068 Another Hospital Stay

On Friday afternoon we went to a follow up appointment with Dr. Hornbostel because of Jimmy's trip to the ER the night before. Jimmy was still feeling very miserable from everything that he was going through. When Dr. H came into the room he told Jimmy he was admitting him to the hospital.

We were shocked. We knew Jimmy was sick but we didn't expect a hospital stay. Dr. H says it is because Jimmy is very dehydrated from the diarrhea and you can't really catch up because it is so soon after surgery and he can't drink large amounts. Number two it's because they need to keep a close eye on him and get his bowel, vitamins, and eating situations back on track.

So we went straight over to admitting.

They got him to a room quickly but had lots of trouble with his IV (he ended up having a pick line after two different IVs infiltrated) and labs. Finally after using the sonogram (not sonar like Jimmy thought) they got him all situated and started on his fluids and vitamins. Not surprisingly, his blood work said he was dangerously low on potassium so they have been working to bring that up the last two days.

They have also done some other tests, xrays, and listened to his bowels. After Jimmy pucked up the Barium they were attempting to use for one test, his bowels finally startedmoving. So I guess 20 minutes of pucking and dry heaving helped move things along in the bathroom department. One positive to come out of a failed test attempt.

After all the results were in, Dr. H came back yesterday afternoon to tell us the verdict. As the xrays from the ER and the fact Jimmy's bowels finally started moving proved there wasn't blockage or obstruction. Hornbostel believes Jimmy caught a very aggressive flu bug which caused the diarrhea and was complicated by the fact he was already constipated.

These things combined curbed his appetite (dropping his vitamins), caused diarrhea (lowering his potassium levels, and caused dehydration (which he couldn't combat because of the limited amounts he can drink in one sitting). That's why he ended up in the hospital. Just one big whammy. The good news was if he could keep stuff down and get his potassium up then he could go home on Saturday.

So here we are, waiting to see what his fate will be. Will we go home or harbor another night at Heartland? Only Dr. H knows.

* Thanks to everyone who came by to visit or bring us stuff. You are very appreciated and you made our stay that much easier! *

067 The Constipation Saga Continues

Last night was another long night. We are still dealing with Jimmy not feeling well. I guess last night it was just the last straw so we ended up in the emergency room.

Because of the pain Jimmy was having they first thought that he might have a fecal impaction so they did abdominal x-rays to check for blockage and one of the doctors stuck his finger up Jimmy's bum (T.M.I. I know!) to see if their was any hard blockage near the entrance of the rectum.

The Verdict
Jimmy does not have blockage.
Jimmy does not have a fecal impaction.
Jimmy did not have a septic bowel movement.
JIMMY IS CONSTIPATED.

Evidently constipation can cause diarrhea because the other poo is forced around the harder stuff in an effort to leave the rectum. In Jimmy's case, the frequent trips to the bathroom have aggravated his hemorrhoids and the wiping has made his bottom very raw and tender. This has resulted in all the pain and discomfort Jimmy is experiencing.

Because Jimmy went to the ER they also called Dr. Hornbostel. Dr. H says that Jimmy is supposed to call him today and he has to go back to the Liquid Diet until further notice. So I will keep you posted.

For now, I am going to try to focus on work through my haze of tiredness and this too shall pass (no pun intended). Hope your day is better than ours was yesterday.

053 A Not so Regular Doctor's Appointment

It's almost been four weeks since Jimmy's surgery. He has done amazing! Plus he has lost over 85 lbs since starting his liquid diet on Nov. 2nd! However, your body starts to go through some major changes when you lose that weight so Jimmy really needed to go see his primary care doctor.

Yesterday was the first time in the six and a half years that we have been married that I haven't been able to go to the doctor with Jimmy. He was a real trooper and decided to tough it out and go on his own even though he really, really hates going to the doctor's office. Anyway, so he goes in to talk about why he isn't sleeping well, why he is having dizziness when he is active, and why he is having cramping in his legs and knees when he tries to sleep.

Well...

He calls me two hours after his appointment was supposed to have started to tell me that he has just gotten in and that they are going to draw blood to check his potassium levels but that Dr. Weiderholt is concerned about his blood pressure because it is very low.

An hour later...

His blood pressure is fine when he is at rest but it drops after being active (like standing up or sitting down) so she is going to keep him a little longer to monitor him and she won't draw blood until his blood pressure comes up.

An hour later...

Jimmy calls to tell me that I need to come and pick him up because Dr. Weiderholt is sending him to the ER and doesn't want him to drive himself! Yeah I was more than a little surprised. So I leave work, drive across town to the doctor's office, pick him up, and drive him back across town to the ER.

We got right into the ER. What a blessing! The doctor got in to see us pretty quickly. He talked to Jimmy and determined that they needed to draw blood for labs and they would give him an IV for fluids and the ER doctor would call "Dr. Hornbuckle" (I am sure Dr. H would have been thrilled to know a colleague was totally murdering his name!) and talk to him about everything.

At this point Jimmy is pretty dehydrated from being the in doctor's office all day so they have a lot of trouble getting the IV in and have to bring in the vein ultrasound machine. They draw labs and get the IV going and give him two bags of IV fluid to make sure he is well hydrated. By the time the second bag was half empty they had the results of Jimmy's labs.

His potassium is low which is causing several of his symptoms. So they gave him two potassium pills in the hospital and prescribed a potassium pill for daily use at home over the next week. The doctors also decided to take Jimmy off his blood pressure medicine. Evidently his blood pressure has dramatically begun to improve due to the weight loss and the meds were making his blood pressure too low. Go figure! They also told us that the dehydration was making a mess of his blood pressure as well.

About three hours later...

Once the second bag of fluids was finished, we were free to go although Jimmy will have to go in to have labs again on Friday as well as a follow up with Dr. H. Thankfully, my friend Dana was able to give me a ride to back to my car so I didn't have to leave it at the Dr. Weiderholt's office overnight. Then when I got home we settled down and snuggled in and watched Survivor and ate dinner.

It was a really long evening, but I wanted to say "Thank You" to all of you who offered up thoughts and prayers on our behalf. You are greatly appreciated! And Thank You to Dana for going out of her way to pick me up and take me back to my car. You are a lifesaver!