Well....it looks like we're in this for the long haul. CT scan this morning shows the pancreas is still very inflamed. And until this improves, Ron still needs to have "bowel rest"; which means no eating or drinking allowing the digestive system to basically be inactive so that the pancreas does not continue to produce an over-abundance of digestive enzymes thus causing further inflammation. We asked the docs exactly what does this mean and were told patience is the name of the game at this point. No one is willing to give us any timeline but when pushed the docs said it could still be weeks of in-hospital treatment. They will continue to support his other systems and make him comfortable. Good news is his kidney function is continuing to do well.
Please continue to pray for us as we seek God's face regarding business decisions, my work schedule, our time together, Ryan, Aaron, Kristin, as well as all of our family, and especially for Ron's healing.
We've spent alot of time talking, I'd be lying if I said we haven't had to work through some hard emotional stuff and at times been very discouraged. At times we've been tempted to ask why us? But, we always come back to---why not us? What makes us think we are so special that we shouldn't face hardships and trials. Jesus, Himself, told us in this world we would have troubles of many kinds but to be of good cheer, He has overcome the world! We know that God is at work, the victory has been won! For now, we try to submit to the molding and shaping He's doing in us. We can't wait to see what comes of this time...our prayer is that we will walk in a manner worthy of His call! That those we come in contact with will see Jesus in us!
To Him be all glory!!!!!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sucker Punch!
Well, we've taken a hard blow to the stomach today!
First off, EGD procedure went very well. They were able to remove the stent with no problem and everything looked good.
We've been concerned about the greater amount of swelling in his left leg so they decided to sonogram both his legs and found he has a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis) in his left leg. So... now they will treat him with Lovenox, a blood thinner, that he will take for the next 3-6 months. He must be on complete bed rest for the next 72 hours. Very important that the clot not dislodge but be dissolved by medication instead.
Very discouraging news for us. We were really hoping things would continue forward. I confess our spirits took a bit of a nose dive, but, WE REFUSE TO LOSE HOPE! And are clinging to the promise that what Satan might intend to harm us, God will use those same plans for our good.
I found this note in my Bible as I was seeking comfort and strength, it said "never pray for an easier life--pray to be a stronger person; pray for power equal to your task!"
"Be men of courage; be strong." I Cor 16:13
"For I will be with you...I will not fail you or abandon you." Joshua 1:5b
"the Lord is in His holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everything closely..." Psalm 11:4
Thanks for standing in the gap!
First off, EGD procedure went very well. They were able to remove the stent with no problem and everything looked good.
We've been concerned about the greater amount of swelling in his left leg so they decided to sonogram both his legs and found he has a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis) in his left leg. So... now they will treat him with Lovenox, a blood thinner, that he will take for the next 3-6 months. He must be on complete bed rest for the next 72 hours. Very important that the clot not dislodge but be dissolved by medication instead.
Very discouraging news for us. We were really hoping things would continue forward. I confess our spirits took a bit of a nose dive, but, WE REFUSE TO LOSE HOPE! And are clinging to the promise that what Satan might intend to harm us, God will use those same plans for our good.
I found this note in my Bible as I was seeking comfort and strength, it said "never pray for an easier life--pray to be a stronger person; pray for power equal to your task!"
"Be men of courage; be strong." I Cor 16:13
"For I will be with you...I will not fail you or abandon you." Joshua 1:5b
"the Lord is in His holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everything closely..." Psalm 11:4
Thanks for standing in the gap!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Card-carrying PICC line recipient
How does the saying go? "The best laid plans of mice and men...."
So the schedule we decided to implement today did not go as expected. Majority of the doctors showed up at 9AM this morning while I was at work. Several decisions were made:
1. Ron is now an official card-carrying PICC line recipient. PICC line was put in this afternoon--I actually got to be in the room all masked up to watch and be support for Ron...very cool! I could never do that to someone but still way cool to see the procedure! Took about 1 1/2 hours; they had trouble finding a vein that would cooperate. This is placed in his right upper arm and threaded up through the veins and ending up at his superior vena cava. And I did learn that a central line and a PICC line are the same thing, difference being PICC is in peripheral (anything not in subclavian area). TPN (heavier duty IV nutritional supplement) begins tonight. (And they really do give you a card to carry in your wallet in case you go home with the PICC line in and should need to go to doctor, emergency room, etc...they will know how to keep you from "bleeding out!")
2. Another Hydascan was done to check to see if there was still leakage, PTL there is not any.
3. Decision was made to do an EGD (upper GI endoscopy) to remove stent tomorrow sometime between 10 and 12. We knew from beginning stent would be removed in 2-4 weeks but since there is no more leakage, docs feel it best to go ahead and remove it now in case it is adding to the problems; his system reacting and rejecting a foreign body in it.
Please continue to pray, for:
all procedures listed above (that there will be no weird side effects or complications)
for back pain
for swelling and pain in legs (particularly left leg) to dissipate
for a speedy recovery...we are sooooo ready to have Ron back home and be able to settle into a more normal routine, but they continue to refuse to speculate as to when this will happen
for rest for both of us...we're tired, or maybe it's more weary, from this seemingly endless ordeal
Feel like I'm leaving something out, but God knows our needs and the Holy Spirit makes intercession on our behalf!
Thanks for letting me ramble each evening---it helps me to process all that's taking place, allows me to utilize mass communication and just gives me a much-needed release without getting all emotional talking about it!
*** Sorry, still not ready for visitors, hopefully soon! ***
Our love to each of you!
Christie (& Ron)
"Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait [hope] on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:28-31 NLT
So the schedule we decided to implement today did not go as expected. Majority of the doctors showed up at 9AM this morning while I was at work. Several decisions were made:
1. Ron is now an official card-carrying PICC line recipient. PICC line was put in this afternoon--I actually got to be in the room all masked up to watch and be support for Ron...very cool! I could never do that to someone but still way cool to see the procedure! Took about 1 1/2 hours; they had trouble finding a vein that would cooperate. This is placed in his right upper arm and threaded up through the veins and ending up at his superior vena cava. And I did learn that a central line and a PICC line are the same thing, difference being PICC is in peripheral (anything not in subclavian area). TPN (heavier duty IV nutritional supplement) begins tonight. (And they really do give you a card to carry in your wallet in case you go home with the PICC line in and should need to go to doctor, emergency room, etc...they will know how to keep you from "bleeding out!")
2. Another Hydascan was done to check to see if there was still leakage, PTL there is not any.
3. Decision was made to do an EGD (upper GI endoscopy) to remove stent tomorrow sometime between 10 and 12. We knew from beginning stent would be removed in 2-4 weeks but since there is no more leakage, docs feel it best to go ahead and remove it now in case it is adding to the problems; his system reacting and rejecting a foreign body in it.
Please continue to pray, for:
all procedures listed above (that there will be no weird side effects or complications)
for back pain
for swelling and pain in legs (particularly left leg) to dissipate
for a speedy recovery...we are sooooo ready to have Ron back home and be able to settle into a more normal routine, but they continue to refuse to speculate as to when this will happen
for rest for both of us...we're tired, or maybe it's more weary, from this seemingly endless ordeal
Feel like I'm leaving something out, but God knows our needs and the Holy Spirit makes intercession on our behalf!
