Pooter's surgery updates

[Debbi]

Actually, I believe that Julie's fat graft picture is now the one to beat!  I just wish I'd taken  a picture of mine when it was fresh and scary.  Rats.  So, Pooter - what've you got for us?  Clearly, we have nothing better to do on this birthday of our nation's independence...

Debbi, red, white, black and blue...

[Pooter]

Haha..What if I post pics of my fat graft scar wearing my garage-made picc line equipment?  Would I win??

Debbi - Clearly I don't have much to do at times too!  I'm currently hooked up again for the second time today.  Having the internet has been a saving grace for me.  My 7 year old got an email account (well, mommy got for her) so she could email me so I've been trading email with her while I'm here.  That has helped.

I talked to the doc a bit this morning, and nothing on the culture yet.  Which is good.  Right now, they're going to order a follow-up spinal tap later today or tomorrow and wait for those results before they'll tallk about springing me.  Right now, the leading therory is an allergic reaction to the diamox still.  The level that's up is a type of white blood cell that typically suggests an allergic reaction.  They want to verify it's down now that I've been off it for a bit.  So, it's looking like POSSIBLY tomorrow or sunday release, but it all depends on being able to get a follow-up tap done and results read on a holiday weekend.  Of course the primary infectious disease doctor along with the primary ENT surgeon is on vacation and their back-ups are following up (or supposed to; I still haven't seen the back-up infectious disease doctor but the ENT surgeon's team has come by several times even if nothing really to report).

There's the latest to chew on.  Have a beer (or 3) and a burger/brat for me!  Happy Fourth!

Brian

[leapyrtwins]

Haha..What if I post pics of my fat graft scar wearing my garage-made picc line equipment?  Would I win??

Brian -

IMO if you post a picture like that, you win hands down! 

Of course, I'm only one of the voting public here, so you'll have to wait for input from others 

No beer for me, but I'll drink a Diet Pepsi in your honor.

Keeping my fingers crossed that they spring you either tomorrow or Sunday,

Jan

[lori67]

Brian,

It will be a sacrifice, but I will have that beer for you... sigh... the things I do....   However, I can't do the burger/brat thing - Jan will have to pick up the slack for me a bit on that one.

I will have a 4th of July yogurt for you (I just had a tooth pulled on my "good" side the other day, so I don't have anything to work with as far as solid food at the moment).

Sorry you're stuck in the hospital on a holiday weekend.  Hope there are some fireworks visible out your window tonight.

Lori

[Debbi]

Okay, Brian, my beloved Willie has volunteered to have the beer AND the brats for you - he's a giver, you know...  He says it'll be a huge sacrifice, but he's willing to take one "for the team."   And, that's why I love him!

So, how bad was the spinal tap?  How do you compare it to... let's see... BRAIN surgery??? 

Keeping fingers crossed that you get sprung soon!

Debbi

[leapyrtwins]

Debbi -

that Willie's certainly a trooper!   

Brian -

I was going to ask how the spinal tap was also, but I wasn't sure you'd be ready to "talk" about your experience just yet.

I had a bone marrow aspiration about 14 years ago and if it was a choice between that and brain surgery again, I'd pick the brain surgery in a heartbeat.  The bone marrow aspiration involved no anesthesia and I found myself cussing like a truck driver.  I used words I didn't even realize I knew    If the doc would have just drugged me I imagine it would have been a piece of cake, but that wasn't an option.

Well, enough about me    Hope they numbed you up for the tap.

Jan

[Pooter]

Thanks for the sacrifice!  I just watched fireworks outside my room window alone, so I turned out the lights and just enjoyed them.  Lori and Willie, certainly givers.  Heh.

The tap actually wasn't too bad.  Not having my meds all day that I was accustomed to and being cold and generally not feeling good was worse than the tap itself.  The "numbing" shot they give of lidocaine at first hurt more than the tap itself and that lasted for all of 5 seconds or so.  The tap itself was nothing.  I felt nothing.  What stunk more than anything was not having my meds and told I had to lay flat in the hospital for 2 hours before they'd let me go home and then told I had to lay flat for another 10 hours after getting home which by my count was about 2am.  I slept off and on not feeling well for almost 20.  That was far worse than the tap any day.

