. PLEASE pray for an easy repair of the obstruction, NO complications, a smooth and quick recovery, and finally his discharge before Easter Sunday! He is not the greatest surgical candidate due to his previous surgery and diminished nutritional state but he is an amazing young man with a great attitude, a great heart and with faith in the One true God.
So many are praying for him and Ashley - we just need to perservere.
Word for today:
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints
Here is Ashley's blog from tonight and yesterday:
Monday March 29
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
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
Friday, March 26, 2010
thursday's news- not so good
So how do you continue to ask for prayer over and over again without feeling like some greedy prayer monger? You just humbly ask and keep asking on behalf of your dear son. We are praying that the Lord will be merciful and that He would give great wisdom to the doctors and nurses caring for Dan. Let's get this problem solved! Patience for all of us. Hope! Encouragement. Blessings to all of you from our LORD God. As we near Passover and recount the story of our deliverance from Egypt and its ultimate fulfillment in our deliverance from sin through our Passover Lamb of God, Yeshua (Hebrew) Jesus (English), we offer the sacrifice of praise to our God and King.
Dan and Ashley's last 2 blogs, both on Thursday March 25:
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
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
Dan and Ashley's last 2 blogs, both on Thursday March 25:
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
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
Monday, March 22, 2010
behind on the blog
Sorry, blog watchers, that I have not added my updates to my blog. I have just been emailing them out to "The List". Someone reminded me that I have not updated this site for awhile. Well I have been busy traveling to Israel with 51 others (including 30 amazing students on Elliot's robotics team that competed in the Tel Aviv competition. More on that later.
Dan was basically doing fine when we left and then ended up in the hospital with a small bowel obstruction. His NG tube got pulled out today (YEAH!) and he is drinking sips of clear liquids. So far so good. I am copying his and Ashley's blog (www.footballandstehoscopes.blogspot.cpm) so you can hear from their hearts. God is merciful and has spared Dan another surgery for the obstruction. Please keep praying that all will continue to resolve smoothly and he will get home soon!
Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!
Dan and Ashley's blogs Friday, Sunday and today:
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.
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!
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 9:24 AM
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.
:) /\ |\|
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 3:21 PM
Dan was basically doing fine when we left and then ended up in the hospital with a small bowel obstruction. His NG tube got pulled out today (YEAH!) and he is drinking sips of clear liquids. So far so good. I am copying his and Ashley's blog (www.footballandstehoscopes.blogspot.cpm) so you can hear from their hearts. God is merciful and has spared Dan another surgery for the obstruction. Please keep praying that all will continue to resolve smoothly and he will get home soon!
Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!
Dan and Ashley's blogs Friday, Sunday and today:
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.
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!
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 9:24 AM
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.
:) /\ |\|
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 3:21 PM
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