Okay I'm back, I will now try to relate my complication story. My hubby would be better to do this, but for some reason I don't think I would get him to post.
Like I said, my initial surgery was on 01-14-02. Everything seemed to go as planned. The next day, I had a leak test. Well to my complete and utter dismay I had a leak.
One of the questions while talking to the doc before surgery was how many leaks have you had. One.........so I was his second. How many blood clots 2, thank goodness I didn't have any of those. The biggie, how many deaths, none........I tried very, very hard to be his first.
The second evening they went back in to repair the leak. Hubby and I were told it would be a 20 minute procedure. I was taken in around 7PM, at midnight my hubby said the panic was really setting in for him.
Finally a little after that time they came out and told my hubby everytime they stitched up the leak I would spring another. At this point all leaks were repaired.
Next day, back for my second leak test. Thank goodness, this one I passed.
Surgery Monday, Friday I went home.
I came home, followed all instructions. Everything was going well, or so we thought.
On January 29th, Jiff had her surgery. Her sister peachie called me to tell me that Jiff was doing well. peachie and I had neglected to tell Jiff, by design, that I had the leak. We didn't want her to worry.
Around 5PM on the 29th I went to get up from the couch. I had a severe stabbing pain in my left back area, it was so bad it took my breath away. Instead of going away it was constant. Finally within a few minutes we had called the doctor and he said to come to the hospital. We debated about calling or not calling an ambulance, that's how horrible it was. Finally we just piled into my van and drove to the hospital, it was a horrific trip.
Finally after getting into the emergency room and they saw how horrible I was they took me ahead of other's, thank goodness.
I can remember them getting a doctor to me right away. Finally after what seemed like hours they gave me pain meds, which did nothing! They did x-rays, more pain meds...........changed pain meds and still nothing was killing the pain or even touching it.
The next thing I know, its the next day. I'm on a morphin pump, the only thing that is even touching the pain. I'm in a room, my husband gets worried about me, I was so out of it. Finally I come to and all these people are in the room, watching me, it seems somehow I had to much morphine......they gave me a shot of something that immediatly counteracts the morphine (Jiff can explain this I'm sure) I was feeling no pain, they lower the morphine which puts me back in pain.
The next thing I remember it's Valantines Day and my hubby is telling me happy Valentine's Day. I'm sure I had some moments where I was awake but I can't remember.
My hubby has told me, they did a third surgery, found no leaks. I guess what was causing all the pain was, the initial leak had caused an infection pocket to form on or around my lung.
They finally inserted two chest tubes to drain the fluid. After the third surgery I was having trouble breathing, I was put on a ventilator. I was in ICU for 6 1/2 weeks and all but 11 of those days I was on the vent.
I had pnemonia, fevers of 105, heart problems (never had any before) blood tranfusions and other things.
After 6 1/2 weeks I was transfered to a rehab hospital where I had to regain my strength and learn to walk again, my legs had gone to mush while in ICU.
I also had a trach, which was used to wean me off the ventilator. The first words out of peachie's mouth when we met for the first time was, "look what they did to you." She was talking about the trach scar.
Oh, and to top it all off...........on March 15th when they moved me to the rehab hospital I had gained 20 pounds!!! they had me on high calorie tube feedings. I was so upset, I couldn't believe I had gone through all that only to gain weight. But, all is well, I have lost 111 pounds since March.
I know there is more, but I can't remember all of it. My husband tells me bits and pieces at a time. He did tell me he thought more than once he was going to lose me.
In lots of ways this was much harder on my family than on me. I don't remember it, my family remembers it all.
If you have any questions I will be glad to answer them.
I hope this all makes sense, at times I just type what is in my head and it makes no sense to anyone but me.
Debbie