Hey all - could use some prayers. Michael is in much pain. Due for more tests in the a.m. I think we've had 4 shakers now since dinner....and I'm starting to figure out how I'd drive us out of the messy roads to the ER if needed....and not wanting to leave the kids on a "busy shaking" night. If you know what I mean. LOL Pray for rest...rest...rest. and HEALTH - no pain.
Arielle posted for me when I called her from the clinic on Thursday a.m. :
mom wants me to let you know dad will be having surgery as soon as possible in Misawa prayer would be appreciated mom left her cell phone at home but can be reached on dad cell phone
First ultrasound looked like cancer. Did you know gall bladder cancer is a seed cancer and very aggressive? CAT Scan gave docs and radiologist confidence it was most likely a gangrenous gall bladder.
Gangrenous gall bladder, will blog later...at hospital, stabilizing so surgery is safer, hopefully tomorrow...prayers still needed...EKG going on now and massive antibiotics and morphine. Jared at work, Arielle watching kids, me driving back and forth ::grin:: think that worried Mike more than anything.
More morphine...should have a happy husband soon.
Morphine not working so trying a PCA, antibiotic started, fever rising, new labs, vitals stable...surgeon is PWOC gal. Talked more and she is praying about best course of action, I told her we trust her and are praying for her too. Bit of concern at what they will find so trying to let the gall bladder settle down.
Mike has fancy massaging socks now...shot in the stomach....my word...glad to be in the recliner and not the bed
Mike has 2 Ivs now, I ran to Bx for toothbrush and iPad charger and am camping out here with my boyfriend....what some folks will do for couple time.
So many photo ops and I forgot my camera.
This evening the Dr talked to me and let me know she was going to start with a lap - though the gall bladder was 10 mm and hard....if she saw cancer she was closing him up. I asked why not take the thing OUT if it were cancer and she let me know it would be Stage 4 and seed cancer. Anything she touched after touching the gall bladder would become cancer. She said OR it could be simple gall bladder removal.
Jared brought the camera and I snapped one of he and Michael. This seemed just after all the labor/deliver photos. He said he was discreet and I was too. ::snort::
No surgery for Mike yet, maybe in 4-7 hours. Pain control at 6-7, WAY better than before. Mike just roused and said , "By this point I'm usually saying Puuush" to which I replied thus the camera arriving this a.m. Blood pressure dipping a bit. I asked Abba for a small window of solitude and I find myself sitting silently watching over my guy...about as solitary a feeling as one gets..though I'm not getting the speaking prep done which I envisioned in the solitude. I am resting in the secret place.
Yikes...new techs learning lab and IV procedures...and Michael? Always the chaplain....how long have you been here, where's home, what do you like best about your job, Misawa, how have you adjusted to Misawa, have you found a support system....love this man
Emmanuel, you are here and I choose to dance with you this day.
Dr in. Liver enzymes up to over 600...blood pressure is low, low, low, fever....think a duct is clogged and they can't handle that. More tests and possibly heading to Hach to a Japanese hospital, will known if we are staying or going after next test. Talk of doing surgery in Hach or maybe just procedure to clear duct then surgery here? Don't be alarmed if I don't update...they may not have wifi in Hach and things are moving fast. When we leave his room we don't have wifi here either. Hach has ICU. Pray for doc to have peace or know its time to go to a local hospital.
Were told in Japanese hospitals you have to buy your gowns etc from a vending machine. I'm not sure about this - will have to check it out.
Heading to radiology
Dr and radiologist are good to do surgery here...prepping...pray for Flora to have steady hands and make clear decisions (her prayer), she says it may take longer than 2 hours...update when he is out..will be good to have this behind us. Duct is not clogged.
Mike has been in surgery for 2.5 hours, this is good news.
At the 2.5 hour mark Flora sent a message to me, "I tried lap but am going to open him up. " This was a GREAT message to get and I posted what I did so the kids who knew what might be found would know it was NOT cancerous. I knew she wouldn't have opened him if she'd seen cancer.
6 hours, back in room...no cancer, no other organs compromised....big scar, drains, ng tube, foley....getting him set. I am staying put until he is coherent ...said he was not quite septic. All good, he was talking about the UCI in recovery.
Ah, he woke up, looked around until he found my eyes and said, "Are you staying tonight?" then, "Good." Yep, right choice to stay until he isn't doped up. Peace of mind for both of us.
Jared Goecker if you see this will you call me b4 you come to base? It looks like I may stay the day here and I'm either going to HAVE to go buy more clothes at the BX or have you bring a few things in. New tote in living room....
Oxygen tube removed...woot progress.
Have been trying for quite some time to draw more blood and couldn't had to laugh as they finally got it and the nurse exclaimed, "Thank you, Lord". Lots of folks real comfortable with prayer in this room. Grin
Blessed beyond measure by this base and parish. Kids have meals, I have socks and warm fuzzy blanket and Mike smiled when the nurse brought in Gatorade which he will be able to have when they remove the NG tube.
11:30 pm here...I am staying another night with Mike in the hospital. All is all looking much better than yesterday....but tubes out, tubes back in....just praying his body wakes up tomorrow. He DID do a lot of walking today, determined to get well...waiting for the last shot of the night and then will try for a few hours of sleep. Content, praising God.