Thanks for letting me ramble each evening---it helps me to process all that's taking place, allows me to utilize mass communication and just gives me a much-needed release without getting all emotional talking about it!
*** Sorry, still not ready for visitors, hopefully soon! ***
Our love to each of you!
Christie (& Ron)
"Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait [hope] on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:28-31 NLT
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Trust Him in ALL things
Ron got some pretty decent sleep last night...even though late at night he got tangled up in his IV lines, knocking the whole thing over which caused the glass bottle of nutrition stuff to shatter! That brought everyone running!!!
WBC (white blood count) still at 38,000. Legs and feet still extremely swollen; back pain still there but he actually looked and felt better than he has since this all began. And he has not had hardly any pain meds the last couple of days.
Docs will be conferencing tomorrow to discuss whether to place in a PICC line or Central line (aka central venous catheter) kinda know what the difference is between the two, but too tired to try to go into it tonight soooo will save that for tomorrow.
Since this looks like it could be longer term than we were expecting we had to come up with a different schedule for my working situation so, my plan is to sleep at home each night, go to my office every morning and after doing some work there try to be at the hospital late morning to catch doctor's as they make their rounds (between 4 of them coming around it usually starts @ 11AM and last one comes in usually close to 7PM). In between doctor visits, I will work on Braille on the laptop there. I will also field Ron's business calls, contacting customers and setting appointments. My mom works for Ron so she is able to handle a good deal of the paperwork.
I'm so thankful my job is such that in an emergency situation like this I can work from just about anywhere...I calculate my hours at the end of each week and call in absence for anything under the typical 40. Fortunately (?), alot of the teacher's I do Braille for tend to wait til Friday to give us work for Monday, so I can usually put in some hours over the weekend while things are less hectic. (Phone is turned off for Nordell Equipment on weekends, yeah!!!). I've already had to use many of my sick leave days during his first surgery so I'm trying to save as many as I can for when he comes home.
I really have to brag on God's goodness....as most of you know, the beginning of my school year has been very difficult. The Epstein Barr Virus I have (similar to Chronic Fatigue) gave me a bit of a relapse---blood results showed in the "convalescent phase"---and I was barely dragging through each week, spending most of my weekends in bed recuperating. The weekend before Ron's emergency surgery was the first I'd felt half way decent since summer! God has been so faithful to give me strength and stamina throughout this entire ordeal! Not sure if it's adrenaline I'm running on but I do know I could not do it without Him!
Please pray for us as we adjust to this new schedule (as well as all the other issues!). I hate being away from Ron and I know he's more comfortable when I'm there as well. One of my greatest joys in life is ministering to my husband! But, we're choosing to trust God in this knowing He will provide for our every need. And once again, we're getting out of our comfort zone and allowing Him to show us how He wants us to handle this situation. Do we need to be more humbled and allow God to use others to provide for Ron's health issues instead of me? Are we trying to do things in our own strength? Do we need a lesson in allowing others to minister to us instead of always being the ones to minister to others? I don't know, but I do know we can trust Him in all things!
Good night! (or morning, whatever the case may be!)
Christie
"For the word of the Lord holds true, and everything He does is worthy of our trust....the Lord's plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken... the Lord watches over those who fear Him, those who rely on His unfailing love...We depend on the Lord alone to save us. Only He can help us, protecting us like a shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in His holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone."
Psalm 33:4; 11; 18; 2-22 New Living Translation
WBC (white blood count) still at 38,000. Legs and feet still extremely swollen; back pain still there but he actually looked and felt better than he has since this all began. And he has not had hardly any pain meds the last couple of days.
Docs will be conferencing tomorrow to discuss whether to place in a PICC line or Central line (aka central venous catheter) kinda know what the difference is between the two, but too tired to try to go into it tonight soooo will save that for tomorrow.
Since this looks like it could be longer term than we were expecting we had to come up with a different schedule for my working situation so, my plan is to sleep at home each night, go to my office every morning and after doing some work there try to be at the hospital late morning to catch doctor's as they make their rounds (between 4 of them coming around it usually starts @ 11AM and last one comes in usually close to 7PM). In between doctor visits, I will work on Braille on the laptop there. I will also field Ron's business calls, contacting customers and setting appointments. My mom works for Ron so she is able to handle a good deal of the paperwork.
I'm so thankful my job is such that in an emergency situation like this I can work from just about anywhere...I calculate my hours at the end of each week and call in absence for anything under the typical 40. Fortunately (?), alot of the teacher's I do Braille for tend to wait til Friday to give us work for Monday, so I can usually put in some hours over the weekend while things are less hectic. (Phone is turned off for Nordell Equipment on weekends, yeah!!!). I've already had to use many of my sick leave days during his first surgery so I'm trying to save as many as I can for when he comes home.
I really have to brag on God's goodness....as most of you know, the beginning of my school year has been very difficult. The Epstein Barr Virus I have (similar to Chronic Fatigue) gave me a bit of a relapse---blood results showed in the "convalescent phase"---and I was barely dragging through each week, spending most of my weekends in bed recuperating. The weekend before Ron's emergency surgery was the first I'd felt half way decent since summer! God has been so faithful to give me strength and stamina throughout this entire ordeal! Not sure if it's adrenaline I'm running on but I do know I could not do it without Him!
Please pray for us as we adjust to this new schedule (as well as all the other issues!). I hate being away from Ron and I know he's more comfortable when I'm there as well. One of my greatest joys in life is ministering to my husband! But, we're choosing to trust God in this knowing He will provide for our every need. And once again, we're getting out of our comfort zone and allowing Him to show us how He wants us to handle this situation. Do we need to be more humbled and allow God to use others to provide for Ron's health issues instead of me? Are we trying to do things in our own strength? Do we need a lesson in allowing others to minister to us instead of always being the ones to minister to others? I don't know, but I do know we can trust Him in all things!
Good night! (or morning, whatever the case may be!)
Christie
"For the word of the Lord holds true, and everything He does is worthy of our trust....the Lord's plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken... the Lord watches over those who fear Him, those who rely on His unfailing love...We depend on the Lord alone to save us. Only He can help us, protecting us like a shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in His holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone."
Psalm 33:4; 11; 18; 2-22 New Living Translation
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Relief!
The last 24 hours have been pretty decent.
Main issue is still Ron's inability to get good sleep as well as his back pain. His white cell count has also climbed to 38,000 tho there is no indication of infection. Inflammation itself can cause a high white blood cell count and again, since he has no spleen, his can jump higher than most, but they continue to actively watch. NG tube has really helped alot with the nausea and some of the distension & pain of abdomen.
He had another vein collapse so they had to call in a nurse anesthetist again tonight to find a good vein to move the IV to. They are talking about putting in a pic line (peripherally inserted central catheter) that is used for a longer period of time (usually placed in by a radiologist using xray or ultrasound to confirm proper placement.) They are considering this procedure because he has run out of accessible veins!
