So, you know how when you were a kid and you got a really, really cool toy for Christmas, and you were so excited, and then you discovered that the batteries were not included, and since it was Christmas all the stores were closed, so you were going to have to WAIT to play with it? Well, in my analogy challenged mind, that’s about what happened to Anne and Gary today.
Gary slept well last night and felt pretty good this morning, and so the day started out on a positive note. Then, because my sister is a genius (not to mention tenacious) she was able to figure out, through creative sleuthing and Googling, why foods weren’t agreeing with Gary this week. The problem had an easy solution and he not only had a good lunch (with no adverse reactions), but also ate a “meal” at 2:00 pm.
Unfortunately, a phone call from the doctor’s office brought everything to a grinding halt. It seems that he has both an infection and a leak. Neither of those things are on most people’s Christmas lists. The infection means two weeks of a couple of kinds of antibiotics. The leak, although small, means no more food until it has healed. It looks like Gary will have to wait to play with his new stomach.
This also means that he will likely have to go back on the TPN nutrition, rather than staying on the tube feeding which he switched over to today.
Needless to say, this is quite frustrating. The proverbial one step forward and two steps back somewhat overshadows the really good news of the day.
Thanks to all of you who either faithfully or intermittently read this blog. Your comments mean so much to both Gary and Anne.
Booooooo! No new stomach fun? No fair. I’m sending you an energetic plumber to fix your leak. Good luck with everything! I love you!
OMG! A leak! I sure hope it heals quickly! Is there an estimate of time? But thank goodness for antibiotics. Do I detect that once the tube feeding can be in place, you’ll start to feel human again? All good wishes from all of us!
They never promised the new stomach would be fun. And they pretty much guaranteed getting it fined tuned would be a challenge. No one ever said this would be easy. However, with an energetic plumber on my team things can only get better. Thanks for sending her.
The leak was something they said up front was a likely possibility. There is no estimate of how long it will take to heal, but it probably won’t be too terribly long. I am on the tube feeding now and it immediately made me feel better. However, my system is now having some side effect related to the feeding. This has been rather nasty. The side effects of the antibiotics are also rather unpleasant. But other than that, things are heading in a positive direction. Things are moving along on the healing front in spite of the setbacks.
I am one of the faithful and everyday readers but seldom send comments, mostly because I really don’t know what to say. I can’t imagine what you and Anne are going thru on a daily or even hour by hour basis.
It is amazing what modern medicine and technology (batteries included) can do, however, the old “one day at a time” and “keep the faith, Baby!” sayings are the word of the day. So, hang in there Gary and Anne, it will get better!!!
This is definitely one of the most challenging situations I have ever faced. At times it is overwhelming, particularly when there is a new machine to figure out at the last minute. But most days have moments of satisfaction and contentment. It is endurable.
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As bad as it is, each day I can see small improvements in my health. These are mostly in the form of some small activity I am capable of doing that I wasn’t able to do a week ago. This provides some satisfaction.
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What keeps us going is all the wonderful support we get from our friends through the web site, on Facebook, and in person. Without all of you cheering for us the task we face would be daunting. Or perhaps I should say more daunting than we could bear.
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Thank you for your support and encouragement. It is so appreciated.