Back to the ER we went- with the same DR. on shift. I knew they were going to admit me this time- because my Dr. had said so- but he insisted on a CT scan and said my white blood count was like 30,000- I guess this is bad. I just wanted meds- to stop throwing up- I mean really when you have three emission basins going at the same time- there is a problem right?
Got the CT scan and he said there was a small bowl obstruction- he would call a surgeon and admit me. Off I went to my new room. It was about 10:30 p.m. by now. Jen went home to get the kids settled in, and take Taya to her parents. The next thing I know the surgeon is in my room. He can't believe that I am functioning- hello I have been doing this for almost 6 years now remember? He says he has no clue what to do with me but he really wants to open me up and take a look- that is "fun" to him. This scares the pants off me. We live in a small town, not a big hospital, this guy is new in town, and my nurse friend has told me not to let him touch me, and he thinks it will be "fun" to cut me open. He says that he wants to talk to some more experienced surgeons tomorrow to figure out what to do with me and that he will make me comfortable through the night. Great- we have a plan.
A few hours goes by and the meds wear off.... OK I am in a hospital, it should be easy to get meds right? Nope- the new surgeon, who is not my Dr. of record, is in charge and he has decided that I have had enough nausea medication for the night. It is midnight and I am puking bile about every 30 seconds- I am not exaggerating- he says I can have Benadryl and more nausea meds at 6 a.m. Do you know how many times I can throw up between midnight and 6 am? MILLIONS! and Benadryl? Really? Isn't that for allergies? I, needless to say have a horrific night. Thinking about it now, with a clear head, I should have discharged myself and go to a bigger hospital, but I was so sick I hated to move.
The next morning, Mr. Surgery is in my room, waiting for calls back from other Dr.'s. He gives me some meds- so I am OK for a few hours. He is fine to give me pains meds every hour- that I don't want- but nothing for nausea. he did offer to have the nurse put an NG tube in my nose to drain the bile, but she told me she had never done one and was not for sure how far to insert it- so Jen told her no way! I talk to Mr. Surgery about a stomach Dr. that I had gone to before that was supposed to be really good, although he also was not very sympathetic about my throwing up a few years ago.
Finally, he comes back to my room at noon. He has talked with three surgeons about me, including the one I gave him the name of in Greeley, all of them want to see me. I have a bad taste in my mouth for the surgeon in Greeley, because he used to be a real Righteous surgeon, knew he was really good, and like I said, not very helpful when I went to go see him, but Mr. Surgery tells me to consider giving him a second chance, I say a prayer, and decide to follow that path. Once I give the go ahead things get rolling. I am taken by ambulance to Greeley- about an hour drive. Mr. Surgery will not give me any more meds- so I blessed the back of the ambulance with my puke most of the way! (As a side note, the ambulance was a Suburban converted, so the top of the car was inches from my face, I now know what it is like to ride in a hearse).
I am told I will go to a room in Greeley and see Dr. Asshole in the morning. It is about 6 pm when I arrive, so I expect another bad night. We get out of the ambulance and things are moving quick. They take me right to the surgery area- not to my room. They are pushing and pulling, and having me sign things, and I guess I am going right into surgery. Dr. Asshole comes in, tells me I should have taken care of this years ago? Hello, I did come see you remember? He looks at my CT scan and tells me he will stick a camera in my belly and see what is going on. They say 10 mins until surgery- they have called in a team of 12 people, and my only thought is 10 more minutes until I am out of pain- bring on the gas mask!
They wheeled me into the OR, after a pregnancy test of course-lol, and I tell them I am gonna puke- they say it is nerves- I tell them nope- they have nothing for me to puke into- so they hand me a blue towel as I begin to lose my cookies- if you have ever thrown up in a towel it is pretty gross. Next thing I know a tube is going down my nose- I hear the nurse say something about Dr. Asshole asking for that after I was asleep, but the Anesthesiologist says nope, I am getting it now. I hear later that they got 1800 cc's of bile from my stomach with that first tube- I told everyone I was nauseated! Finally I get the gas mask- I have never taken such deep breaths to take me out of this pain!
A few hours later, I am out of surgery- I have pain, but it is a different kind of pain, a familiar pain that I know is OK- a pain that will heal. I find out what was going on. I had a hole in my stomach- so contents were just leaking into my body. I had an 8 inch bowel obstruction that they cleared, and a hernia. My bowel had someone slipped through the hole in my stomach and pinched off like a balloon- so waste was just baking up. Dr. Asshole was able to fix it all. I sleep well, for the first time in days.
I see Dr. Asshole the next day, he is actually a little nicer. I guess he pulled my chart and saw that maybe he dropped the ball on me a few years ago. He does not come out and say it- but he shows it. He shakes my hand and says he feels like he has fixed my problem of the last few years- PRAISE GOD! I spend 5 days in the hospital- I have a huge 10 inch incision in my stomach and a million staples- but I will take it if it solves my health problems.
I got out of the hospital today. I am feeling better and getting stronger everyday. Please God, let this be a new beginning for me.