As you can imagine, he is very tired and weak. No one's talking about going home any time soon, in fact, nurse from yesterday said he'd see us next time he's on rotation; which is Wednesday....
So, please continue to pray: for GOOD REFRESHING REST (selfishly for me as well, this is my first night to be home to sleep since Ron went back into the hospital on the 18th and it's hard to be away from him); that he will begin to gain strength and stamina; relief from back pain and abdomen pain, too; pancreas inflammation to reduce, bowel system to wake up; decrease of white blood cell count; and for swelling in legs and feet to go down....actually complete healing, quickly!
Your prayer support is invaluable!
Love you guys!
Christie
Main issue is still Ron's inability to get good sleep as well as his back pain. His white cell count has also climbed to 38,000 tho there is no indication of infection. Inflammation itself can cause a high white blood cell count and again, since he has no spleen, his can jump higher than most, but they continue to actively watch. NG tube has really helped alot with the nausea and some of the distension & pain of abdomen.
He had another vein collapse so they had to call in a nurse anesthetist again tonight to find a good vein to move the IV to. They are talking about putting in a pic line (peripherally inserted central catheter) that is used for a longer period of time (usually placed in by a radiologist using xray or ultrasound to confirm proper placement.) They are considering this procedure because he has run out of accessible veins!
As you can imagine, he is very tired and weak. No one's talking about going home any time soon, in fact, nurse from yesterday said he'd see us next time he's on rotation; which is Wednesday....
So, please continue to pray: for GOOD REFRESHING REST (selfishly for me as well, this is my first night to be home to sleep since Ron went back into the hospital on the 18th and it's hard to be away from him); that he will begin to gain strength and stamina; relief from back pain and abdomen pain, too; pancreas inflammation to reduce, bowel system to wake up; decrease of white blood cell count; and for swelling in legs and feet to go down....actually complete healing, quickly!
Your prayer support is invaluable!
Love you guys!
Christie
Friday, October 26, 2007
....but a marathon!
Wow! What a rough couple of days it's been! Last night was really bad...Ron did not sleep well at all...up 5 times in 12 hours vomitting. It was especially hard since Aaron & Kristin had come in town and they were only able to be here for 24 hours due to work; and he started getting sick about 30 minutes before they arrived..and then today as they were here he was dozing and doing some major hallucinating and "interactive" dreaming which was funny but can be a little disconcerting as well. And he continues to have some tremors.
You'd think since he hasn't eaten in over a week, there would be nothing there, but your body continues to produce bile even when there is nothing to digest. That bile has to go somewhere and since he's been on so many powerful meds his bowels still have not "awakened". And what can't go down comes back up! All this to say, decision was made to put an NG tube in.(tube that goes in through nose, down throat to suction stomach). Vomitting is never something you want to experience, but even worse when you have tremendous abdominal pain. NG tube will remain in indefinitely.
All this gross talk makes me think, I may need to have two different e-mail groups...one for those who want to hear all the gory details; and another list that feels this is TMI (too much information!) and just want the basic good day or bad! Let me know if you'd like to be placed on a TMI list, otherwise, everyone gets it all!!!
CT scan shows the pancreas is improving but definitely still extremely inflamed. They continue to monitor and support his other systems so now we wait...it's just a matter of time to allow pancreas to heal and no one can predict when that will be. He still is only allowed ice chips and popsicles and that will remain the same until the NG tube is removed. They have begun to supplement with another IV drip that replaces electrolytes and has some other nutrients. (For those of you who are medical geeks...it's not TPN...more nutrition than regular IV but less than TPN...this goes directly into IV line no central line needed)
Even though it's been rough, he is beginning to feel somewhat better this evening. The NG tube though never a pleasant experience has actually brought much relief from the nausea and knowing it's just a matter of time before another episode and some of the pressure in his abdomen has dissipated---pain level this afternoon has stayed @1-2 and he's only had 1 dose of Demerol!
So that's your medical lesson for the day; now things to pray for:
* pancreas inflammation to dramatically improve;
* bowel system to "wake up" and begin functioning;
* swelling in legs and feet to reduce (something new here...all the fluids to keep things flushed have begun to cause ALOT of swelling; as well as the fact IV fluid is high in sodium...it's a first to see Ron with fat legs and feet...you can barely see his ankles!)
* we will get some much-needed rest tonight;
* he will begin to regain strength;
* lungs will continue to be free of pneumonia
* kidney will continue to stay healthy
* for Ryan, Aaron & Kristin; it's hard for them to not be able to be here
** that God will bring a speedy, complete recovery **
Sounds a little overwhelming but our spirits are good after a much better evening. Thanks for continually supporting us in prayer.
Here's to a great weekend!
Christie
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory" Ephesians 3:20-21a
PS: Please forgive me for not passing on news about Aaron's appointment with the orthopedic surgeon...the tendon is not fully torn and they do not feel he needs surgery. He is to do passive range of motion activities and see him again in 3 weeks. It already looks and feels much better. Thanks for praying!
You'd think since he hasn't eaten in over a week, there would be nothing there, but your body continues to produce bile even when there is nothing to digest. That bile has to go somewhere and since he's been on so many powerful meds his bowels still have not "awakened". And what can't go down comes back up! All this to say, decision was made to put an NG tube in.(tube that goes in through nose, down throat to suction stomach). Vomitting is never something you want to experience, but even worse when you have tremendous abdominal pain. NG tube will remain in indefinitely.
All this gross talk makes me think, I may need to have two different e-mail groups...one for those who want to hear all the gory details; and another list that feels this is TMI (too much information!) and just want the basic good day or bad! Let me know if you'd like to be placed on a TMI list, otherwise, everyone gets it all!!!
CT scan shows the pancreas is improving but definitely still extremely inflamed. They continue to monitor and support his other systems so now we wait...it's just a matter of time to allow pancreas to heal and no one can predict when that will be. He still is only allowed ice chips and popsicles and that will remain the same until the NG tube is removed. They have begun to supplement with another IV drip that replaces electrolytes and has some other nutrients. (For those of you who are medical geeks...it's not TPN...more nutrition than regular IV but less than TPN...this goes directly into IV line no central line needed)
Even though it's been rough, he is beginning to feel somewhat better this evening. The NG tube though never a pleasant experience has actually brought much relief from the nausea and knowing it's just a matter of time before another episode and some of the pressure in his abdomen has dissipated---pain level this afternoon has stayed @1-2 and he's only had 1 dose of Demerol!
So that's your medical lesson for the day; now things to pray for:
* pancreas inflammation to dramatically improve;
* bowel system to "wake up" and begin functioning;
* swelling in legs and feet to reduce (something new here...all the fluids to keep things flushed have begun to cause ALOT of swelling; as well as the fact IV fluid is high in sodium...it's a first to see Ron with fat legs and feet...you can barely see his ankles!)
* we will get some much-needed rest tonight;
* he will begin to regain strength;
* lungs will continue to be free of pneumonia
* kidney will continue to stay healthy
* for Ryan, Aaron & Kristin; it's hard for them to not be able to be here
** that God will bring a speedy, complete recovery **
Sounds a little overwhelming but our spirits are good after a much better evening. Thanks for continually supporting us in prayer.
