I just received a phone call from a reporter with our local newspaper. She wants to do a story about us in the Love Stories section of the newspaper. My mom wrote a email to the paper telling about us. The editor considered it a compelling story. And Voila!! We are now going to tell our story to the newspaper. She will be here next Monday to interview us for the story. I am actually excited about it. Rick not so much.
Until next time,
Jaime
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICK!!!!
Happy Birthday to my amazing husband. You deserve to celebrate, especially after everything you have been through the last few weeks. I love you more than I could have imagined being possible. You really are my hero. You amaze me everyday with your ability to fight everything that has been thrown at you. You have been such a wonderful husband, even through all your health struggles. I hope you have a great day!
Happy Birthday!
Love Always and Forever,
Jaime
Happy Birthday!
Love Always and Forever,
Jaime
Friday, March 27, 2009
They're Back
The girls are back home tonight. And I am overwhelmed. They needed to come home, but I am feeling terrible. It was easier without them here. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids. But there is just so much that I am now solely responsible for that I am feeling overwhelmed with adding to the list. How am I ever going to keep up with everything? I just want to cry, well I am crying as a matter of fact. What am I going to do. I just can't do it all. Please God give me the strength to handle everything that I am now responsible for. I am feeling so weak and overwhelmed right now. I need to be strong for everyone. How is that possible?
Labels:
Jaime
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Wallace Benefit
The benefit on tuesday night was such an amazing event. It started at 6 p.m. We arrived and snuck in through the back. At first it was a little embarrassing. But once we got a little more acclimated it was better. It was decorated like Italy. With red, white, and green table cloths and banners. And beautiful flower pots as center pieces.
The first performance was by the University High School Chamber Choir "Lyrico".
My boss was one of the first people that I talked to and he told me that the line was really long. And boy was he not kidding. It stretched WAAAAAYYYYY down the hall, all the way to the doors. I was really surprised by the amount of people that were arriving. Our final guess is that there were around 500 people in attendance. It was truly a great show of community support.
The second group to perform was the Ponderosa Pinetones. Heather is the music teacher at Ponderosa Elementary. So she volunteered her little kiddos to perform. And they were so stinkin cute!!
There were three really long tables full of items being auctioned off. There were over 90 different items to bid on. Things from signed footballs, scrapbook items, jewelry, artwork, basketball hoops, tickets, hotel stays, and even a Wii. It was amazing how many items were donated.
The first performance was by the University High School Chamber Choir "Lyrico".
My boss was one of the first people that I talked to and he told me that the line was really long. And boy was he not kidding. It stretched WAAAAAYYYYY down the hall, all the way to the doors. I was really surprised by the amount of people that were arriving. Our final guess is that there were around 500 people in attendance. It was truly a great show of community support.
The second group to perform was the Ponderosa Pinetones. Heather is the music teacher at Ponderosa Elementary. So she volunteered her little kiddos to perform. And they were so stinkin cute!!
There were three really long tables full of items being auctioned off. There were over 90 different items to bid on. Things from signed footballs, scrapbook items, jewelry, artwork, basketball hoops, tickets, hotel stays, and even a Wii. It was amazing how many items were donated.
Rick's "hockey family" brought an envelope of money that was gathered up after a recent game. It was such an amazing show of support. Rick is very anxious to be able to play hockey again. Mark Rypien plays on Rick's hockey team and he and his girlfriend Danielle came, along with a lot of his other hockey teammates. When Randy gave Rick the money he said that it was Rick's "signing bonus" so now he is only allowed to play on that team. LOL!!
So many family members from both sides of our families came. I was introduced to cousins that I had not met before. We sat at the table with my Dad and his friend Carol.
Here is my Aunt Gloria, Grams, and Great Aunt Ruby. I wish it had been possible to get pictures of everybody but it was so crazy that it was impossible.
Heather gave a sweet talk about Rick. She used the story of Dr. S's exceptional comment to describe Rick. It was very heartfelt and I really appreciated her speaking. I just could not have spoke in front of all those people, so I am so grateful that Heather was able to speak for us.
The spaghetti was delicious. There was salad and bread as well. And a bake sale for dessert. The poor cooks were so overwhelmed that they had to make more and that slowed down serving a little bit. But it was still wonderful. The band kids were the severs. It was a little enjoyable watching them serve everybody.
The third group to perform was the Horizon Middle School Jazz Band. Our friend Brian is their director. They were very good!
So many family members from both sides of our families came. I was introduced to cousins that I had not met before. We sat at the table with my Dad and his friend Carol.
Here is my Aunt Gloria, Grams, and Great Aunt Ruby. I wish it had been possible to get pictures of everybody but it was so crazy that it was impossible.
Heather gave a sweet talk about Rick. She used the story of Dr. S's exceptional comment to describe Rick. It was very heartfelt and I really appreciated her speaking. I just could not have spoke in front of all those people, so I am so grateful that Heather was able to speak for us.
