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Surgery done.. Not doing well

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Posted 12/5/2014 9:42 PM (GMT 0)
Miki, Taken as a whole the issues Bob is having seem overwhelming.
Individually, let's see...the gas, bowel issues etc. not uncommon after surgery at all. Neither is vomiting - some people react to anesthesia that way. He hasn't eaten in some time now so he would be vomiting mostly bile. The color of his urine could be from something used for surgery. The fever will return to normal when the antibiotics do their job. None of this is what you were prepared for but each issue will be resolved one by one. The staff may not be as attentive as you think they should be but I hope by days end that, too, will take a turn for the better. If you can take a walk outside - do it! If the cafeteria is open - go there for a while. If there's a chapel - use it. If you can call someone - call them. You need some encouragement, someone you can talk to. You are stronger than you think, Miki. You will get through this. My email is on here .
Thinking of you both,
Susan
Posted 12/5/2014 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
Miki,
Thoughts are with you guys, be strong!

Doug
Posted 12/5/2014 10:30 PM (GMT 0)
Miki,

I'm sorry that Bob is having so many post-surgical problems. Take care and hang in there. Keep us updated as you are able. FWIW, I had most of the problems Bob's having and was in the hospital four days.

Tim
Posted 12/5/2014 11:08 PM (GMT 0)
Good post Tim, for Miki to see that someone else experienced this and got out in a few days will be reassuring for her and Bob.

Hugs for Miki and Bob
Posted 12/5/2014 11:29 PM (GMT 0)
I hope it turns better soon. I'll keep you and your husband in my thoughts and prayers. Unfortunately, post treatment horror stories, while not the norm, are not uncommon. They have been much improved over the years though. You have already heard a few stories of the multi-day stay overs in this thread. I think it will turn around soon and then it's on to healing and living cancer free.
Posted 12/5/2014 11:32 PM (GMT 0)
While I am not a surgery guy, I am a prayer guy and sending mine your way.

LupronJim
Posted 12/6/2014 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Miki & Bob
There are many uf us here who have had complications after RP. It's hard while you are there but you get through it. Sending positive thoughts. It gets better - much better!

Hope you can get some rest and start feeling better very soon.
Posted 12/6/2014 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
My wife & I are both praying for you and Bob.
Posted 12/6/2014 2:43 AM (GMT 0)
I appreciate you all so much. All the well wishes, prayers and words of encouragement. My dad drove the three hours to the hospital to stay w/ Bob and I drove the three hours to my house because my body was just shutting down, legs swollen, dizzy, sick and on top of that the emotional turmoil. Six year old is glad to see mama. I will turn around and drive back tomorrow. I have called to check on Bob and he is about the same. Lots of vomiting, fever, dizzy, shaky, everything as before w/ no changes. My husband is not one to complain, even when sick just goes on and doesn't say a word and he is very verbal about how sick he is. Oh, I hope this turns around soon. Nothing they have tried has helped him. He can't get up and do his walking because he's so sick. So he's currently doing two heprin shots a day and has to keep the inflatables on his legs to prevent DVT. Nursing staff leaves everything up to the family member for his care which is why I have went down hill. Anything that gets done I do it for him, if not he will be sitting for an hour in his own feces waiting on them to clean him up (He will think he needs to pass gas then it's not, it's diarrhea), all bed baths, you name it I do it except dispensing the meds. Saw doc in hall before I left (he found me there crying), he said "Stop getting worked up about this, we're keeping an eye on him, some people respond differently to anesthesia or just the procedure itself. I checked everything while I was in there, no perforations, I think he's going to turn around it just may take him a little longer" (He said other stuff but it's all running together. In response to the green pee, the explanation doc gave was it was from the dye he uses to illuminate the prostate and surrounding organs, lymph nodes and vessels which makes it easier to see and to check all those things. I think he said it was a phospherus?? dye? Anyway guys, hope some of this made sense. I appreciate all of u so much and will keep you posted. We really need some good news. I am sorry I'm complaining so much, I'm just tired and upset and I guess that's what I do. Thanks again, Miki
Posted 12/6/2014 3:14 AM (GMT 0)
Greetings Arkansas Angel. I remember when you joined us a few months back. Sorry Bob is starting out with some tough times. It does get better everyday.

Hugs and prayers coming from Florida

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 12/6/2014 3:49 AM (GMT 0)
Miki,

Thanks for updating us on Bob. It's sure to help when you unload the emotional dump truck here. We're all pulling for you and Bob. You're one terrific lady and Bob is one lucky guy to have you as his wife. Get some rest, push a few buttons to get the nursing staff to help clean up Bob; that's what they're paid to do. To answer your final sentence: we're not sorry you're complaining because we're here to listen. Take care.

