I'm Home

I got home last tuesday. I apologize for not updating sooner, just haven't felt really good. The surgery was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Norm did a good job updating the blog, he is the best husband I could ever ask for. He spent close to two weeks there at the hospital and I know how hard it was. My brother flew in from phoenix and stayed with me for a week at the hospital, he is such a awesome big brother, it makes me cry to think how much he cares about me. He is my hero! It is so weird that there are entire days I have no recollection of, and then many days I recall but was totally out of my mind. Every day I hallucinated that I was in a different room, one day a disco hall, one day someones home back room, one day I even asked norm to get the arms and legs off of my shelves. I still don't know exactly what kept me at the hospital for so long, they said a blockage, then a ileus(bowel not awake) There was one day I felt like I just wanted to die, I was just so sick. I feel so guilty for asking God to take me to heaven that day.
I am regaining my strength just slower than I want, and that is frustrating. I feel like I have just lost my spirit so have been praying hard to regain my spirit. I know alot of it is the pain meds and zantax i am on.

I am forever grateful for all the love and care shown to me and continues to be shown to me. It's gotta be a tough job taking care of me and my family just continues on.

My incision opened up a little today so that is just plain nasty having to pack it with gauze. I used to love medicine, medical shows and even went thru medical assistant school years ago and now it just turns my stomach. I dread thinking about packing this incision.

Thank you all so very much for your positive thoughts and prayers, I know this is what got me thru and continues to get me thru the day.

I was so pleasently surprised with a huge bouqet of flowers from a online candle making group I belong to, how awesome, I don't even really know these people and yet they were praying for me. I have so much going for me, how can I not kick these last few tumors to the curb?

I am amazed to tears with the kindness of everyone and I thank you so very much. One breath at a time, I will overcome this. I have much more to share from my hospital stay but will save it for another time

Home Sweet Home

Tami is on her way home, I dont have much else than that right now, hopefully she will return to updating her blog for all of you. I will try and update more with her when I talk to her more.

As for right now, just glad to know she will be back home soon.

Good Signs

Good signs would be that Tami is eating real food, maybe not a ton, but real food none the less. Also she is starting to get real grumpy about being in the hospital, and nothing will get her out of there faster than that.

I got back to work today, but just talked to her a few minutes ago and she sounded great, she still feels cruddy, but you could tell in her voice that she is bouncing back. They are saying now she will be released Tuesday or Wednesday.

Inching so much closer

Today was yet another good day, she tolerated food well, she hopes to have her diet bumped to regular food tomorrow. Although still having gas pains, at times bad, which in all honesty is to be expected with what she went thru.

Now it looks like Monday will be the release day, kinda sucks as I will be headed back tomorrow (Sunday) so I can return to work on Monday. Her brother is here so she is in good hands, but I still feel guilty leaving her, of course I wouldn't if she wasn't doing so well. Also if her kids come down they can help out as well, After me and Steve (her brother) Sarah will be a welcome relief to us guys looking after her.

Looks like we are gonna win this battle, yet another positive step in this war we are fighting.

Still looking good

Today continued to be a good day, after another round of stomach x-rays, she was able to have her stomach tube clapped off (not removed yet) and once again started on liquids. She continued to have bowel movements, and was up walking (and smoking) a bunch. Most of the obstructions are healing up nicely.

If all goes well tonight, no tossing her cookies (or in this case broth and jello) they will pull the tube and start her on soft foods. She would like to start with a steak and baked potato.

As special note to her forum buddies the FoHo's, Tami said the flowers were gorgeous and she was very thankful for them.

We are hopeful for a Sunday release, especially me as I will have to go back Sunday to return to work on Monday, I would hate to leave her down here, even tho she would be in good hands.

Tami's Pooped

Sorry for the late post, and a special sorry to Sarah who made sure I realized I hadn't posted an update, sorry daughter.

The reason I didn't post last night was because it was gonna be a downer post, my clever title was to be "1 step forward 2 steps back". What happened was Tami was getting very sick to her stomach, repeatedly, She was given contrast for a CT scan, and if you ever had one of those done they give you a nasty drink to take before the scan, well when you cant keep a sip of water down, the last thing you want to be told is you have to drink that crap. She is a trooper tho, and held it down for the scan, not much longer.

Back to the tube, now the first time was for surgery, she was asleep for that, the next time was as I described earlier, and it sucked. Third time, well, she knew what was coming, and was even less unpleasant than before, but it had to be done. She was throwing up stomach acid and other nasty things from her GI track. As much as the tube sucked, the throwing up was worse for her.

Wait, not done there, the CT scan. Turns out she had some sort of an obstruction. What does this mean? Worst case scenario back to surgery if it didn't clear itself up. Now the last thing you want to do after a major surgery is go back in a week or two later.

Debbie, Tami's sister had come down to give me a break, I went and got a room at the hotel and got caught up on sleep, caught up on laundry, and felt very guilty because I could get a break so easy and she couldn't. Needless to say, I didn't want to re-live the days events in this blog.

Today, after sleeping way to long, getting my clothes washed and getting back here to her, things were about the same, they had done some x-rays to check out and confirm the obstruction, confirmed. Deb was able to talk to someone here about a bad experience with an Intern resident, she has the worst bedside manners, rolling her eyes, shaking her head. A plus for today was Tami's brother showing up.

Tami was staying strong tho, she was up walking, goin down for smokes (now Kuri, no "I told you so") We went down for a 1st smoke, and she thought she had passed gas, but wasn't sure. I was hopeful, but thought maybe it was a fluke. We went down for a second smoke, and before we got to the outside door it happened. She had a bowel movement, nothing huge, but a huge event none the less. Then the flood gates opened, she was a pooping machine, larger movements, gas, unbelievable. Even her surgeon, who by the way is the greatest doctor I had ever met, couldn't believe it, and what better timing for Tami to do this when the Surgeon was on the floor.

A special side note, I got to see the inside of a woman's bathroom today, sacred and hollowed ground, although the woman that came in after Tami didn't seem all that impressed.

Bottom line is that this is a huge turn for us, we are not out of the woods yet, but we can see the light. They will eave the tube in over night and make sure she stays decompressed, they will do new scans in the morning to see how the obstruction is progressing. She could be back on fluids tomorrow.

Still on that coaster

Tami is still have good times and bad times as we go along here. She was doin pretty good, passin gas and even upgraded to a soft food diet (if I repeat myself I apologize now). Late last night she started feeling sick to her stomach, and this scared poor Tami to death. They said if she was to throw up she would have to have the stomach tube again.

She was up and down out of the bed last night, and her first and second bowel movements, the second one contained dark red blood which freaked her out, the nurse assured her that it was from the surgery and that she would pass some old blood the first few times.

The night was restless for her, upset stomach and pain. early this morning, it finally got the best of her and she got sick to her stomach, not much came up, and the doctors were not real worried, but it scared her real bad, and to be honest, me as well.

They decided to give her a different kind of anti-nausea medicine called Reglan because she was worried they other stuff would constipate her. That didn't go so good, she had a real weird reaction to this Reglan and felt wigged out and started slurring her words real bad, needless to say, they pulled that medicine from her.

Once she came out of those effects she was back up walking, and at a crisp pace, its not for the lack of trying that keeps her in this place right now. She is trying to rest now and have a nap. We hope for a Thursday release date still, possible tomorrow, but that would take a small miracle right now. I dont want to rush it either, she needs to make sure everything is good to go, its a long drive back here if she has problems.