Good News - Cecilia just called

GREAT news!!!  Cecilia just called.  She is still in ICU, still on pain meds, NG tube, IV, etc, but they did another CT scan and the distended intestine from the obstruction seems to be a bit smaller AND she has had some liquid output so, that is great news.  The pain is still bad, but not as intense.  She sounds so much better, but still not ready to be released.  They are still monitoring her. 

I kept telling her to not to forget to breathe cause I know when I am in pain, I either hold my breath or take really shallow breaths.  Well, she forgot to breathe!  jk    But, she said her oxygen level dropped and they put an oxygen mask  on her for a while. 

She's allowed to use her cell phone in the ICU cause she doesn't have a heart monitor on and she's in a "private" room right across from the nurses station.  She is getting really excellent care.

Well, they are assuming adhesions are the cause. That is about as good an educated diagnosis the doctors can give at this point given what they are dealing with. The CT scans just show that the intestine looks to have a kink in it --- like the intestine above the obstruction is distended and then there is an area that looks like something is wrapped around the intestine (like it is being strangled), then normal looking intestine below. That is a normal "look" for a CT scan when you have an obstruction from adhesions.. either adhesions wrapped around the intestine or the intestine looping around adhesions. Does that make sense?

Luke --- There are NO dumb questions. Here is something I nabbed from a website:

Intestinal Adhesions
Intestinal adhesions are bands of fibrous tissue that can connect the loops of the intestines to each other, or the intestines to other abdominal organs, or the intestines to the abdominal wall. These bands can pull sections of the intestines out of place and may block passage of food. Adhesions are a major cause of intestinal obstruction.

Adhesions may be present at birth (congenital) or may form after abdominal surgery or inflammation. Most form after surgery. They are more common after procedures on the colon, appendix, or uterus than after surgery on the stomach, gall bladder, or pancreas. The risk of developing adhesions increases with the passage of time after the surgery.

Symptoms
Some adhesions will cause no symptoms. If the adhesions cause partial or complete obstruction of the intestines, the symptoms one would feel would depend on the degree and the location of the obstruction. They include crampy abdominal pain, vomiting, bloating, an inability to pass gas, and constipation.

Diagnosis
X rays (computed tomography) or barium contrast studies may be used to locate the obstruction. Exploratory surgery can also locate the adhesions and the source of pain.

Treatment
Some adhesions will cause no symptoms and go away by themselves. For people whose intestines are only partially blocked, a diet low in fiber, called a low-residue diet, allows food to move more easily through the affected area. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the adhesions, reposition the intestine, and relieve symptoms. But the risk of developing more adhesions increases with each additional surgery.

me too! im glad shes getting great care, thats makes things so much easier sometimes

Peggy,
I'm so glad to here that Cecilia is doing better. The same thing happened to me last Nov. and just took time for it to come unblocked. It is kind of scary as you well know.

Hope she gets to come home soon as she will do alot better then. How long has she been in the hospital?

Jan,

I think these posts are over-lapping. Seems like we all can't wait until Cecelia is better!

Richard