Update....Hospital....Life...

This has been quite a week. I have not been able to update or do anything due to being in the hospital.

So, how did this happen you might ask?
Well starting last friday I was really really fatigued and gaggy (I was gagging really easy, even while I brushed my teeth.) Come the weekend, I went walking with a friend in La Jolla and was SO TIRED and SO THIRSTY. I just felt really sick. I was unable to eat any food because I did not have an appetite at all. Finally come monday I was really sick. I was supposed to get ready and go to work but I started dry heaving and get really weak and dizzy.

I immediately called Dr. C and he said that my symptoms were too hard to assess over the phone so he wanted me to go to the ER asap and he would meet me there. Once I got to the ER I did not have to wait at all they got me right in. Once I was in the immediately started me on IV fluids. They pumped me full of 5 bags of fluid in the first day. My Dr. met me there and ordered an Upper GI Scan, so the wheel me in, only to be moved again to have a more precise test; MRI with contrast. Once they did the scan, it was determined that I possibly had some thickening of one of the "limbs" that attaches to my new stomach. The Dr. decided he wanted to keep me over night to monitor me and pump me full of more fluids.

I stayed the night and has blood work in the morning that determined that I had elevated liver levels, lipase, and billi ruben levels that affect my pancreas and liver. My electrolyte levels were also off causing me to be dehydrated. Because they noticed the thickening of the "limb" the Dr. ordered an endoscopy. That is where they put a camera down your throat to look into the stomach. This was basically a bad experience for me. You see I only got 5 hours of sleep in 48 hours, and after the sedative they gave me, I still woke up in the middle of the procedure and was gagging. That was a pretty miserable experience.

The endoscope revealed that there was not thickening and they suspected, due to my levels, I had Pancreatitis. This was caused by taking out my gallbladder during surgery. They suspected that some "particles" and possibly a gallstone got lodged in the bile duct and needed to "pass" and it was stuck in the pancreas. Because of that I still could not eat anything and needed to get the patricles passed out of my system.

I stayed in the hospital for 4 nights trying to determine what was going on. Finally on Friday I was able to go home....with a catch. I am home with invtervenous nutrition. For this, they needed to insert a PICC line. Basically it is an IV in my upper arm and it get threaded in the vein all the way up my chest just above my heart. THIS SUCKS!!!! They tried to insert it but could not get it in the right place. Because they could not get it in the right place, they had to send me to radiology to insert it. Boy did it hurt and was just a bummer. :(

Once I got home I received a huge package and was taught how to use my my nutrition device. It is pretty much terrible and a lot to remember. As denoted on my last post, I hit my breaking point. Because of the nutrition I have to take 2 more weeks off work. I am really bummed to have to miss work and stay at home. I am really BORED and want my life to be normal again, or at least as normal as I can have it.

I will most likely have the nutrition for two weeks then life will proably be back to normal. Until then I am going to have a ton of time on my hands.

I must say I am hitting a wall and really sad. It WILL get better, but right now it feels like it never will.

I am seeking prayer and support during this rough time.

Thanks