"Funny" stories of the past two weeks!

I threw up my ng feeding tube last night. Literally. I've had it for three weeks. I'd been nauseous and choking on it anyway, and the c. diff. definitely didn't help - 3rd time this year. (Isn't vancomycin the worst-tasting drug EVER?) I spent a few days in the hospital this week because I was throwing up (well, gagging up just bile since nothing was technically in my stomach since the feeding tube went into my small intestine). Nothing worse than bloody D coming out one end and acid/bile out the other end at the same time. I couldn't keep down the medications for the c. diff. or nausea or anything. We got it sort of under control and they sent me home. It lasted less than 48 hours.

I think in the month of August I've spent over 20 days in the hospital and haven't been home for more than 3 days at a time. My poor arms are black and blue! My IVs kept getting infiltrated and we were running out of veins to try. The last time they had to bring in an ultrasound machine. And I had a PICC line twice; the 2nd time it took 6 different veins and 12 shots of lidocaine to get one in - the 4th vein they nicked an artery. The poor nurse looked like something of a horror movie and the call button wasn't working (it was working off and on, so the nurses never believed me when I would tell them because it worked for them. I think after 10 hospitalizations just this year I would know how to push a button). So we had to wait for someone to pass by in the hallway to go call a nurse. This poor family looked a little traumatized when he turned around just covered in blood with the gown, mask, cap, and gloves!

This last hospital visit though they tried me on liquids and my lipase levels stayed low! So I was allowed to have full liquids this weekend anyway. I have an appointment with my GI on Tuesday anyway, so the on-call GI said to just wait until then since I can do smoothies and yogurts and stuff (it's now a full liquid diet). I'm hoping that the levels will have stayed low so we don't even need the feeding tube and we can just VERY slowly introduce regular foods again.

Ok, I'm done bragging now.

I'm sorry you are having such and awful time of it. Keep us up-to-date with your progress. Prayers are with you.

Thanks guys. I guess by "funny" I mean that you have to laugh about it or cry. And with a feeding tube, crying just makes your throat close up and makes you choke even more. And then your nose gets stuffed up and you can't blow it easily because you've got this tube coming out of one nostril that makes it bleed on a regular basis.

BUT!!!!.....I had a very positive doctor appointment - I do NOT need to get a new feeding tube as of right now. :D I can just be on a very lowfat diet and check my blood levels as needed. I have an endoscopic ultrasound next week and another dr appt the week after that. Hopefully it'll all be good! I really, really have lucked out (or blessed, as I see it) again with my GI and his NP. They saw me daily while I was in the hospital each time and patiently read through my 2 inches thick of faxed medical records to understand my history. They've felt frustrated and "helpless" as they've called it.

So anyone in Colorado or Utah ever need a GI referral, I've found amazing ones in both places!