medical update

I was released from the hospital on July 3, not the 1st like I wanted, so my daughter was right. The hysterectomy was performed.  My appendix was removed  as well as the tumor in it.  From what I understood there were two small tumors, one on the spleen and the other on the color or small instine.  They were removed.  

Even though the pathology report wasn't finished, Dr. Berri is fairly certain there is no more cancer, so I won't have to worry about it.  They'll have just to do blood tests on me.  My colon was left intact.

I've heard my surgery was from 10 1/2-12 1/2 hours.
Right now the worst thing is I discovered I'm allergic to silk tape, which is what they use to tape down the IV's.  So I have to tell the nurses and techs not to use it or I'll get these nasty and large blisters due to the tape.

We thought Dr. Berri may readmit me to St. John's on July 14th because I'd been at the Jackson ER on Sunday.   I went there around 9am with a temp, that spiked at 101.8, & I'd been throwing up and just feeling crappy.  So we followed the directions on the discharge papers and called St. Johns and asked for Dr. Berri's team.  An hour later Dr. Berry called and he said I should either to to the Jackson ER or St John's whichever I felt I could handle. 

We're all bit miffed with the ER from Jackson because all they did was some blood work, then call and talk with him.  They had put in a couple of IV's, gave me some pain medication and something to stop my vomiting, and lower my temp.  All the lab results didn't show him anything and the written results from the CAT scan and the xrays weren't all that helpful.

He said that I looked really good, that I didn't look like I'd been as sick as I had been.  When I told him I haven't had a bowel movement in 4 days and the last one was a little bloody because I was pressing so much, he said he'd try to figure out way to help me go.  The blood, he said was probably because I was trying to force myself to go.

He then decided to remove all the staples and stitches!  A new medical student did that, her first time.  She was a tiny bit nervous, but I told her that I didn't mind having students work on me because every student needs to have a first.  That relaxed her a lot.  We were joking while she was removing the staples.  I also helped hold up my "wad of flab", so could say I helped with the staple/stitches removal.  She thought that was hilarious.

I go back next Monday for an 11:00 appointment, to see Dr. Berri.

I had a set back last week.  First I was constipated and had to use laxities to help with that.  THEN, I began vomiting on July 16 and continued to do so until the 18.  I had been talking with the surgeons office and was told if I didn't get better to go to an ER.  

This time we decided to go back to St. John's hospital since Dr. Berri is known and respected there.  They admitted me on Saturday, July 19 evening for observation.  They were unable to determine why I was so sick.  They're thinking it could have been a virus that started the ball rolling and then my nervous stomach (anxiety) took over.  Melissa and myself both noticed that my stomach problems did start when my anxiety medication ended.  They had only give me a weeks worth of it.  I was released from the hospital yesterday with 30 days of anxiety medication.  I see Dr. Israel on Thursday so we can discuss me getting on it more long term so I don't keep  having problems.

He also removed a staple that the med student forgot.  It wasn't infected but every so often it would really hurt.  The home care nurse saw it and said she could only remove it if she had a doctors okay.  Since I was going to see Dr. Israel later that day, I figured he could remove it, which he did.

Today I'm feeling pretty good.  I saw Dr. Berry on Monday, July 28.  My sister came with because she thought I had an infection and she wanted to give them all a piece of her mind!  I was almost positive it wasn't an infection but something to do with the fat and old dying skin.  They had told me, my husband and daughter that the fat and old dying skin gets to a certain point (which it did on Friday July 25) it can look like pus and really stink.  But  my sister didn't know this.

So the doctors did something they call debreeding.  They cut some of the old dead/fat & skin away, that was a bit scary for me.  It didn't hurt, but it was an interesting thing.  Now they are "Packing" this smallish hole with a piece of gauze that has been soaked then have the saline solution squeezed out.

My sister is doing a very good job.  I'm very proud of her.  She had one lesson from my daughter, whereas my daughter had a few from one of my doctors and then the home care nurse.  The packing takes a little more time. My sister goes into the bedroom we're using to clean the wound to get everything ready!  We have a window open plus a fan going and some air fresheners in the room!  The first time we did this it really did stink.  So she wanted to be prepared!!! She gagged the first time she watched my daughter and we had my husband video it while my daughter  changed it.  Then later that day she did it herself wit no problems when she did it herself.  .  So she's going great job and I'm proud of her.  It would be nice if I had nurse daughter and nurse sister!!!  I know I shouldn't be greedy.