I spent all day yesterday preparing for the party by showering (it's not in my room and I had to keep my face dry because of the tube so showering is quite the ordeal) Tavis cleaned up my room and put up Christmas lights. My friend Shannon made me a shirt that has Velcro at the top so I could wear something other than my gown and get it up over my IV and stuff. Shannon also had her sister who is a massage therapist come give me a massage which was both thoughtful and amazing. Sara has a special touch! She even massaged my back in the places I have pain... Places where Tavis had previously brushed by on my back and I accidentally yelled at him to stay away :)
Heather and Amanda brought the Christmas to me for the party :)
Two other major things happened yesterday, both somewhat to my surprise and against my will. When I got back from my shower they said they were switching me from the pain pump (which delivers meds by IV) to oral meds. It's hard to know if I'm ready for this or not because you don't know what oral meds will take care of until you try. The pain pump is nice because you can feel the effects immediately but the pills would be slower release so I would only take them every 4 hours. I was very sad to make this transition on party day, something I had been looking forward to for days. But it happened, and now I'm on oral meds. About an hour or so before the next dose I can feel it wear off and then it takes an hour before reaching it's relief potential (for me at least) so I feel like pain is managed best about half of the time. Regardless, it's one of the steps I need to go home so it is what it is!
Also after I got back from the shower they re-hooked up my feeding tube. The machine kept beeping and beeping... they tried to flush it, realized it was clogged. Doctor said because it's clogged, no longer can be used, it's gotta go. This is bad news and good news. Bad because 1) I rely on it for nutrition because I can't eat much 2) It's gotta come out... ouch 3) There's a chance the doctor might want to put another one in.... oh my word you've got to be kidding me. I simply can't handle another traumatic experience like I had putting that tube in completely conscious!! If they wanted to do it again they would have to knock me out. Or kill me. The only good thing about it being clogged and coming out is that I would be forced to try some new foods, and eating on my own is something that needs to happen before I can go home. So these two things explain a little more why I was an emotional wreck yesterday. Lots of changes in one day which brought about some pain and fear. They took the tube out and I only gagged once and it hurt my nose, but it was only about 3% as bad as it was going in.
The above were Monday updates, here are the Tuesday Updates:
FOOD: I've been eating a lot and so far keeping it down and no new major unmanageable pains due to food. This morning I've been googling some ideas of post-pancreatitis nutrition and ideas for how to eat (The doctors prepped me on this subject but just getting ideas online too) Basically my new diet will be higher in protein and carbs, low in fat (ideally 30g per day or less). December 13th will go down in history as my last day as a normal human being that ate whatever I pleased. In my new life I will always be aware of my pancreas, what it does, and what I need to do for it. I will continue with softer foods low in fat and eventually add some more solids back in.
GETTING DISCHARGED: The doctors are saying my progress looks good and that it's hopeful I could go home tomorrow night before midnight (Wednesday, Christmas eve). If not, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Thursday but not getting my hopes of either because one thing I've learned around here is that things change fast AND I'm working with so many doctors... one may say one thing and another may think something completely different :) Today my goal is to simulate what things will be like at home, so to use as little hospital assistance as possible. I'm getting up and moving around a lot, going to the bathroom on my own, I got dressed and ready for the day (well, I did need a little help there but I'll always have Tavis at home). Later today they will disconnect me from my IV for a while to see how I do with fluid intake on my own. I'll also go on a walk and include some stairs to see how I manage since I have two flights of stairs at home.
SURGERY: The doctors gave the OK to go ahead and schedule my gallbladder surgery so I will have it removed in two weeks or so. Bummer to have to come back, but happy that I won't have gallstones anymore.
THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING: I appreciate each and every one of your gifts, cards, texts, calls, messages and comments on Facebook. Just because I can't respond to all of them doesn't mean I don't care or that I'm ignoring you! I am overwhelmed by all the love sent my way, and I even took a screenshot on my second day here because I've never had 34 texts that needed responding to before!!
