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Tuesday, August 26, 2008
"What a Week I'm Having!"
Home again and all is well, but we had a trying week!
Friday night 8/15/08: Excrutiating stomach pain kept me up all night long. Hubby searched the internet and it seemed to be Acute Gastritis. Note to self: don't trust self-diagnosis. If your gut tells you to call an ambulance, DO SO!
Saturday morning 8/16/08: Hubby took six kids to the park so I could try and sleep. Slept one hour and woke up with the pain even worse. Crying, I called my doc and he said to get to the ER immediately. Called a sitter to come keep six eldest kids. Hubby, six week old baby and I headed to the ER.
ER ran tests and determined pancreatitis and multiple gall stones. When a stone gets in the pancreas it normally passes on through. But if it doesn't pass through, the pancreas begins to "eat itself" which is potentially life-threatening. Doc said they lose two women per year to this. Gall bladder surgery scheduled for Sunday and I was hooked up to an IV overnight. Not allowed water, food, or even ice chips in prep for surgery.
Teen sitter spent the night with our kids. My mom drove 9 hours through the night and arrived around 2am Sunday morning to stay with baby and me in the hospital. Hubby went home so sitter could leave.
Sunday morning 8/17/08: Battling nurses, docs, and anesthesiologists about continuing to breastfeed after given anesthesia and antibiotics (even waging war minutes before the operation). Surgery successful but told I would need to stay the night for a "second procedure". A gall stone was blocking my liver and a G.I. doc would go in by scope Monday night to remove it via a scope down my throat. Battle over breastfeeding continues with every doc, nurse, and tech I come into contact with. I call the hospital's lactation department for help.
Monday 8/18/08: Allowed no food, water, or ice chips prior to procedure. Gall stone removed but a small cut made to the bile duct. No ibuprofen allowed for 10 days due to possible bleeding. Taken off morphine and given Darvoset. Pain sets in and blood pressure rises. A float nurse (one not usually on the surgical floor) makes me uneasy as she seems full of anger and bitterness at life. Angry nurse rips off my steri-strips (though I did not realize this until Thursday morning when I removed the gauze bandage) which are meant to be holding the biggest incision together. Pain gets worse, blood pressure rises more. I call the nurse manager and tell her I want a different nurse which she immediately arranges. Nurse Manager is very attentive throughout the rest of my stay.
Lactation representative comes and wields the sword of Current Information, writes details in my chart and nurses back off on the breastfeeding battle. Yes, it is safe to breastfeed after sedatives, pain killers, and most antibiotics!
Tuesday 8/19/08: Prepare to go home. Though nurses and docs don't bring it up, I notice my blood pressure is very high. They say that could be normal with IVs. Once home feeling dizzy, weak, and having the same horrible chest pain (that felt like heartburn) that I had had ever since surgery without relief.
Wednesday morning 8/20/08: Woke up at home barely able to walk due to dizziness, lightheadedness and still had chest pain. Called doc and while waiting for his return call (said to go to the ER) we went to CVS to measure blood pressure and it was very high. Got home, prepared to go to ER and almost collapsed. Called ambulance. BP was 180/120 as they loaded me into the bus. My mom and baby followed ambulance to the hospital.
Multiple tests were run in the ER to rule out heart attack, blood clots, and more. Diagnosis: DEHYDRATION, Heartburn/Reflux, and high blood pressure. Pumped full of IV fluids and blood pressure medications (which only made it go UP instead of down). Given a "GI cocktail" and antacids via IV and got first chest pain relief since the surgery on Sunday. After 10 hours, doc decided the blood pressure problem was "situational" and I just needed to go home to rest and relax for it to go down.
But the pitter-patter of little feet on the hardwood floors do not make for a very restful or relaxing place to nap well. Slept at home overnight but booked a suite in a hotel 10 minutes from the house for the weekend. My aunt would stay with baby and me for two nights and my friend of 30 years (we met in preschool) would stay one night.
Thursday 8/21/08: Changed gauze on bandage and realized Angry Nurse had ripped off the steri-strips. Emotionally overwhelmed thinking how much extra pain I had been in because of her wrongdoing. Had six week postpartum checkup at OB and they gave me steri-strips which provided some immediate relief. High blood pressure upsets OB nurse practitioner who tells me to call for more pain meds and to go to my General Practitioner.
We believe that if I can just get out of pain and get to the hotel to rest the blood pressure will go down. Call for pain meds. Surgeon's office say he will be in the next day. I ask to page him. They refuse. We settle in to the hotel.
Friday 8/22/08: Call surgeon's office and they say I need to come in to see him if I'm in that much pain. We get there and he does not listen to anything I have to say. He snorts "I don't do blood pressure!" and tells me to take Ibuprofen. I can't take Ibuprofen due to risk of bleeding from my bile duct being cut. He tells me to take Tylenol but that does nothing for this kind of pain for me. He snaps "You must have zero pain tolerance. You just need to get over that!" and leaves the room with me doubled over in pain and crying hysterically "but what about my blood pressure? If I'm not in pain I think it will go down!" He comes in and yells "Here. I'll give you Percocet." But I tell him Percocet makes me bounce off the walls (I cannot sleep when I take it!). He snaps "Then what do you want?" and I remember a pharmacist friend once said I might be able to handle Tylenol 3 better than Percocet, so he writes a 3 day supply and I cry all the way out of his office to the car. The entire visit was less than 10 minutes. He seemed to have no concern for me as a person or for any complications I was going through. The incision looked fine and I suspect that's all that mattered to him.
After leaving the surgeon's office, I went for a checkup to the GI doc (who is incredibly kind). He prescribes NEXIUM for the heartburn pain. We fill the prescriptions and head back to the hotel and try to rest.
Saturday 8/23/08: Woke up pain-free (from both the incision and heartburn pains) for the first time in over a week and blood pressure had begun to go down. Enjoyed talking with aunt and friend while emotionally processing all that had been happening. Watched lots of TLC reality-type shows (good thing we don't have cable as I'd waste way too much time!) and enjoyed mini-vacation. :o)
Sunday 8/24/08: Blood pressure back to NORMAL, feeling rested, headed home to see my family. Hubby had the house tidy, laundry all washed, and everyone was happy to be together again.
This week I am slowly resuming normal duties, though taking it very easy. Homeschooled teens from church are coming for a couple of hours each day to play with the kids while I rest. We are all so thankful for God's grace in keeping baby and me safe throughout the hospital stay, the procedures, drugs, and germs. Baby was a sweetheart, sleeping well and smiling more each day this past week.
CONTEST AND PRIZE TIME! If anyone has read this far, you deserve a prize. CONTEST QUESTION: What 80's movie is the title of this post a line from? The first person to email or post a comment with the correct answer will win a "fabulous" prize (it might be either a really good theological book or a brand new Mary Kay cosmetics item). Any other 80's movie fans out there? Here's your chance to win!
Gallbladderlessly yours,
Moms4Psalms |
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About Me
My faith teaches me that the calling of Christian homemaker, wife, or mother is just as holy as one to "full-time ministry."
I am a mom of seven children ages nine and under (plus one on the way!) seeking and sharing helpful tidbits learned during this season of life. May we glorify and enjoy Him each day!
:o),
Moms4Psalms
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Christine @ Live to Learn