Tim
Posted 12/6/2014 4:10 AM (GMT 0)
Everything that Tim said. Especially the parts about Bob being lucky to have you and pushing some buttons to get the nurses to do their job so you don't have to. Squeaky wheel gets the grease and right now you have every right to be the squeaky wheel

Good that you get to have a break tonight. We are all anxious with you and looking forward to news of improvement tomorrow.
Posted 12/6/2014 6:28 AM (GMT 0)
Miki - take some time to take care of yourself.

Bob will need your strength before it's done. You've got to get your rest and eat. Good to hear your dad was able to get there too.

You're both on my prayer list.
Andrew
Posted 12/6/2014 1:16 PM (GMT 0)
A C Difficle infection can create a lot of the symptoms Bob is experiencing. I contracted it during my hospital stay after surgery, and was as sick as I've ever been. When I was released, I couldn't get more than 50 feet from a bathroom unless I loaded up on pain pills.(they shut down your digestive system). It's fairly common. Hospital staff is hesitant to acknowledge it, because it originated in their facility. I kept on hearing the "everybody reacts to surgery in different ways" line. It took a few weeks to finally get sorted out and treated. A strong regimen of probiotics is essential both during and after any antibiotic treatment to get your digestive bacteria back in balance, regardless of what, if anything, you contracted. Your body is so traumatized because of the major surgery that all kind of symptoms can spin off from that. C diff is a very serious infection but can be successfully treated. I hope things resolve quickly. Hang in there.
Posted 12/6/2014 2:02 PM (GMT 0)
Miki,

We don't practice any medicine here on the forum. We're not doctors. We just suggest things that you might talk to doctors about.

So, next time you talk to Bob's doctor, in a conversational way (no shouting, no weeping) ask what he thinks of the idea that Bob may be having a bad reaction to the dye the doctor used to help him see Bob's lymph nodes and other anatomical features. There is a dye called Methelene Blue that is used for that and Bob has quite a few of the side effects listed for its use. (See this list of side effects from the Mayo clinic.) Methelene Blue has a long, long list of drugs it interacts with (here, again from Mayo). Of particular concern is the interaction with various antidepressants (both of the ones I have used made the list.)

Here's what Mayo has to say about that:

Mayo said...
Make sure your doctor knows about all the other medicines you are using. This medicine may cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome when taken with other medicines to treat depression (such as amitriptyline, bupropion, citalopram, desipramine, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, imipramine, nortriptyline, paroxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine, Aventyl®, Celexa®, Cymbalta®, Effexor®, Elavil®, Lexapro™, Luvox®, Norpramin®, Pamelor®, Paxil®, Prozac®, Tofranil®, Wellbutrin®, or Zoloft®), medicine to treat migraine headaches (such as eletriptan, sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, Imitrex®, Relpax®, or Zomig®), ergot medicine (such as ergotamine, Cafergot®, Ergomar®, or Wigraine®), or certain antibiotics (linezolid, Zyvox®). Check with your doctor first before taking any other medicines. The symptoms of serotonin syndrome include mental changes (confusion, hyperactivity, memory problems), muscle twitching, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, diarrhea, trouble with coordination, or fever.

.

Here's a link to an FDA drug safety warning about that: www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm263190.htm

Just something to ask about. The green urine is almost certainly the dye but the other symptoms could be (probably are) an infection. But the FDA says that not all doctors know about the serotonin syndrome and it's worth asking.

Again, remember: ask about this in a conversational way. You will get more good information from a doctor if you don't make him think about lawyers...
Posted 12/6/2014 7:02 PM (GMT 0)
Miki, Prayers to you and Bob, prayers for strength, will, determination, patience and divine spirit.


I pray for everyone on this forum daily since my husband was diagnosed one week ago by biopsy. He is 55 years old, PSA 4, Gleason 7.

Sending prayers of comfort and wellness and blessings to all..

This forum has been a tremendous help.
Posted 12/6/2014 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
Miki and Bob, I do hope today is a better day for the both of you. I second what Peter says about the dye- it's commonly used to make sure they don't knick ureters and to find any leaks.

If things don't start to turn around quickly I would insist on another pair of eyes to take a look at him and don't take no for an answer. Sometimes you have to be pushy.

