Aidanog

I was readmitted to the hospital on Labor Day with persistent nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Oh, and - of course - dehydration. This began six days of decline - I was in terrible, terrible pain and couldn’t keep so much as an ice chip down. They put in a picc line for nutrition. Meanwhile, the pain got so bad, so unreachable, that I don’t remember most of the last 2 days. Finally, at 9:30 pm on day 6, my doctor called me to say he’d come back to the hospital to look at every test I’d taken so far, and he called the chief of radiology to do it with him. They felt strongly that my gallbladder had to come out...NOW. They started the surgery at 2:00 am, and that saved my life, because the minute they visualized the gallbladder and determined it was necrotic and gangrenous, it burst. It was a long night for the surgeons. And my poor wife. I was immediately greatly improved. And as a reward, was given soft foods, which my new stomach was happy to receive. I’ve had one complication from the 2nd surgery. One of the incisions became infected. I now have a home nurse come every day to change the dressing and re-pack the wound. I have another 3 weeks or so of the wound care to go. <sigh> I can’t wait until I feel like myself again. I lost 40 pounds in a month, but not the way I would have liked, and it hasn’t brought me much joy yet. Does anyone else find soft/solid food easier than liquids? I get this uncomfortable gurgle in my belly with every sip. It makes it hard to get my fluids in.

My surgery was 8/22, and also included the repair of a huge hiatal hernia. (Huge is the clinical term...I thought they were trying to justify the extra 90 minutes and $16k.) I had some rough pain after surgery, spent three nights in the hospital, and stopped taking pain pills on day six. I tolerate liquids ok, though feel like there’s a traffic jam in the middle of my chest when I swallow anything - even water. On day 7 or 8 (Days have blurred.) I got a wicked rash across my torso and right arm. I’m fairly certain the rash is an allergic reaction to the antiseptic soap they sent home to wash my incisions. I think mostly to keep me sedated, and thus not an inconvenience over the holiday weekend, the Rx for the rash was 200 mg of Benydryl every 4 hours. I spent the last 3 days as a zombie - sleeping so much that I’m afraid I’m now dehydrated. I’d go to the ER, but, since my own doctor’s office doesn’t seem to listen to me, I’m afraid they won’t listen to me, either. I’m feeling panicky... I’m supposed to return to work on the 12th, and I’m only tolerating applesauce and yogurt, and I’m so weak, I can’t begin to describe it.

I don’t really like sweet things, so I had to work at learning to like the protein shakes during my pre-op diet. I found that two shots of decaf espresso made me LOVE the Premier Protein caramel a chocolate flavors. God Almighty couldn’t make me like the vanilla...I can’t give them away. People seemed at a loss when I told them they couldn’t bring food after I got home from the hospital. Now, when someone asks what they can bring me when they visit, I’m just going to tell them 2 shots of decaf espresso!