Posted 3/20/2015 10:03 PM (GMT 0)
Those of you who follow this saga know that my partner, Mike, had a TP in 2011. Since then he has had some problems.
For Q4, 2014 and Q1, 2015 the Llama Drama has been about getting the huge incisional hernia repaired across his belly. It is about the size of a grapefruit right now....up from the hubbard squash size I last reported.
His first scheduled surgical date in December was aborted when he flunked his pre-op physical and had to have open heart surgery for a calcified aortic valve...well, I guess it was good they found that before he fell over!
His second scheduled surgical date in February was aborted when he showed up at the TP hospital ER with major belly pains. He thought his hernia was encarcerted...but it was not. His pancreatic enzymes were sky high and they put him to bed with acute pancreatitis and had him on IV fluids and morphine for 5 days till that settled down. But they wouldn't not do the surgery as he was not 100% bellywise at that time and rescheduled for end of March, next Friday to be exact.
Yesterday he went to his pre-op physical to check out his anesthesia status, blood typing, EKG, and to have the ARNP review his cardiac and liver status. All was well. We drove home 125 miles from Miami, but as each mile went by he felt worse and worse. The pancreatitis seemed to be back.
about supper time he threw up a sink full of blood. It stopped. We were not sure what to do. We put him to bed, and decided to call 911 or to drive to Miami if it started again. It did not. He slept from 8 PM until 6 AM.
First thing this morning we called his TP coordinator who had us come to Miami. She arranged a direct admission, no going through the ER with the gunshot wounds and whatever all (this is a huge city hospital).
WE are at the hotel on campus where I will stay. We have been waiting since waiting for a bed on the TP floor. I am sure they will wait through shift change now as no one will want to deal with his meds, etc. until that confusion is through. He is exhausted, and sleeping soundly for 3 hours now. That is what he would do over at the hospital and I guess his pain is manageable and he is not bleeding....so....I'm not sure what they can do. We are kind of frustrated as they did an upper endoscopy the day before he got out in February and never reported the findings to us or TP coordinator. She says she can't find the report. Well, now this, and I am certain whatever THIS is must be on the EGD report...bleeding ulcers, polyps, varices, etc. He is all kinds of cranky....as you increase his pain, you get Mr. Cranky Pants, in COLOR.
I am pretty sure his hernia surgery will be postponed. Fortunately, hernia surgery is not life threatening, though bleeding like this can be. I wonder what the heck is going on???? he will hate to wait again, but they can't do it if he isn't well.
Mama Lama