When God takes you through the refiner's fire, be encouraged because it is His overriding commitment to turn you from a rough, hard-edged stone to a precious metal. He will do this through certain events in your workplace, your relationships, and other circumstances in your life. Our job is to avoid trying to blow out the fire. Easier said then done? From a devo that came to my inbox today.
Today when they had trouble drawing labs, they went and got the UCC tech...when he saw Mike he said, "You look like an ICU patient with all these tubes"...Mike's at radiology now. Hoping to remove various tubes and drains today so Mike feels like he is on the mend. I had hoped to duck out for 0800 but hospital schedules are unpredictable. Snort
Sharing what I posted on PWOC JAPAN today....in a good place..the secret hiding place where Abba dwells.
TnT ps 27:4-6....great hospital verses..the ONE THING I desire to dwell in the house of the Lord, concealed and hidden in the secret place where He dwells..and did you know "shouts of joy" were often war cries. Choosing joy today and believing Mike will begin to make great strides to recovery today.
TnT ps 27:4-6....great hospital verses..the ONE THING I desire to dwell in the house of the Lord, concealed and hidden in the secret place where He dwells..and did you know "shouts of joy" were often war cries. Choosing joy today and believing Mike will begin to make great strides to recovery today.
The sign says NO FOOD...every time I think I may go home; something like this happens.... Snort. 86 hours without food (mike is keeping us all up to date) but hopeful NG will come out today and he can EAT. Promised him a t-bone when he gets home. Grin
88 hours without food...NG clamped and trying lime jello..if he tolerates it that will be one tube he can lose and I will bring the kids visit. jello hasn't been in our home for 6 years snort....Mike is tired of the babar poster. Snort
Not going home today either, possibly tomorrow, we are waiting for labs to settle and body to wake up. He is walking when told too, disliking heparin shots (good as first few days he did not care what was done to him), weaning off morphine pump to Percocet today in hopes of going home. By order of kids and wish of Michael I will stay at hosp until he is released...Arielle told me they are just fine and I should stay. She's a champ! We are starting to process all we've been through this week, amazing how quickly life draws down to the basics. AND they are keeping school going.....
Bad day...prayers appreciated. They took him off all opiates and we're trying to find new pain solutions....working to wake up his body, he's walked, thrown up, has shivers now..much more pain...the talk of sending him home with Chath, stomach drains and this much pain, makes me nervous. As Mike says, we're looking forward to seeing this in the rear view mirror.
Dr talked with me again while Michael was being settled. Talks of going home went away. The new thought was that he had a bowel obstruction and would need either an NG tube reinserted which may help or a second surgery. She considered Hachinohe again. Decided to wait a night.
pray for Mike's spirits and for him to rest...and for pain management. Doc came in and said he looks bad...heading to radiology again...shocked how quickly things keep changing with atypical symptoms...praying against bowel obstruction
proud of you kids at home. Jared, Arielle and also Nolan....good job! Then sounds like Andrew and Stacia are also doing a good job in their special ways. :) love/prayers 2G's T
More than enough grace for anything today will bring....taking every thought captive .. I am NOT naive, this is hard, but God is here. Wondering why my dance has been so chaotic...waiting for a waltz.
Praise God. Avoided a second surgery in Hach. Praying and resting today. He goes up and down so quickly that we are all holding our breath, so thankful he isn't in surgery again.
The good news is we're going home, the bad news is the stomach drain is coming with us. Guess its time to get over squeamishness. I can do this?
Just came in to prep Mike for aero vac..um... HE'S NOT THAT WORRIED ABOUT MY WINTER DRIVING...we convinced them that now, Mike is going home and not being aero vaced to Hawaii.
Home - got him settled. Found out the yogurt is past dated...baked potato didn't sound good when I got it up there...Percocet taken....They taught me the gut drain before we came home and I stripped and drained it...and they laughed at my faces....I've not had to change the dressing yet - maybe after this I'll decide I COULD do the midwife thing....the blood always stops me. LOL I begged for, and received, gloves....Michael was telling me it wouldn't hurt me and I said NURSES where gloves and I don't want to get some dire disease. LOL
Fairly shaky after reading the discharge orders and seeing in black and white the initial diagnosis, "suspect gall bladder cancer"...NOW would be a silly time to fall apart. ::snort:: God has been so good to give us, you know, TIME. So thankful I didn't google Stage 4 cancer.
De'Etta Townsend Goecker
OH MY - worse than the drain - just found sourdough dough and starter that have set for a week - I may have to throw the bowls out too. Gag.....and Christina Stade can I nab another starter from you? I need to bake some english muffins quickly.
I DID IT! I stripped the tubing (had to work on my technique as Mike said he could feel the suction pulling it out), I emptied the guck, read and recorded the amounts, and CHANGED the dressing....and I'm 100% sure I really do not want to be a doctor. I also made balloons out of gloves and decided to make some ice hands for the snowman. Michael told the kids they CANNOT play with any gloves they find in the trash.
Evidently an essential in convalescent care is an UNIVERSAL REMOTE. I'll have to buy one next time I'm on base. ::snort::
Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...