Also after I got back from the shower they re-hooked up my feeding tube. The machine kept beeping and beeping... they tried to flush it, realized it was clogged. Doctor said because it's clogged, no longer can be used, it's gotta go. This is bad news and good news. Bad because 1) I rely on it for nutrition because I can't eat much 2) It's gotta come out... ouch 3) There's a chance the doctor might want to put another one in.... oh my word you've got to be kidding me. I simply can't handle another traumatic experience like I had putting that tube in completely conscious!! If they wanted to do it again they would have to knock me out. Or kill me. The only good thing about it being clogged and coming out is that I would be forced to try some new foods, and eating on my own is something that needs to happen before I can go home. So these two things explain a little more why I was an emotional wreck yesterday. Lots of changes in one day which brought about some pain and fear. They took the tube out and I only gagged once and it hurt my nose, but it was only about 3% as bad as it was going in.
The above were Monday updates, here are the Tuesday Updates:
FOOD: I've been eating a lot and so far keeping it down and no new major unmanageable pains due to food. This morning I've been googling some ideas of post-pancreatitis nutrition and ideas for how to eat (The doctors prepped me on this subject but just getting ideas online too) Basically my new diet will be higher in protein and carbs, low in fat (ideally 30g per day or less). December 13th will go down in history as my last day as a normal human being that ate whatever I pleased. In my new life I will always be aware of my pancreas, what it does, and what I need to do for it. I will continue with softer foods low in fat and eventually add some more solids back in.
GETTING DISCHARGED: The doctors are saying my progress looks good and that it's hopeful I could go home tomorrow night before midnight (Wednesday, Christmas eve). If not, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Thursday but not getting my hopes of either because one thing I've learned around here is that things change fast AND I'm working with so many doctors... one may say one thing and another may think something completely different :) Today my goal is to simulate what things will be like at home, so to use as little hospital assistance as possible. I'm getting up and moving around a lot, going to the bathroom on my own, I got dressed and ready for the day (well, I did need a little help there but I'll always have Tavis at home). Later today they will disconnect me from my IV for a while to see how I do with fluid intake on my own. I'll also go on a walk and include some stairs to see how I manage since I have two flights of stairs at home.
SURGERY: The doctors gave the OK to go ahead and schedule my gallbladder surgery so I will have it removed in two weeks or so. Bummer to have to come back, but happy that I won't have gallstones anymore.
THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING: I appreciate each and every one of your gifts, cards, texts, calls, messages and comments on Facebook. Just because I can't respond to all of them doesn't mean I don't care or that I'm ignoring you! I am overwhelmed by all the love sent my way, and I even took a screenshot on my second day here because I've never had 34 texts that needed responding to before!!
Today momma sent this to me after Linc had gotten up for the day, before a feeding or anything... he just loves the changing table! And he loves Grandma's house!
Here's my first pic post-feeding tube! This morning my mom brought Lincoln up to visit and The Cobbs came as well so that our sons could meet for the first time. Heather is one of my best friends from high school and she had Ben exactly two weeks before I had Lincoln. So here are our 8 & 6 week old boys meeting for the first time! Ben is definitely winning in the big-hair-cute-cheeks department :)
So things are looking good. Prayer is powerful. My God is good to me. It's my personal prayer that my suffering will be used for His plan. Teach me, grow me, use me Lord!
James 1:2-6
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Glad to hear you are doing better Amy! Lincoln is adorable!! I pray you are able to be home for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteYou look good, Amy. And it's fun seeing Heather's pretty smile, too. Praying you get to go home and by with your family and be mommy to that precious little boy.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy (and Tavis AND sweet little Lincoln): I've been following your journey since Jackie told me how ill you were. I am SO glad you are on the mend and able to go home around Christmas. What a gift. Just know that there are tons of people - who hardly know you - that are thinking about you and wishing you well.
ReplyDeletePeggy Anderson