Saturday, February 13, 2016
Mike as usual has not been feeling the greatest since his last chemo treatment on 02/02/16. He has not been eating either. Usually by today, he is coming out of his response to the chemo and starting to feel better. He was having terrible pain in his right side with nausea and inability to move his bowels. He could not get comfortable sitting, lying down, or moving around. Just before 8:00 PM, Mike made the decision that we needed to go to the ER. This experience was better than previous visits to the ER. Mike was taken to an exam room in the treatment area of the ER by 9:00. An IV was started, he was given Reglan every 6 hours and Zofran as needed for nausea. He also ordered Mike to be kept n.p.o.
The doctor ordered an x-ray of his mid-section. This came back showing an obstruction in stomach/colon area. The decision was made to put an NG tube down to Mike's stomach to empty this out. Watching them insert this tube into Mike's nostril was excruciating to watch. I cannot even imagine what Mike was feeling at this point. I just know that he had a tight grip on the sides of the bed. Placement of the tub was confirmed by return of gastric content, He was actively vomiting at this time. It just kept coming and coming. I felt so bad for what he was going through. They added another bag of fluids
At this point, our family doctor was notified, and he gave the instructions for Mike to be admitted. The doctor placed orders for gastroenterology and surgical consults. His diagnosis was listed as bowel obstruction.
Shortly after Mike was admitted, a wonderful friend from church called to find out what was happening with Mike. Lisa stated she was coming out to sit with me. It was now almost midnight. She came and stayed with us until around 1:30. I told her at that time, she needed to go home and get some sleep because she needed to be at church yo play the organ for service at 8:30.
The nurses turned the couch in Mike's room into a bed for me to stay with him. We both slept off and on during the night. Mike got up numerous times having to go to the bathroom. Each time we had to call the nurse to come in and disconnect tubing so he could wheel his IV holder into the restroom. Then we had to call the nurse to come back to hook his suction tubing back up.
In the morning I ran home to tend to our three dogs. After I returned to the hospital, our family doctor came in to see Mike. He seemed to think that his intestine had been somewhat twisted. Mike was feeling better at this point. However, he had not yet had any solid food. The doctor was going to put in an order for Mike to slowly be given liquids and progress him to solid foods. He felt Mike should be able to be discharged on Monday. I left in the afternoon to go home to get some sleep. While I was gone, our associate pastor came in to see Mike. He also has a visit from a childhood friend and her two sons who we mentored for their confirmation at church. A fellow member of the choir also was visiting Mike when I came back around suppertime. She is the choir's ray of sunshine and cheer. She brought Mike magazines, magazines for me, crackers, bottles of water, truffles, a hand made afghan, granola, and gift cards Panera Bread, Subway, and Crazy Tomato (sandwich/wrap/pizza establishment). Vickie just makes you laugh and feel good. Before she left, she prayed for Mike's healing.
Mike's repeat x-ray showed the bowel now to be normal with no blockage. Mike was told he would be discharged on Monday. I left for the night to go home to get a good night's sleep before work the next day.
I got up in thr morning and went to work in a doctor's office next door to the hospital. I called Mike to see how he was doing. He was waiting on the doctor to come in to see him to be discharged. I told Mike to give me a call when that happened so I could leave work to pick him up and take him home. I called Mike a little bit later to find out when he was going to be discharged. That was when he told me he was already home. I asked how this happened because they usually do not allow you to leave the hospital without a driver. He said they just asked him if he was ready to go, he said yes and they gave him the OK. I asked who he called to pick him up. That is when he informed me that he walked across the street and "stole" my car to drive himself home, He made it home OK and spent the rest of the day resting with our dogs.
Mike as usual has not been feeling the greatest since his last chemo treatment on 02/02/16. He has not been eating either. Usually by today, he is coming out of his response to the chemo and starting to feel better. He was having terrible pain in his right side with nausea and inability to move his bowels. He could not get comfortable sitting, lying down, or moving around. Just before 8:00 PM, Mike made the decision that we needed to go to the ER. This experience was better than previous visits to the ER. Mike was taken to an exam room in the treatment area of the ER by 9:00. An IV was started, he was given Reglan every 6 hours and Zofran as needed for nausea. He also ordered Mike to be kept n.p.o.
The doctor ordered an x-ray of his mid-section. This came back showing an obstruction in stomach/colon area. The decision was made to put an NG tube down to Mike's stomach to empty this out. Watching them insert this tube into Mike's nostril was excruciating to watch. I cannot even imagine what Mike was feeling at this point. I just know that he had a tight grip on the sides of the bed. Placement of the tub was confirmed by return of gastric content, He was actively vomiting at this time. It just kept coming and coming. I felt so bad for what he was going through. They added another bag of fluids
At this point, our family doctor was notified, and he gave the instructions for Mike to be admitted. The doctor placed orders for gastroenterology and surgical consults. His diagnosis was listed as bowel obstruction.
Shortly after Mike was admitted, a wonderful friend from church called to find out what was happening with Mike. Lisa stated she was coming out to sit with me. It was now almost midnight. She came and stayed with us until around 1:30. I told her at that time, she needed to go home and get some sleep because she needed to be at church yo play the organ for service at 8:30.
The nurses turned the couch in Mike's room into a bed for me to stay with him. We both slept off and on during the night. Mike got up numerous times having to go to the bathroom. Each time we had to call the nurse to come in and disconnect tubing so he could wheel his IV holder into the restroom. Then we had to call the nurse to come back to hook his suction tubing back up.
In the morning I ran home to tend to our three dogs. After I returned to the hospital, our family doctor came in to see Mike. He seemed to think that his intestine had been somewhat twisted. Mike was feeling better at this point. However, he had not yet had any solid food. The doctor was going to put in an order for Mike to slowly be given liquids and progress him to solid foods. He felt Mike should be able to be discharged on Monday. I left in the afternoon to go home to get some sleep. While I was gone, our associate pastor came in to see Mike. He also has a visit from a childhood friend and her two sons who we mentored for their confirmation at church. A fellow member of the choir also was visiting Mike when I came back around suppertime. She is the choir's ray of sunshine and cheer. She brought Mike magazines, magazines for me, crackers, bottles of water, truffles, a hand made afghan, granola, and gift cards Panera Bread, Subway, and Crazy Tomato (sandwich/wrap/pizza establishment). Vickie just makes you laugh and feel good. Before she left, she prayed for Mike's healing.
Mike's repeat x-ray showed the bowel now to be normal with no blockage. Mike was told he would be discharged on Monday. I left for the night to go home to get a good night's sleep before work the next day.
I got up in thr morning and went to work in a doctor's office next door to the hospital. I called Mike to see how he was doing. He was waiting on the doctor to come in to see him to be discharged. I told Mike to give me a call when that happened so I could leave work to pick him up and take him home. I called Mike a little bit later to find out when he was going to be discharged. That was when he told me he was already home. I asked how this happened because they usually do not allow you to leave the hospital without a driver. He said they just asked him if he was ready to go, he said yes and they gave him the OK. I asked who he called to pick him up. That is when he informed me that he walked across the street and "stole" my car to drive himself home, He made it home OK and spent the rest of the day resting with our dogs.