Here's to a great weekend!
Christie
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory" Ephesians 3:20-21a
PS: Please forgive me for not passing on news about Aaron's appointment with the orthopedic surgeon...the tendon is not fully torn and they do not feel he needs surgery. He is to do passive range of motion activities and see him again in 3 weeks. It already looks and feels much better. Thanks for praying!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Not a sprint.....
Well 1 step forward and 2 steps back! Very rough night! Ron was restless all night, just couldn't seem to get comfortable. Around 4:30 AM he began vomitting and having diarrhea. Afterwards, he continued to feel bad and still could not sleep. About 7:30 AM., he seemed to finally be sleeping well, at which point I went home to pick up a few items and take a short nap myself....I was so tired I actually fell into a deep sleep and didn't get up until almost 1! It felt wonderful but, when I returned to the hospital @ 2, I could tell Ron was still having a rought time of it. He continues to feel nauseaous and can't sleep; he feels he's having hallucinations as he's dozing in and out.
After meeting with docs, decision was made to try tweaking his meds...even though he's done well on Demerol previously, when it's in a continuous drip it metabolizes differently and the side effects have not been good. So, Ron has opted to come off the continuous drip and have Demerol (along with Phenergan) as needed instead. It's a catch 22 because this combination really knocks him out and he needs/wants to be able to get up more but really needs the relief from pain! He is also experiencing alot of back pain, most likely from being laid up so long; but this adds to his inability to get comfortable and rest well.
His numbers look great today, all within normal ranges...except White Blood Cell Count has increased to 28,000. They were hoping things would be making a turn for the better since all the numbers were dropping so quickly but still believe he is making progress, just very slowly. Doctor Elieson said to be patient...this is not a sprint but a marathon.
They have just taken him down for a CT scan (check pancreas and to see if maybe there is a build up of bile that may be causing extra problems.) Not sure when we'll get the results.
It's been a very discouraging day but...we keep placing one foot in front of the other looking towards the SON!
Christie
After meeting with docs, decision was made to try tweaking his meds...even though he's done well on Demerol previously, when it's in a continuous drip it metabolizes differently and the side effects have not been good. So, Ron has opted to come off the continuous drip and have Demerol (along with Phenergan) as needed instead. It's a catch 22 because this combination really knocks him out and he needs/wants to be able to get up more but really needs the relief from pain! He is also experiencing alot of back pain, most likely from being laid up so long; but this adds to his inability to get comfortable and rest well.
His numbers look great today, all within normal ranges...except White Blood Cell Count has increased to 28,000. They were hoping things would be making a turn for the better since all the numbers were dropping so quickly but still believe he is making progress, just very slowly. Doctor Elieson said to be patient...this is not a sprint but a marathon.
They have just taken him down for a CT scan (check pancreas and to see if maybe there is a build up of bile that may be causing extra problems.) Not sure when we'll get the results.
It's been a very discouraging day but...we keep placing one foot in front of the other looking towards the SON!
Christie
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Quiet Day
Good evening, everyone! At least those of you in the US...for our family in Germany & Greece, I have no idea as to the time of day when you are reading this! Isn't it exciting that we have people all over the world praying! God is so big...and how often I'm guilty of placing Him in a box!
Today has been a fairly quiet, but good, day! Ron has been seen by all 3 doctors and the physician's assitant, as well. Everyone is pleased with his progress, and not concerned that it is slow (even though we tend to get anxious about it)! GOOD NEWS: His numbers are going down....Kidney function is 1.5 (creatnine) which is barely on the high side of normal for him; pancreas inflammation is much improved, amylase and lipase (pancreatic enzymes) are way down. Only number that has stayed high is his White Blood Cell Count...24,330 (normal should be below 10,000).
As a precaution they have him using an incentive spirometer which gauges how well his lungs are functioning. Four times a day he takes deep breaths from this device (10 repetitions) and it has a little ball that rises to gauge the volume. He is NOT having any breathing problems, but since he has a history of lung collapse, they want to be overly cautious since he's been down so long.
He has walked the halls 3 times today (once even made a loop of the entire floor) and sat up in the chair for about 30 minutes after each time. He has been able to eat popsiciles twice...a real treat!!!...still nothing to eat or drink but they liken this to ice chips!
They decided they didn't like the side effects the Dilautid was giving him so they discontinued this and placed him on a Demerol drip instead. The tremoring and fidgeting have stopped but still having the sleep/mini-dream/startling awake issues...should clear up soon, though.
Another vein collapsed this evening and they are having a hard time finding a good vein to replace the IV in so they are calling in a nurse anesthetist. He continues to have a lot of abdominal pain--consistently 5 or above even on the meds--doctors say this will reduce over time. They are thinking about removing the catheter tomorrow and see how things "go" (pun definitely intended! haha!)
Still no indications as to when he might go home, and no timeline given as to when they'll allow him to start drinking or eating. Soooo....we continue to rejoice over each victory that comes and try to patiently on those yet to come.
"But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently." Romans 8:25 NLT
Thank you for your prayer support and words of encouragement. Our love to each of you!
Christie
**** Hoping he'll feel up to visitors soon, but not yet! ****
"Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:32b-34 NLT (verse God gave Ron to claim following Aaron's traumatic accident, and it holds true in all circumstances!)
Today has been a fairly quiet, but good, day! Ron has been seen by all 3 doctors and the physician's assitant, as well. Everyone is pleased with his progress, and not concerned that it is slow (even though we tend to get anxious about it)! GOOD NEWS: His numbers are going down....Kidney function is 1.5 (creatnine) which is barely on the high side of normal for him; pancreas inflammation is much improved, amylase and lipase (pancreatic enzymes) are way down. Only number that has stayed high is his White Blood Cell Count...24,330 (normal should be below 10,000).
As a precaution they have him using an incentive spirometer which gauges how well his lungs are functioning. Four times a day he takes deep breaths from this device (10 repetitions) and it has a little ball that rises to gauge the volume. He is NOT having any breathing problems, but since he has a history of lung collapse, they want to be overly cautious since he's been down so long.
He has walked the halls 3 times today (once even made a loop of the entire floor) and sat up in the chair for about 30 minutes after each time. He has been able to eat popsiciles twice...a real treat!!!...still nothing to eat or drink but they liken this to ice chips!
They decided they didn't like the side effects the Dilautid was giving him so they discontinued this and placed him on a Demerol drip instead. The tremoring and fidgeting have stopped but still having the sleep/mini-dream/startling awake issues...should clear up soon, though.
Another vein collapsed this evening and they are having a hard time finding a good vein to replace the IV in so they are calling in a nurse anesthetist. He continues to have a lot of abdominal pain--consistently 5 or above even on the meds--doctors say this will reduce over time. They are thinking about removing the catheter tomorrow and see how things "go" (pun definitely intended! haha!)
Still no indications as to when he might go home, and no timeline given as to when they'll allow him to start drinking or eating. Soooo....we continue to rejoice over each victory that comes and try to patiently on those yet to come.
