Sometimes, as we travel through life and take different paths we hit dead ends and have to go back to the last cross road we encountered and try again. That is were I am at right now. Since having surgery in February, I have had a few set backs but we seamed to always be moving forward. An answer was found for those set backs and I didn't have to back track too far. Well the tides have changed and while I thought we were cruising down a road of less bumps and fewer diversions, I have unfortunately hit a dead end.
Now that I'm done being cryptic, I'll let you know what has happened. I have been in the hospital this week, since last Sunday afternoon due to dehydration and vomiting. When I went into the hospital, they said that my labs looked completely normal and that I didn't look dehydrated at all but they would give me a couple bags of IV fluid anyway to help me feel better. After the second bag was in me, and I wasn't even close to needing to go pee, the doctor came back in and told me that my urine sample definitely showed that I was dehydrated and malnourished. She said that my body is really good at hiding dehydration. 5 bag of IV fluids later I still didn't need to pee so they decided it was time to admit me to the hospital. This was after spending almost 24 hours in the emergency department.
So they finally took me up to the 9th floor in Rhodes hall at OSU hospital. They continued to pump me full of IV fluids until I was peeing every couple of hours. I think by that time I was probably 8-10 bags in. Then they decided they needed to run some tests to figure out why I was vomiting. They started with an x-ray, and then Gastric emptying study.
For a gastric emptying study, you have to eat radio active eggs and then they put you under a gamma-ray detecting machine and take a picture of your stomach right after you eat the eggs, 1 hour after you eat the eggs and then 2 hours after. They do it to see how quickly the body digests the eggs.
These pictures were taken from the area that I was left to wait in, in between pictures.
That test came back normal so the next test they decided to run was a Endoscopy. So Wednesday I was prepped and taken down to do the EGD. That too came back looking normal. Which is good because that means that my surgery sites are healing correctly and look good.
Right before going down for the Endoscopy.
On Thursday, I then did a small bowel follow through which required me to drink barium which, I know I have tried to explain before but it is like a chalky paint like consistency and it hard to force down.
Here is a picture of the thick nastiness that painted the inside of my intestines so that they could see how fast it traveled through my bowel.
The machine that took the x-rays to see my intestines.
The next morning, the doctors said that all the tests came back normal but that they were concerned because I hadn't eaten anything in a while and my labs were starting to show a decline in my health. They pumped me full of potassium and magnesium and said that I would probably need a feeding tube. No body ever wants a feeding tube but at this point it was either that or I continue to starve. I chose to not starve anymore.
So off I went down to fluoroscope again (they decided to do it down there, since my anatomy is really funky so they could see everything). Well they tried placing the tube but they couldn't get it past my nasal cavity. They tried for about 5 minuets to get it before they decided to abort the placement and send me back to endoscopy to have it placed endoscopic. They said they were going to give me twilight sedation meaning I wouldn't be in as heavy of a sleep as other times. What ever they gave me, knocked me out for hours afterwards, and made me super sleepy till the next morning.
Before tube placement shot....
Post tube shot.
It is a pain in the (you know what) but I'm grateful to have a form of nutrition running in me again. Hopefully this can get me back on my feet again.
Luckily I was allowed to come home today, exactly one week after I walked in I was able to walk out. I'm not anywhere close to where I want to be but I'm headed in the right direction. This next week will probably be filled with doctors visits and just trying to recuperate.
I wanted to thank everyone for you thoughts, prayers and for those who helped out with taking care of my family while I was in the hospital. I know we couldn't have gotten through it with out all your love and support.