The spaghetti was delicious. There was salad and bread as well. And a bake sale for dessert. The poor cooks were so overwhelmed that they had to make more and that slowed down serving a little bit. But it was still wonderful. The band kids were the severs. It was a little enjoyable watching them serve everybody.
The third group to perform was the Horizon Middle School Jazz Band. Our friend Brian is their director. They were very good!
The commons at U-High was packed with people. It was a bit overwhelming to have all those people there. Rick and I made the rounds and tried to talk with as many people as possible. Of course there was no way to talk to everyone, but we still made the effort. Rick did a very good job of walking around, and I had to force him to sit down a few times. There were people that we went to high school with, a lot of people from Rick's store, lots of teachers from schools in the district. And a lot of families from the SPACE program, which is where the girls go to school. Not to mention the family members and complete strangers. It was fantastic!
The next group to perform was the University High School Winter Drumline. Those kids worked so hard helping with this event. And it was nice to have them perform. It showed everybody what Rick has such a passion for. And they did a very good job.
The most special auction item was the one that Samantha's class made. It is a plate made with the fingerprints of all the kids in Sam's class. Her ladybug is in the middle of the plate. My mom was the highest bidder. She wanted to make sure that Samantha would be able to have the plate.
The most special auction item was the one that Samantha's class made. It is a plate made with the fingerprints of all the kids in Sam's class. Her ladybug is in the middle of the plate. My mom was the highest bidder. She wanted to make sure that Samantha would be able to have the plate.
The final group to perform was The Rick Wallace Benefit Combo. It was a group of performers put together just to play at the benefit. And they were great!!
It was such an outpouring of love. We were very humbled to be the beneficiaries of such an amazing event. I can't even put into words how very grateful we are to Heather for organizing this. She did the majority of the work herself and we are truly lucky to have such a wonderful friend. It warms my heart to see how many people care about Rick. It was extremely successful, more than we even imagined it would be.
Thank you Heather for working so hard to put on such a special event. Thank you to all of the donors of the auction items. Thank you to the SPACE families that helped out; especially Rondielle, Kelly, Sally, Jodie, and Michelle. Thank you to the Band Parents that worked so hard cooking and preparing for this event. Thank you to the Band kids who served. Thank you Sam for helping organize this as well.
And most of all Thank You to everyone that attended! It meant so much to us and we feel such a relief knowing that we can now pay the medical bills.
Until next time,
Jaime and Rick
It was such an outpouring of love. We were very humbled to be the beneficiaries of such an amazing event. I can't even put into words how very grateful we are to Heather for organizing this. She did the majority of the work herself and we are truly lucky to have such a wonderful friend. It warms my heart to see how many people care about Rick. It was extremely successful, more than we even imagined it would be.
Thank you Heather for working so hard to put on such a special event. Thank you to all of the donors of the auction items. Thank you to the SPACE families that helped out; especially Rondielle, Kelly, Sally, Jodie, and Michelle. Thank you to the Band Parents that worked so hard cooking and preparing for this event. Thank you to the Band kids who served. Thank you Sam for helping organize this as well.
And most of all Thank You to everyone that attended! It meant so much to us and we feel such a relief knowing that we can now pay the medical bills.
Until next time,
Jaime and Rick
Labels:
Benefit
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
WOW!!!
It is hard to put into words what just happened tonight. So for now I won't. But I do want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone that attended. We feel so blessed and loved! Rick was able to make it through the entire event. Except that it was too much for him and he got sick on the way home. He really wanted to be there, but that was just too soon after surgery to be out so long. I will post pictures and a play by play tomorrow.
Until next time,
Jaime
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
Benefit
Monday, March 23, 2009
Benefit Excitement!
We are getting excited for the benefit tuesday night. Well, probably more me than Rick. He is a little embarrassed by all the attention. But this is going to be so wonderful. I can't believe all the places that the benefit information has turned up. It is amazing to hear where people have heard about it. There is like 90 items in the auction. AMAZING!!
I am going to have my mom take pictures during the benefit and I will do a post with the highlights. I can't wait to see so many of you there supporting my wonderful husband. This is all about him. Thank you in advance to everyone that is planning on attending. This will be an amazing night!
And FYI, I took down the donation link on my sidebar due to problems with my paypal account. I never intended for this blog to be a place to solicit donations, and I was a little uncomfortable posting the donation link. So I will not be putting it back up. If you want to donate you can contact Heather, her contact info can be found in other posts about the benefit. Just search under benefit in the labels section of the sidebar.
_______________________________________
On a completely different subject. Please pray for baby Stellan. I have been following MckMama on her blog for several months. Baby Stellan had a heart condition in the womb that was miraculously gone when he was born. But it appears to be causing problems and Stellan is extremely sick right now. I am so heartbroken for MckMama and her family. Please could you join me in praying for his healing.
Until next time,
Jaime
I put together a display board to explain Rick's conditions and show pictures of him, and us.
