Carlow - how are you?

Hey UCinNC, yeah I'm still in the flippin hospital, https://www.healingwell.com/community/posticons/icon8.gif. I just want to go home! After hanging out here for a week, letting this clot and abscess heal, the docs have decided that I need yet another procedure to increase the drainage from my abscess (which was previously not being flushed and causing ungodly amounts of pain and pressure on my j-pouch by making my body want to force out healed blood clots to soon.) Soooo tomorrow morning (hopefully) they'll do this procedure and I can get back to walking and healing, again. I've gained about 30 pounds of water/fluid weight since last friday (the 29th) so getting up out bed and doing simple stuff is extremely frustrating. Thank god my fiance and family visit almost constantly, however the nights are the worst. I'm so sick of sleeping on my back, not being able to turn, move...feeling nothing but agony, shortness of breath etc, when I do get up to use the restroom. about the only positive feeling I have to go on right now is that they can't keep me forever (even though pushing 10 days now is enough for me) and they aren't supposed to open me up anymore, just move the j-pick drain and make it bigger. <sigh>, any thoughts or encouragement guys?

Hi Carlow,

Good luck with the procedure tomorrow. Have they given you any diuretics or anything to help with the fluid retention. I hope you get out of there soon. Keep fighting the good fight.

Peace Out

Luke

This is Carlow's fiancee again. Unfortunately, he doesn't have constant computer access. He just has it when I bring my computer, like I did when I stayed with him this weekend. He's in Anderson too. You may have seen him/ us wandering the halls.

Today, he had two procedures. One enlarged the tube to his abscess, I believe, and the other to drain 1,000 mL of fluid from his lungs. No wonder he couldn't breathe very well. But phoned me twice this afternoon and sounded more like his old self than he has in a long time. It was wonderful. I'll ask him when I see him later this morning if he would like visitors. Hmm... Actually, I'll just bring my computer and he can answer himself. Regardless of what he decides, thank you very much for the generous offer. I'm sure he'll be as touched by it as I am.

As for me, time to get some sleep.

-Ness

Hey guys,

Sooo, much improved after a hellish day yesterday! So after a night of no sleep (no breathing equals hard to you know, sleep) and a no liquid/food diet for over 12 hours...they came for me (radiological procedures) at 8 in the morning. They tried to lay me on my side for surgery and when my BP bottomed out combined with a bout of constant wheezing and air gulping (even with 4L of O2 coming down the pipes) they decided they couldn't give me sedatives...so they kicked me out of the OR! AUGH! Taking me back to my room, one of the physicians on my surgeon's team vows to get me back in their before the end of the day. They take a chest x-ray to see if/how much fluid has made its way there and redo my bloodwork. Two hours later, turns out I've got normal blood levels, but "some" fluid in my chest. Alright, so they set me up with another appt in the OR for later in the afternoon (they can never tell me when exactly). Keep in mind I've been supposed to be eating or drinking anything in case they come in to get me for the procedure at any moment. <rolls eyes>, I had one my nurses sneak me some ice chips and had my pops sneak me small cups of ice water when no one was looking....terrible crimes eh?

Ok, so I go in at 3, they drain my right side chest (did I mention I was awake for both of these procedures, which was actually kinda cool, kinda) and then I somehow groan and roll my way onto the actual table for the drain. Anyhoo, lets just say I am a very sore, but very happy boy. Overnight (in which I drank probably over 2 liters of water...I drained almost over a liter from my chest!) Hooray, I can breathe and sleep, and drink...etc! My fluid retention has also really taken off...as my fiance pointed out this morning :). So the surgeon came by and said I should be out by the end of this week things look that well. I'm trying not to get my hopes up but its the first time I've felt this good in a while.

UCinNC hey, I'm in Anderson 4 North! Just walk down the halls and look for a skinny short haired kid, or I can email you my room # if you want, just send an email to [email protected]. I'd love to have a visitor! Thanks for the offer.

Hey Loren,

As my fiancee has pointed out, I am an idiot. I'm just now getting access to a comp again...so much for visiting eh? Crikey. I'm supposed to be discharged tomorrow after two more drains were added to my abdomen yesterday. I'm feeling and looking almost normal, despite the incision pain and looking like I lost 20 pounds. I can't express how excited I am about getting out of here. Its been over two weeks now and I just want to see the outside world! lol. Its been a long time coming, and at times very painful and frustrating...but I think I'm starting to understand how its all going to be worth it in the end.

Hey guys. It's Ness again. Carlow's still in the hospital. His white count was elevated for two days, so they decided to keep him in longer. He had a CT scan yesterday and the docs found the original abscess wasn't draining properly and there's still a ton of stuff in there. So, today they're going to either move the drain so the stuff can get out better or they will put in a larger tube (again). He said he thinks he'll be in there until Thursday or Friday.

Despite all that, he's doing much better. He's acting like his old self again, albeit a bit weaker and much skinnier. The nurses keep telling him he looks like Billy Zane (of Titanic fame).

A bit of an update there. But I'm off to see him and then to work.

-Ness

Carlow!! My surgery buddy!!  Wow! I guess I've missed a ton! I had some complications as well, just got home myself a week ago, but nothing like you, my dear! POOR THING! You're in my prayers. Please get well, we have people to encourage!   Sending good thoughts your way!

Jenna