Sunday, January 13, 2008

Ewww, ick.

Lucky me, I got to spend Thursday night through this morning in the hospital. I had a small bowel obstruction. Icky stuff follows, so the weak of tummy should just close the browser knowing I am home and fine.

I came home from work on Thursday with what I thought was just bad gas pain. When my usual remedies (heating pad, hot bath, Gas-X) didn't work and the pain got worse, I wound up calling for ambulance transport to the ER. After assorted pokings, proddings and questions, I was given contrast matter to drink, some Dilaudid for the pain, X-rays and CT scans. When the doctors determined that I did in fact have a small bowel obstruction, I was admitted and given a naso-gastric tube (as Zayrina says, up the nose and down the throat) and then sent off to a room.

One note on the ER visit--mostly, the staff was competent and thoughtful. There was one nurse, however, who was a complete shit to me. I had a hard time keeping the contrast down, and had vomited up a fair amount of bile. My mother, who stayed with me practically the whole time, had been back and forth with basins for me, but at one point one of them overflowed onto the floor. When the nurses came in to insert the n-g tube, the jerk stepped in some of the bile, and finding out what it was, he had a mini-meltdown about getting it off his new shoes. He was then very patronizing to me, and verbally rough when it came time to get the tube down me. Fortunately, I didn't have to see him at all again after that.

The nurses and techs on the floor were great, the surgeon I saw was very good at actually listening to me, and once I'd had a bowel movement and promised to make the earliest possible appointment for a series of X-rays with barium, agreed to let me come home. Zayrina called frequently and posted about my situation on the Lush message board. My Lushie forum friends were sweet as can be. MaryMargrt sent her mom over with a flower, KellyGirl stopped in for a visit and brought more flowers, several people called, and there was a 12 page thread full of warm thoughts and good wishes for me to read and tear up over when I got home. Mallie called and helped cheer me up, and so did both of my brothers. Amy was an absolute godsend in taking care of the puppymonsters and my house and even sent her hubby to pick me up from the hospital.

This week is going to be interesting--tomorrow, I have my 30,000 mile lube/tune-up/MRI at the Cleveland Clinic, Tuesday is Bigfoot's surgery, Wednesday is training in a new process at work, and at some point I have to have the all-day X-rays to find out exactly where the adhesions are and if they are going to require future surgery or possibly just a change of diet and awareness of onset symptoms.

My warmest thanks for everyone who has been so supportive through all of this.

8 comments:

Romantic Heretic said...

*HUGS* Jammies.

Sending strength, energy and healing vibes your way.

Murphy Jacobs said...

Stay away from Romaine! :)

Anonymous said...

I'm relieved that you are home and that they were able to take good care of you (bile-phobic-new-shoes-nurse notwithstanding).

And of course we were worried about you. Ms. Jammies, you take such good care of *us* and add so much to the forum, that it was a way for us to show you that you mean the world to us.

Give the doggies a pat for me and remember, I can always send Cleo over.

Anonymous said...

lettuce thank the fates for our salad days.


You have many wonderful friends and not one of them publicly teased you about being full of...well there's one in every bunch I guess.

Kidding aside, that idiot nurse smacked your hand, which is off the scale in inappropriateness. You need to report him.

Becs said...

What Zayrina said!

So glad you are home and feeling better. Hardly a jolly way to spend the weekend. Yup, looks like a busy sched for you this week, but please take care.

"All will be will and all shall be well and all manner of things will be well."

Hugs,
Becs

Canuck Girl said...

Lots of love Jammies.

I think you need to celebrate the fact that you are home with a bath...

(Oh, and I sort of updated my blog - kind of half assed though)

Canuck Girl said...

Oh, and what kind of idiot nurse wears new shoes, that they don't want to get dirty to work? Especially if they work in the ER.

My aunt is the head ER nurse at a hospital here and my wear butt ugly Crocs (she is otherwise very fashion conscious) to work because they can be hosed off.

Jammies said...

Thanks, Rob.

Sherri, I'm trying, but I miss my salads!

Melinda, thank you--I'm blushing.

Zayrina, I would, except that I'd forgotten that I made Mom leave the room when I had the NG tube put in because I was afraid it would upset her, so I don't have a witness and I was on drugs.

Becs, thanks for the good wishes. I'm taking care of myself and staying home with my gross sinuses today.

CG, thanks for finally updating your blog, for linking to the babyblog, and that is exactly what my mom thought about hissyboy's shoes, lol.