I know all about terrible care as well- Paul had some nightmare times in the hospital and I still can't even imagine why some people enter into the healthcare field when obviously they just don't care. They had him chained up to machines and refused to let him free to cath at a sink just feet away and wouldn't even hand him the cath supplies that were right on the sink!!

So you tell that doc that when you see Bob getting excellent care 100% of the time and start seeing a turnaround in his condition that you will relax then, until then you will be keeping your eyes on everything- you are right here!

I am rooting for you both!
Posted 12/7/2014 12:08 AM (GMT 0)
Thinking of you guys. Seriously hoping for good news soon.
Posted 12/7/2014 1:59 AM (GMT 0)
Miki, I do hope things have eased up somewhat since your last post, that you were able to get some sleep and spend some time with your son.

Lots of good advice here and as you can see some others with similar experiences. It may help you to write down what you need to talk to the doctor about - helps you keep your focus.

There are many here thinking of you both and looking forward to hearing things have turned around.
Susan
Posted 12/7/2014 3:54 AM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone,
Praise the Lord Bob had a turn for the better. At about 2 AM last night he got violently ill and throwing up and after that the nausea left. By the time I drove back he was sitting up, color back in face and doing lots better. The weekend doctor came in and gave the go ahead for him to come home so I've spent most of the day in the car but he's HOME!!!! He is still very weak and I have to stay on him to get up and walk. Every time he does get up he just starts shaking (hoping this is because he hasn't been eating and because he's weak from surgery then getting so sick). So far no fever at home (note on fever, nurse suggested since he just got over rocky mountain spotted fever a little over a month ago that may be part of the fever, she said fevers could return for months even after the spots are gone). He's ate a little bit but not much and his acid reflux is giving him fits. Not eating and laying he constantly has the acid burn in his chest and feeling choked (he's dealt w/ acid reflux for years). Drain tube site looks good and he didn't even flinch when they pulled that out. I called doc to get the go ahead to start him on some probiotics because he's having severe diarrhea (he did this when he was on antibiotics for the RMSF so I'm hoping it's the antibiotics so hoping the probiotics will help like they did when he was in the hospital w/ that). Pee is now normal color so I'm wondering as we discussed about the dye having some side effects if that was the problem because when the pee started clearing is when he got to feeling better. Our six year old will not have anything to do w/ him. He's scared to death of the cath tube. That made Bob cry. I've tried to explain it to my son but it's going to take some time. We had prepared him that dad would have a tube but he's still scared and said "That means he's not better, because that tube's still in there". He's afraid dad is going to die :( Bob's still having a little bit of high blood pressure (he takes blood pressure meds) and a high pulse rate (steady at 100-110). I did some internet research that this can be common after surgery. I want to say again how much we appreciate you guys, and how much your support means to us. Even though Bob isn't on the forum I read him all the replies and well wishes and all the information you guys share so he knows you (he's not a computer geek like me). Now it's one day at a time on the road to healing. I know there will be bumps but I'm thankful to just be over this first obstacle. Thanks again to all of you, Miki
Posted 12/7/2014 4:01 AM (GMT 0)
That's such awesome news Miki, so happy to hear it. I'm guessing the weakness is largely due to dehydration, from the vomiting and diarrhea , and will resolve over the next couple of days. I'm sure you'll see solid improvement from here on, every day.

Glad things are back on track!!!!
Posted 12/7/2014 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
Still praying for your husband.
If his diarrhea gets worse, make sure you let someone know. CC's comments on c. difficile are very true.
I think he is going to be ok and the worse part is over.

paul
Posted 12/7/2014 5:03 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds like he's turned the corner and will start healing. That will take some time but at he's home.

You've both had a rough time. It will get better from here.

You're both on my prayer list.
Andrew
Posted 12/7/2014 5:28 AM (GMT 0)
Glad to hear he is home. I am sure the little one has been picking up on the stress lately due to the unexpected events after surgery... Kids are pretty intuitive.

Has he tried Carafate? If you ask me its a wonder drug! I have reflux really bad and apparent ulcers now and it has led to some wonderful pain free moments and more comfort in a long time. Coats EVERYTHING! Only down side is timing of taking meds as it can hinder absorption. I just took my meds now have to wait an hour so I can take the Carafate and I am hurting, counting down the minutes.
Posted 12/7/2014 2:56 PM (GMT 0)
That's GREAT news Miki, thanks for keeping us updated. Sounds like he's turned the corner for sure and again now it's onward and upward! Keep the faith, thoughts and prayers continue your way.
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