"But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently." Romans 8:25 NLT
Thank you for your prayer support and words of encouragement. Our love to each of you!
Christie
**** Hoping he'll feel up to visitors soon, but not yet! ****
"Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:32b-34 NLT (verse God gave Ron to claim following Aaron's traumatic accident, and it holds true in all circumstances!)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
"OOCH" better
Hello all!
It's been a fairly good day.
Enzyme levels have dropped some in the last 24 hours, still too high but a welcome start! Kidney function getting better...output slightly increased and creatnine is at 1.6; almost back to his normal! And white blood count is also slightly down! He has had a slight fever all evening and his blood pressure is still somewhat elevated but the surgeon and GI doctor say that does not concern them...it's not unusual for this to happen.
He says he's feeling an "ooch" better. We forced him to walk the hallway twice today and sit up in the chair for 30 minutes and boy was he pushing that pain med button during these times! Baby steps....but we'll rejoice over each one!
Not too sure about the Delautid (new pain med), tho. It's taking a while to be helpful. Even though it's a continuous drip, it is a very low dose so he's constantly pushing that button! The nurse said it may take a little while to build up in his system, and he hates to ask for the Demerol. So, he didn't sleep real well last night...He seems to only be dozing in and out, even throughout the night, on this med instead of a good sound sleep. It makes his hands twitch or actually it's like he's continually picking at things, fiddling with the sheets, etc. especially in his sleep. And he says he's having these constant mini-dreams. It's crazy he's talking out (nothing comprehensible) and wakes with a start (can't remember any of the dreams). At one time he woke up making motions of opening one of those little ice cream containers! Nurse is giving him Demerol right now so hopefully he'll have a sound night's sleep!
I on the other hand slept great last night! I heard the nurses come and go but I didn't get up with him at all...just pulled covers over my head to block the light and kept right on sleeping!
So, that's our news for today! Hope yours was a good one and look forward to having more good things to report tomorrow as well!
We're choosing to allow God to fill us with His hope and faith in knowing "The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need" Ps 23: 1 NLT
Please remember, not ready for visitors yet!
Much Love, Christie
It's been a fairly good day.
Enzyme levels have dropped some in the last 24 hours, still too high but a welcome start! Kidney function getting better...output slightly increased and creatnine is at 1.6; almost back to his normal! And white blood count is also slightly down! He has had a slight fever all evening and his blood pressure is still somewhat elevated but the surgeon and GI doctor say that does not concern them...it's not unusual for this to happen.
He says he's feeling an "ooch" better. We forced him to walk the hallway twice today and sit up in the chair for 30 minutes and boy was he pushing that pain med button during these times! Baby steps....but we'll rejoice over each one!
Not too sure about the Delautid (new pain med), tho. It's taking a while to be helpful. Even though it's a continuous drip, it is a very low dose so he's constantly pushing that button! The nurse said it may take a little while to build up in his system, and he hates to ask for the Demerol. So, he didn't sleep real well last night...He seems to only be dozing in and out, even throughout the night, on this med instead of a good sound sleep. It makes his hands twitch or actually it's like he's continually picking at things, fiddling with the sheets, etc. especially in his sleep. And he says he's having these constant mini-dreams. It's crazy he's talking out (nothing comprehensible) and wakes with a start (can't remember any of the dreams). At one time he woke up making motions of opening one of those little ice cream containers! Nurse is giving him Demerol right now so hopefully he'll have a sound night's sleep!
I on the other hand slept great last night! I heard the nurses come and go but I didn't get up with him at all...just pulled covers over my head to block the light and kept right on sleeping!
So, that's our news for today! Hope yours was a good one and look forward to having more good things to report tomorrow as well!
We're choosing to allow God to fill us with His hope and faith in knowing "The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need" Ps 23: 1 NLT
Please remember, not ready for visitors yet!
Much Love, Christie
Monday, October 22, 2007
The Gambler! Acute Pancreatitis
Ron's been seen by each of the 3 doctors (original gall bladder surgeon, GI and GI surgeon) and the physician's assistant throughout the afternoon and evening. Kidney function is continuing to improve but numbers ~~ increase in white blood count, increased digestive enzymes, slight increase in blood pressure and consistent high level of pain ~~ show he has an acute case of pancreatitis. This happens in 3-5% of patients who have an ERCP....and you know Ron, always determined to beat the odds!!
So, what does this all mean...we continue to take it one day at a time! Again, no one is willing to predict a timeline for discharge at this point. The only thing they can do is manage the pain and support his other systems by continued hydration, flushing and monitoring of the kidney; keeping him well hydrated through IV fluids; and doing regular blood panels. They have changed his pain med to Delotted (sp?) as a continuous slow drip and put him on one of those pumps he can activate if needing more; with Demerol as a back-up for extremely intense moments. Delotted takes away pain and also has a euphoric effect....no telling what kind of fun we're in for! And for you Cronies (they know who they are!), as an honorary Cronette, I'll try to get some good stuff for you for use later on the golf course!
Don't let this cause alarm, he is not necessarily worse, they just have a better idea of why he is in so much pain, and realization that it will take longer to get better. It is discouraging in one way but at the same time, good to know why he is not progressing more quickly.
Specifics to pray for...inflammation of pancreas to decrease therefore decreasing distended belly and decreasing pain associated with both! For kidney to continue to function well, and white blood count to come down. Ron also needs to move around as much as possible which is extremely painful, he needs to take deep breaths and cough to avoid pneumonia and for his bowels and kidney to "wake up" which is a problem since the pain meds he needs tend to keep them sedated, too.
I hope I've stated everything clearly...it's been a lot to take in and then turn around and share.
Thanks for all your offers of help, we are doing ok at this time...I appreciate offers to come sit with Ron but until he is painfree enough to be able to relate pertinent information to nurses and doctors, and remember/understand what they are telling him, I prefer to be here. I also need to be able to handle his business calls and need to get his input on how to address some of the issues during those times when he is more coherent. As things get better, we will definitely take you up on assistance!
Thinks are slow but we continue to know God's timing is always perfect! Not sure what His plan is in all of this, but know we can trust Him in all things.
Love, Christie
*** Still requesting no visitors until he has pain issue under control. ***
So, what does this all mean...we continue to take it one day at a time! Again, no one is willing to predict a timeline for discharge at this point. The only thing they can do is manage the pain and support his other systems by continued hydration, flushing and monitoring of the kidney; keeping him well hydrated through IV fluids; and doing regular blood panels. They have changed his pain med to Delotted (sp?) as a continuous slow drip and put him on one of those pumps he can activate if needing more; with Demerol as a back-up for extremely intense moments. Delotted takes away pain and also has a euphoric effect....no telling what kind of fun we're in for! And for you Cronies (they know who they are!), as an honorary Cronette, I'll try to get some good stuff for you for use later on the golf course!
Don't let this cause alarm, he is not necessarily worse, they just have a better idea of why he is in so much pain, and realization that it will take longer to get better. It is discouraging in one way but at the same time, good to know why he is not progressing more quickly.
