Wednesday evening, June 24, after TWO Long Days!

Well, after so many responses to my previous positive entry I must now tell of some not so positive intervening hours leading to what I hope is now again some positive progress.

Soon after that previous post on Monday evening I developed an agonizing pain caused by swollen stomach and bowel and that pressure on the incision. (Dr. Farnell pointed out that it is still an incision and not a scar, and that it is more like 18-20 inches long.) As I had been taken off of self-administered pain medication, as well as IV fluids, no directive or pain medication was available to the night nursing staff. It wasn't until 6:30 a.m. yesterday that any relief was forthcoming. The doctors saw me mid-morning and Dr. Farnell determined I needed to be re-attached to IV, catheter, and other IV port administered medicines such as antibiotics (precautionary) and pain relief injections. Having a catheter installed when one is under general anesthetic, and when one is not, are two very different experiences! Ugh!

I had several visitors yesterday, but some were unable to come into the room because I was either screaming in pain or sleeping. I thank them for their trouble anyway. Norma Refsal was able to stay a little over an hour and a half, though. Being a nurse herself, she took over arranging the untidy room, getting the nursing staff attentive to my needs, etc. Just what I needed. Later in the afternoon H. George and Chris Anderson were able to come to my bedside and share a prayer with me. Just what I needed, also. Darla has been very attentive and came to stay a while after the successful surgery performed earlier yesterday on her son Erik.

Last night was not as horrible as Monday, but close. This morning I had a CT scan, returned to my room, regurgitated a good amount of bile, felt better, took my first shower since Friday morning at 5 a.m., and felt even better. Had several visitors, including Julie Jensen who had tried yesterday, Norma again (thanks again) and Peter Liermann and Jessica Paul. While Darla was visiting late in the afternoon, Dr. Maricevich came by to tell me that the CT scan had revealed no leaking in any of the internal organ sutures, but that the distension and bloating of the stomach and bowel were in need of relief. She proceeded to tell me briefly about inserting an NG tube, which is a plastic tube that goes into the nostril and down the back of the throat into the stomach. Sounds fun, right? It was even more uncomfortable than the catheterization had been. However, it immediately began to suck out all manner of air, fluid, and unspeakably horrid looking stuff. Dr. Maricevich said that that was what was causing my bowel not to function efficiently. It is hoped that tomorrow that second issue will be addressed so that I may get on to the necessary next step of digestion.

Sorry if my graphic descriptions are too much for some of you, but they help me to keep a record of what is happening in this process. Right now I'm feeling much better, even though there is a plastic hose hanging out of my nose and irritating the back of my throat. Everything is relative, I guess.