To update everyone, I should go home TOMORROW!!  I talked to the infectious disease doc a bit earlier and she said it looked like to her that I had an allergic reaction to the diamox based on what she saw (report from the tap) and what she didn't see (the growth on the culture never did grow).  So, rather than have me wait in here until Monday to have another tap, they took me off the IV antibiotics and as long as I feel ok tomorrow I should be cleared to go home..  YEA!  The one stipulation, of course, is that I let them know if I feel bad again.  No problem there cuz I felt like I'd been hit by a Beetle or something (not quiite the mack truck that surgery was, but it was pretty bad).  So, I should get sprung outta here tomorrow!! 

I then need to contact my doctor for a replacement for the diamox to reduce the swelling since it's somewhat back up now that I'm off the med.  The steroid is somewhat taking its place for now, but they won't let me take that stuff home with me.  Small price.

Jenni came up for a few hours and we had dinner together. It was cool!  Followed by a co-worker and his wife (that also works there) came up for a bit.  Both were cool because aside from Jenni, the kids and a visitor from Church, I have had no visitors.

Anyhow, that's the latest.. Update more when I have it.

Brian - antibiotic-less and ready to GO!! 

[Kaybo]

Brian~
Great to hear that you might get to go home.  Are you in Methodist?  My cultures (3) never grew anything either...but they still kept me on the meds - go figure - Dave & I think the Dr. was just punishing me and wanting to show that he had POWER!  He was the jerk one!!
Hope everything continues to go well!

K

[Pooter]

Kaybo - The good news is that my ENT doesn't want me to stay anymore than needed.  So, the orders have gone in that as long as I don't run a fever or have an issue then I'm sprung today at 3.  My cultures never grew anything, which told them (in conjunction with the tap results) that it wasn't a bug.  Nothing grew in 3-4 days, btw.  Yes, I'm in Methodst (Jones 10th floor ring a bell?).

Thanks!  Hopefully things go well and I can get sprung today!  WOO WOO! 

Brian

[Pooter]

Geez, I feel like such a bad wife making you watch fireworks alone. So hard to be a Mom and a wife at the same time... *sigh* Sorry Brian. Hopefully, you will be at home with me tonight. I miss you being here.
Love,
Jenni

[leapyrtwins]

Brian -

good to hear the tap wasn't bad.  I was fearful - and I wasn't even me getting the tap 

Glad to hear you are on the verge of being sprung and will be going back home.  Yea! 

Jenni -

don't stress about the fireworks.  It is hard being both a wife and a mother, you can't be in two places at once, nor can you do everything.  I'm no longer a wife, but just being a mother still brings these same challenges.  Don't beat yourself up.

Jan

[Kaybo]

Brian~
YES!  Jones 10th...wow!  Have you encounter a nurse there named Velma?  I don't know if she is still working...she was our saving grace - the only one we could understand & really took time to answer our questions!  She was no "Spring Chic" when I was there, though.  i would always go try to find her when I went back for appointments, but she usually worked the afternoon/late evening shift and my appointments were in the mornings.  Hope your breakaway happens SOON!!

Jenni~
You do the best you can and go on -- if you dwell on things you can't change, you'll go crazy!

K

[lori67]

Aw, Brian, if I were closer, I'd come visit!

And Jenni - you're so sweet!  You know what, Brian probably would have been stressed out if you weren't taking care of the kids - so I'm sure he has no problem with you being a Mommy first!  And really, watching fireworks by yourself probably isn't all that bad.  Just think how much you'll appreciate watching all together next year!

Now, Brian - get outta that bed, get dressed and go HOME! 
Lori

[Debbi]

Yes, Brian, get outta there!  Jenni and the kids miss you and want you to come home now. 

Hope your bags are packed and you are poised to make your getaway in a couple of hours.  Willie said he'd force himself to have a beer to celebrate your return to the outside world - it'll be tough, but he IS  a giver, you know...

Don't overdo things this weekend - especially if they are still concerned about swelling.  Keeping fingers and toes crossed that it's all smooth sailing from here.

Debbi

[Pooter]

Aww.. Jenni!  I didn't make ya feel bad!  The fireworks were cool, though, wish you were here too!  I know you had the kids to deal with!

IV out and I'm ready to go!  It won't take long to get my stuff together.  No fever or other issues, so they're letting me out as soon as Jenni gets here!  WOO WOO!  I'll be sprung soon enough! 

If Willie wants more beer and brat, have at it but save me some too!  I'll be home for it soon!  Perhaps one day we'll share some in person!  Isn't Jim buying at the symposium this next time?  Or is it someone else's turn? 

I'm still gonna take it easy for a few days, but hopefully I'll continue my recovery where it left off a few a weeks ago..  We'll see how that goes.

Peace all!

Brian