Specifics to pray for...inflammation of pancreas to decrease therefore decreasing distended belly and decreasing pain associated with both! For kidney to continue to function well, and white blood count to come down. Ron also needs to move around as much as possible which is extremely painful, he needs to take deep breaths and cough to avoid pneumonia and for his bowels and kidney to "wake up" which is a problem since the pain meds he needs tend to keep them sedated, too.
I hope I've stated everything clearly...it's been a lot to take in and then turn around and share.
Thanks for all your offers of help, we are doing ok at this time...I appreciate offers to come sit with Ron but until he is painfree enough to be able to relate pertinent information to nurses and doctors, and remember/understand what they are telling him, I prefer to be here. I also need to be able to handle his business calls and need to get his input on how to address some of the issues during those times when he is more coherent. As things get better, we will definitely take you up on assistance!
Thinks are slow but we continue to know God's timing is always perfect! Not sure what His plan is in all of this, but know we can trust Him in all things.
Love, Christie
*** Still requesting no visitors until he has pain issue under control. ***
Monday, Monday!
Good morning,
Busy night...lots of activity due to the concern with his kidney function but I'm glad to report it is slowly improving. Hospitals are never a quiet place and they were having to check his levels every hour throughout the night so it was extra busy. Mercifully, God promises to supply all our needs and we were able to get a little rest despite all the interruptions!
Dr. Luk (GI) was in late last night and is pleased with the slight improvement in blood panel. We were concerned because he had been vomitting some but he said that is actually ok, sign that he is getting the bile out of his stomach keeping them from having to run an NG tube down his throat into stomach to drain stuff off. Doctor Hall (endosopic surgeon) was in this morning but was unable to see Ron (he was down in radiology) but said he will be back in around 4-5. Doctors are in agreement that he has pancreatitis, not expected after procedure since it went so well, but not that uncommon either. Very painful.
Highlight of the day:
YIPPEE! today we've hit the jackpot...for whatever reason we have assigned to us 2 nurses, 2 techs and a nursing student whose only patient today is Ron! Nursing student has already apologized profusely for hovering but she's so enthusiastic after having read his chart and history! I'm sure she feels she won the lottery! No boring, routine patient for her...makes me think of Gray's Anatomy. It's so funny, they were clamoring all over the place to see who could get in here the fastest to get his bed changed while he was having xrays and have had several offers to be bathed (but he prefers that to be my job...so they're out of luck on this one!!) Guess I'll be running interference all day!
Chief complaint at this time is still the belly pain....he's very distended from all the gas and fluids, etc and this causes alot of sharp, stabbing pains as well as cramping and of course the pain from the inflamed pancreas heightens this pain.
It looks like he may be here a while...doctors are not giving us any timelines at this point, just watch and wait.
We're not trying to ignore anyone but I have put phones on silent so we can get some sleep whenever possible!
He is still not up to having any visitors but we will let you know when he is!
Thanks for praying! Your support and encouragement is much needed and much more appreciated!
Love, Christie
"So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold." I Peter 1:6-7a NLT
Busy night...lots of activity due to the concern with his kidney function but I'm glad to report it is slowly improving. Hospitals are never a quiet place and they were having to check his levels every hour throughout the night so it was extra busy. Mercifully, God promises to supply all our needs and we were able to get a little rest despite all the interruptions!
Dr. Luk (GI) was in late last night and is pleased with the slight improvement in blood panel. We were concerned because he had been vomitting some but he said that is actually ok, sign that he is getting the bile out of his stomach keeping them from having to run an NG tube down his throat into stomach to drain stuff off. Doctor Hall (endosopic surgeon) was in this morning but was unable to see Ron (he was down in radiology) but said he will be back in around 4-5. Doctors are in agreement that he has pancreatitis, not expected after procedure since it went so well, but not that uncommon either. Very painful.
Highlight of the day:
YIPPEE! today we've hit the jackpot...for whatever reason we have assigned to us 2 nurses, 2 techs and a nursing student whose only patient today is Ron! Nursing student has already apologized profusely for hovering but she's so enthusiastic after having read his chart and history! I'm sure she feels she won the lottery! No boring, routine patient for her...makes me think of Gray's Anatomy. It's so funny, they were clamoring all over the place to see who could get in here the fastest to get his bed changed while he was having xrays and have had several offers to be bathed (but he prefers that to be my job...so they're out of luck on this one!!) Guess I'll be running interference all day!
Chief complaint at this time is still the belly pain....he's very distended from all the gas and fluids, etc and this causes alot of sharp, stabbing pains as well as cramping and of course the pain from the inflamed pancreas heightens this pain.
It looks like he may be here a while...doctors are not giving us any timelines at this point, just watch and wait.
We're not trying to ignore anyone but I have put phones on silent so we can get some sleep whenever possible!
He is still not up to having any visitors but we will let you know when he is!
Thanks for praying! Your support and encouragement is much needed and much more appreciated!
Love, Christie
"So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold." I Peter 1:6-7a NLT
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Still leaking!
They did the hydascan this morning at 8:30.
Dr. Luk came in and says results show there is definitely still a leak. Dr. Hall will do the endoscopic procedure (ERCP) today at 1:30, it shouldn't take more than an hour. They will then watch him to see how he does with eating, etc. and hopefully he will go home tomorrow.
I'll let you know how things progress.
Dr. Luk came in and says results show there is definitely still a leak. Dr. Hall will do the endoscopic procedure (ERCP) today at 1:30, it shouldn't take more than an hour. They will then watch him to see how he does with eating, etc. and hopefully he will go home tomorrow.
I'll let you know how things progress.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Waiting
We finally saw Dr. Luk (gastroenterologist). They have decided to wait until tomorrow to do another hydascan (sp?) and see how things go then. He's not showing enough symptoms to rush into doing the ERCP (endoscopic procedure) or another hydascan; since he has no fever, and liver & pancreas functions are good and the pain and nausea have subsided without having any pain meds since this morning. So, waiting until tomorrow will give it more time to heal over and hopefully not have to do anything more. Doing the hydascan today could cause things to get stirred up again and they'd rather give it another day to heal. They definitely know that he had a leak, but think that not eating (thus not producing bile) has allowed it to heal on it's own
So for now, we wait and see and try to get some rest. Ron is not allowed to eat or drink anything until after the hydascan tomorrow. We feel comfortable with this decision and are hopeful he will not require any more procedures.
Thanks again for your contined prayers.
So for now, we wait and see and try to get some rest. Ron is not allowed to eat or drink anything until after the hydascan tomorrow. We feel comfortable with this decision and are hopeful he will not require any more procedures.
Thanks again for your contined prayers.
Delays
GI doctor and previous surgeon are both doing procedures all morning. They will then consult with each other and meet with us around 1PM. To make sure this is the best route to go.
Please continue to pray for definitive answers and wise decisions on the part of the doctors!
Thanks,
Christie
"For I know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes." Romans 8:28-29
Please continue to pray for definitive answers and wise decisions on the part of the doctors!
Thanks,
Christie
"For I know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes." Romans 8:28-29
Room
It's 2:30 AM and we're finally in a room. Harris HEB room 148. Pain is being managed with regular doses of morphine.
