Well, sorry for the delay in updates but sometimes that's how it goes. Here's a summary of what has transpired
2/13/08 - test revealed a small leak still - CRAP...I assumed this means no surgery so I call my wife, sister and a few others to tell them the bad news. I am supposed to meet with my surgeon at 12:20pm but am thinking why stay in Houston if there was still a leak in my colon? Well, I get a call from the nurse saying Dr. Feig still wants to see me and there is an outside chance I could still have surgery. I go to the appointment and the first thing he says when he walks in is "let's do this". I can't believe what I am hearing. In my vast medical knowledge I presumed if there was still a leak then I couldn't have surgery...WRONG on my part. The Dr. said the leak was very small and contained. He let me know that he had done several surgeries with larger leaks than mine. All systems go for Friday. Kevin Wills comes to my hotel later that evening to take me out for something to eat. I enjoy a couple of cold beers with dinner celebrating my upcoming surgery.
2/14/08 - Ben, my younger brother, invited us down to his place for dinner. We picked Nicole up at the airport and spend the evening with Ben, Deanna his wife, and their 5 week old daughter - Charlotte, what a cutie!
2/15/08 - check in at 5:30am, UGH!.....they get the IV in and review what I am having done....surgery goes as planned and Dr. Feig reverses the ileostomy and removes my port. I am in post op recovery for an extended amount of time because they have no rooms available yet. I spend 7+ hours waiting for a room and finally at 5:something I go up to floor 3. I am only able to drink water for Friday.
2/16/08 - They move me to floor 4. Saturday my bowels start to wake up and I get to have broth and other liquids like Jell-O and applesauce...mmmmm.
2/17/08 - Sunday was monumental as I had full flow through my colon. That allowed me to have real food for breakfast - ham & egg omelet with pepper jack cheese, biscuit w/gravy. The Dr's assistant came and saw me later that AM and let me know they were going to discharge me on Monday morning by 11am. Kevin Wills and his wife came and visited me and brought food to my wife at the hotelwhere she was staying. Kevin has been a great friend throughout this time and I really appreciate all he has done for me.
2/18/08 - Monday all was going well. Dr. Feig came by and said he was letting me go and wanted to see me Wednesday so he could close the hole in my abdomen. I'm getting around the room pretty well gathering up items when Nicole arrives. I tell her I'm getting out today and we pack up my stuff. Well....then I go to the bathroom and come out with uncontrollable shakes. I'M FREEZING COLD....shivering like its minus 20. The nurse comes and puts warm blankets on me and takes my vitals, which are normal. After a couple of hours all was well and they let me go.
2/19/08 - went to lunch with Ben, my younger brother who lives just outside of Houston in Seabrook, TX. With him was his wife and 5 week old daughter, Charlotte. After lunch we go back to the hotel and rest.
2/20/08 - Dr. Feig closes the hole in my abdomen during my office visit. You may ask, why is he closing the hole now? Well, he removed the 'pouch' and left the hole open to allow the wound to irrigate which lowers the odds of infection. This was semi-painful but a Vicodin did help take the edge off. He closed the hole with stitches that he put in place during surgery on Friday. He simply pinched the flesh together and pulled the ends like a shoe lace. We left MD Anderson and got to the airport by 1:45pm. Our flight was supposed to leave at 4:30 but was delayed until 6:50pm. We finally got back to KC and home to Carter, who we missed dearly. It's very hard to be away from him for such a long time.
2/21/08 - down in the basement trying to catch up on work....gotta pay the mortgage
Unity is Strength, Knowledge is Power, Attitude is Everything,
LIVESTRONG
-jupe