Plan is to sleep as much as we can until the gastroenterologist arrives to do the procedure~~called an ERCP~~you can google it and read all about it if you want! :-)
(Not sure how much rest we'll get but we're gonna do our best...in between routine vitals, bloodwork, etc they always seem to need to do!).
Goodnight!!! or I guess Good Morning to all of you just getting up!
Christie
Plan is to sleep as much as we can until the gastroenterologist arrives to do the procedure~~called an ERCP~~you can google it and read all about it if you want! :-)
(Not sure how much rest we'll get but we're gonna do our best...in between routine vitals, bloodwork, etc they always seem to need to do!).
Goodnight!!! or I guess Good Morning to all of you just getting up!
Christie
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Here we go again!
Most of you know we had to take Ron back to the emergency room this afternoon. He had been doing well but today he started having alot of pain and nausea--not pain like he's had since the surgery but pain similar to what led him to the ER originally Oct 9.
After 6 hours and 2 rounds of morphine, blood work, sonogram, CT scan and doctor consultations they feel 80% sure that the duct leading from the liver to the intestines (where the gall bladder used to join and act as bile resevoir) must have a leak in it. So, they are admitting him to the hospital (when a room becomes available) in order to manage the pain and place him on high doses of antibiotics as a preventative. A gastroenterologist will see him in the morning. They believe he will be able to go in endoscopically (through mouth~no incisions) and put a stent in to basically patch the leak.
I am home to pick up a few things Ron and I need, then I'm headed back up to the hospital
Please continue to pray that they will find definitive answers and we will soon have this all behind us!
Thanks so much for your prayer support...we would find it difficult to walk this road without your support! I'll keep you posted. (I'll have both cell phones & laptop with me at hospital)
Much love!
Christie
"My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness...For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor 12:9a&10b
After 6 hours and 2 rounds of morphine, blood work, sonogram, CT scan and doctor consultations they feel 80% sure that the duct leading from the liver to the intestines (where the gall bladder used to join and act as bile resevoir) must have a leak in it. So, they are admitting him to the hospital (when a room becomes available) in order to manage the pain and place him on high doses of antibiotics as a preventative. A gastroenterologist will see him in the morning. They believe he will be able to go in endoscopically (through mouth~no incisions) and put a stent in to basically patch the leak.
I am home to pick up a few things Ron and I need, then I'm headed back up to the hospital
Please continue to pray that they will find definitive answers and we will soon have this all behind us!
Thanks so much for your prayer support...we would find it difficult to walk this road without your support! I'll keep you posted. (I'll have both cell phones & laptop with me at hospital)
Much love!
Christie
"My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness...For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor 12:9a&10b
Monday, October 15, 2007
He's Home!
Praise God!!!!
After exams by the surgeon, nephrologist, urologist & resident they all agreed Ron could finally go home. His white cell count is still elevated but not enough to keep him, just continue to take a high dose antibiotic. He has a follow-up with Dr. Elieson (surgeon) on Friday. His restrictions are to take it easy this week with lots of rest, low fat diet, and no lifting over 10 lbs. It will take a while to regain his energy and strength, but it is sooooooo good to be home!
Thanks for your prayers. We'll keep you posted
Love, Christie
"We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." Hebrews 10:39
After exams by the surgeon, nephrologist, urologist & resident they all agreed Ron could finally go home. His white cell count is still elevated but not enough to keep him, just continue to take a high dose antibiotic. He has a follow-up with Dr. Elieson (surgeon) on Friday. His restrictions are to take it easy this week with lots of rest, low fat diet, and no lifting over 10 lbs. It will take a while to regain his energy and strength, but it is sooooooo good to be home!
Thanks for your prayers. We'll keep you posted
Love, Christie
"We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." Hebrews 10:39
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Good news
Yeah!!! Ron has finally made a turn for the better! He slept well for the first time since last Sunday night! This morning he sat up in the chair a good while as he read the paper (also a first, so far he has not felt up to reading anything). He is still VERY sore, but the pain level is tolerable. I believe the only thing he's needed today has been Extra-strength Tylenol. And he has walked around one wing of the 5th floor. Both docs have been in today and feel he should be able to go home either tomorrow or Tuesday as long as his white cell count continues to decrease, he's able to tolerate food without any problems and his intestinal system kicks in. Praise the Lord, it's been a pretty quiet, uneventful day!
Love, Christie
"We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" Acts 14:22
"Approach the throne of grace with confidence." Hebrews 4:16
Love, Christie
"We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" Acts 14:22
"Approach the throne of grace with confidence." Hebrews 4:16
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Show us YOUR power
Yesterday was another rough one and we were both getting very discouraged. Neither one of us slept well, I did go home but couldn't get to sleep, a little anxiety had set in. I decided just to head back up to the hospital around 1AM but thankfully called first and they assured me he was finally sleeping after having a dose of Demerol around 12:30 so I was then more comfortable to sleep, as well.When Dr. Elieson (surgeon) visited yesterday afternoon he was mildly concerned that Ron's still having so much pain in his gut so ordered an xray to make sure nothing was going on. Everything looked as it should but they did find he had slight fluid in the lower lobe of left lung, but it is not pneumonia...they say it is caused from not taking deep breaths so he is trying to be better about that but it's pretty painful. It's a breeding ground for bacteria that could turn into pneumonia so they are continuing him on some pretty powerful antibiotics.
Hallelujah! Today has been a better day! Big praise is he was finally able to walk a little this morning. So far he's been too weak and in too much pain to move anywhere except between the bed and bathroom; but he actually walked about 30-40 feet to the nurses station and back...YEAH! And he's even beginning to have some color back in his face!
Still not much appetite so we're praying he will continue to feel better today and then his appetite will kick in.
Dr. Chokraborty (resident) is on duty this weekend and came by earlier today. She still feels he's doing well and just wants him to take it slowly. I'm thinking it will be more like the first part of next week before he goes home.
Again, thanks for your continued prayers! Please keep praying...for healing, increased strength, appetite to return, against discouragement and anxiety for both of us and that we will find our rest, peace and confidence in God alone. He is sufficient!
Much love to each of you!
Christie
"...I am filled with awe by the amazing things you have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as You did in years gone by. Show us Your power..." Habakkuk 3:2 NLT
Hallelujah! Today has been a better day! Big praise is he was finally able to walk a little this morning. So far he's been too weak and in too much pain to move anywhere except between the bed and bathroom; but he actually walked about 30-40 feet to the nurses station and back...YEAH! And he's even beginning to have some color back in his face!
Still not much appetite so we're praying he will continue to feel better today and then his appetite will kick in.
Dr. Chokraborty (resident) is on duty this weekend and came by earlier today. She still feels he's doing well and just wants him to take it slowly. I'm thinking it will be more like the first part of next week before he goes home.
Again, thanks for your continued prayers! Please keep praying...for healing, increased strength, appetite to return, against discouragement and anxiety for both of us and that we will find our rest, peace and confidence in God alone. He is sufficient!
Much love to each of you!
Christie
"...I am filled with awe by the amazing things you have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as You did in years gone by. Show us Your power..." Habakkuk 3:2 NLT
Friday, October 12, 2007
TGIF!
Good morning all!
Ron had another rough night...not quite as bad as the night before but pain level staying at about an 8, lots of tossing and turning which makes him even more sore; so not much sleep for him again. He has progressed to real food, though, well, bland, soft, no fat real food! He was happy to see they brought him eggs, toast, oatmeal and COFFEE!! Hopefully his appetite will begin to increase now that he can have something other than broth and jello for breakfast, lunch and dinner! He will be on a restricted diet for the next couple of weeks they say.
They also removed his catheter this morning, and he was finally able to urinate on his own...YEAH!!! Sorry to be so graphic, but these are huge issues at this point.
Doctor Chokraborty (resident) just came in..she's pleased with his progress, even though it's slow, and reminded us of the extensive, extenuating circumstances of the surgery. She says maybe he can go home Sunday. Not what we were originally expecting, but being here and seeing how hard recovery is on him, I'm very thankful they are not trying to push for him to leave earlier. He needs to be able to get in and out of bed and walk around unassisted (other than assitance to the bathroom...that's not happening); have pain managed by oral medication (so far Demerol is the only thing that knocks it down to a semi-manageable level, 5-6 instead of 8-10); be able to tolerate food consistently; and continue to urinate on his own.
Haven't seen Dr. Elieson (surgeon) yet this morning but we're not expecting anything different from him.
Thanks for your continued prayers!
Love, Christie
Ron had another rough night...not quite as bad as the night before but pain level staying at about an 8, lots of tossing and turning which makes him even more sore; so not much sleep for him again. He has progressed to real food, though, well, bland, soft, no fat real food! He was happy to see they brought him eggs, toast, oatmeal and COFFEE!! Hopefully his appetite will begin to increase now that he can have something other than broth and jello for breakfast, lunch and dinner! He will be on a restricted diet for the next couple of weeks they say.
They also removed his catheter this morning, and he was finally able to urinate on his own...YEAH!!! Sorry to be so graphic, but these are huge issues at this point.
Doctor Chokraborty (resident) just came in..she's pleased with his progress, even though it's slow, and reminded us of the extensive, extenuating circumstances of the surgery. She says maybe he can go home Sunday. Not what we were originally expecting, but being here and seeing how hard recovery is on him, I'm very thankful they are not trying to push for him to leave earlier. He needs to be able to get in and out of bed and walk around unassisted (other than assitance to the bathroom...that's not happening); have pain managed by oral medication (so far Demerol is the only thing that knocks it down to a semi-manageable level, 5-6 instead of 8-10); be able to tolerate food consistently; and continue to urinate on his own.
Haven't seen Dr. Elieson (surgeon) yet this morning but we're not expecting anything different from him.
Thanks for your continued prayers!
Love, Christie
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Surgeon report 11AM
Just saw the surgeon...again, he said everything went well...but that Ron's was not the typical gall bladder surgery so recovery will be different. Basically the gall bladder was "stuck" to everything but the liver which is the one thing it should have been up against. Due to scar tissue from previous surgeries, things were basically "stuck" together up against the abdominal wall and removing all the scar tissue left everthing raw, inflamed and angry so that's why he's had so much pain.
His prostrate is also enlarged and he has not been able to urinate so they shot him up with some Demerol and Phenergan and after that kicked in they had to catheterize him..YIKES...That was no fun!!!! They'll leave that in for a while. After all that poking and prodding, he is finally sleeping. So...I'm going to take advantage of this time and try to get in a nap! Progress is painfully slow, but it is progress!
More later!
Love, Christie
His prostrate is also enlarged and he has not been able to urinate so they shot him up with some Demerol and Phenergan and after that kicked in they had to catheterize him..YIKES...That was no fun!!!! They'll leave that in for a while. After all that poking and prodding, he is finally sleeping. So...I'm going to take advantage of this time and try to get in a nap! Progress is painfully slow, but it is progress!
More later!
Love, Christie
Simple? Gall Bladder Surgery
Holy Cow~this surgery stuff is just getting to be way more than I want for my sweet hubby! I thought gall bladder surgery was supposed to be pretty easy, but....It was a very rough night! Surgery went well; recovery has been very hard. Until @ 1AM Ron's pain level was consistently a 10 on a scale of 1-10 despite the fact he had been given Demerol in recovery, morphine as soon as he was moved up to his room, Vicodin an hour later, morphine again and finally Demerol & Phenergan at 1AM which knocked him out for a while. He had another dose of Demerol @ 5 and that seems to bring the pain level down to a 5-6.
They feel the amount of pain is due to the aggressiveness of the surgery (so much scar tissue to remove) and the fact that they pump you up with gas when they do surgery laproscopically.
Please continue to pray for his level of pain. We were really thinking this would be an easy solution and he would bounce back much more quickly but, ... what do we know.....???
Our plan is to try to sleep as much as we can today, wait to talk to doctor and go from there....
Thanks again for your prayer support.
Love, Christie
They feel the amount of pain is due to the aggressiveness of the surgery (so much scar tissue to remove) and the fact that they pump you up with gas when they do surgery laproscopically.
Please continue to pray for his level of pain. We were really thinking this would be an easy solution and he would bounce back much more quickly but, ... what do we know.....???
Our plan is to try to sleep as much as we can today, wait to talk to doctor and go from there....
Thanks again for your prayer support.
Love, Christie
Post-surgery update
Hello Everyone.
It is almost 11 PM and Ron has been back in his room about 30 minutes.
His surgery was delayed due to a couple of emergencies that came in so they didn't get started until 8:15 ish.
Praise the Lord , they were able to do the surgery laproscopically. It took about 45 minutes to remove scar tissue and 5 minutes to get the gall bladder out!
Please continue to pray....he's in ALOT of pain tonight, and so far, pain meds are not helping.
Barring any complications and toleration of liquids, he may be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. Will keep you posted!
Love, Christie
It is almost 11 PM and Ron has been back in his room about 30 minutes.
His surgery was delayed due to a couple of emergencies that came in so they didn't get started until 8:15 ish.
Praise the Lord , they were able to do the surgery laproscopically. It took about 45 minutes to remove scar tissue and 5 minutes to get the gall bladder out!
Please continue to pray....he's in ALOT of pain tonight, and so far, pain meds are not helping.
Barring any complications and toleration of liquids, he may be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. Will keep you posted!
Love, Christie
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
How it all began! October 9, 2007
Well, Ron's up to his old tricks again. Monday Ron was having a bad time with vomitting and dehydration - bad enough that when Christie suggested going to the hospital, he agreed. Because of his past history, when he got to the emergency room they took him right in. Christie said they ran every test known to man and the one thing they are for sure about is that he needs to have his gale bladder removed. He is scheduled for surgery Wednesday evening at 6:00. He is at HEB Harris. He has been admitted and will stay until after the surgery. They hope to be able to do it liposurgically (is that a word?) but because of all his scar tissue, it might be tricky - still they are going to try because recovery is so much easier.Keep Ron in your prayers - and Christie, too - she has been pretty tired since school started. I'll keep you posted as I get news.love to all
Laurie
Laurie
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