I am going to have my mom take pictures during the benefit and I will do a post with the highlights. I can't wait to see so many of you there supporting my wonderful husband. This is all about him. Thank you in advance to everyone that is planning on attending. This will be an amazing night!And FYI, I took down the donation link on my sidebar due to problems with my paypal account. I never intended for this blog to be a place to solicit donations, and I was a little uncomfortable posting the donation link. So I will not be putting it back up. If you want to donate you can contact Heather, her contact info can be found in other posts about the benefit. Just search under benefit in the labels section of the sidebar.
_______________________________________
On a completely different subject. Please pray for baby Stellan. I have been following MckMama on her blog for several months. Baby Stellan had a heart condition in the womb that was miraculously gone when he was born. But it appears to be causing problems and Stellan is extremely sick right now. I am so heartbroken for MckMama and her family. Please could you join me in praying for his healing.
Until next time,
Jaime
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Exceptional
Exceptional- beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable; well above average; extraordinary.
I have been wanting to write this post but I have had trouble coming up with the best words. I have always thought that Rick was strong, but the surgeon (Dr. S) caught me a little off guard with his words regarding Rick the day after surgery.
Dr. S has a personal experience with crohn's disease. He has crohn's and has been to The Mayo Clinic for treatment of his crohn's. Dr. S said that Rick is exceptional. I, of course, think that myself. But it was so amazing to hear the surgeon talk about my husband that way. He said that a lot of people in Rick's situation would just give up. That they would be living under a bridge somewhere wallowing in self pity. But Rick's ability to fight everything that has happened to him is exceptional. He continues to work very hard to provide for our family. He doesn't complain, he does what needs to be done. He takes his handful of pills every four hours without complaint. He goes through numerous procedures, sometimes with very painful side effects (remember pancreatitis?!?!). And I never hear him complain. He endures major surgery that will be life changing and doesn't even fret about it. I really do agree with Dr. S, Rick is exceptional.
Dr. S went on to talk about how our daughters are very lucky to have Rick as their role model. They have someone to look up to that works hard no matter what. That doesn't give up. Of course they are too young to understand this now, but they see it everyday and it will rub off on them. In time they will understand and appreciate their Daddy even more. It was very touching to hear those words spoken about my husband.
How amazing is it to have a surgeon that thinks so highly of his patient. Dr. S said that the main reason he agreed to do the surgery was because he knew how hard Rick would work on his physical therapy. He knew Rick would follow the rules and do exactly what needs to be done. And the physical therapist that worked with him at the hospital agreed. He called Rick a model patient. I am just so proud of him.
I do think that being exceptional also makes him bored. He isn't used to just taking it easy and doing nothing so he is very bored. I have to remind him that taking it easy and resting is how the body heals. He knows, and he has been following the rules. But nevertheless, he is bored.
I am so lucky to have Rick in my life. Of course this isn't what I had imagined our life to be, but I wouldn't change a thing because I don't think we would have ever been this close otherwise. We have a very special bond that is formed from fighting this together. Not separately, but together.
Until next time,
Jaime
I have been wanting to write this post but I have had trouble coming up with the best words. I have always thought that Rick was strong, but the surgeon (Dr. S) caught me a little off guard with his words regarding Rick the day after surgery.
Dr. S has a personal experience with crohn's disease. He has crohn's and has been to The Mayo Clinic for treatment of his crohn's. Dr. S said that Rick is exceptional. I, of course, think that myself. But it was so amazing to hear the surgeon talk about my husband that way. He said that a lot of people in Rick's situation would just give up. That they would be living under a bridge somewhere wallowing in self pity. But Rick's ability to fight everything that has happened to him is exceptional. He continues to work very hard to provide for our family. He doesn't complain, he does what needs to be done. He takes his handful of pills every four hours without complaint. He goes through numerous procedures, sometimes with very painful side effects (remember pancreatitis?!?!). And I never hear him complain. He endures major surgery that will be life changing and doesn't even fret about it. I really do agree with Dr. S, Rick is exceptional.
Dr. S went on to talk about how our daughters are very lucky to have Rick as their role model. They have someone to look up to that works hard no matter what. That doesn't give up. Of course they are too young to understand this now, but they see it everyday and it will rub off on them. In time they will understand and appreciate their Daddy even more. It was very touching to hear those words spoken about my husband.
How amazing is it to have a surgeon that thinks so highly of his patient. Dr. S said that the main reason he agreed to do the surgery was because he knew how hard Rick would work on his physical therapy. He knew Rick would follow the rules and do exactly what needs to be done. And the physical therapist that worked with him at the hospital agreed. He called Rick a model patient. I am just so proud of him.
I do think that being exceptional also makes him bored. He isn't used to just taking it easy and doing nothing so he is very bored. I have to remind him that taking it easy and resting is how the body heals. He knows, and he has been following the rules. But nevertheless, he is bored.
I am so lucky to have Rick in my life. Of course this isn't what I had imagined our life to be, but I wouldn't change a thing because I don't think we would have ever been this close otherwise. We have a very special bond that is formed from fighting this together. Not separately, but together.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
Back Pain,
Coping,
Crohn's Disease,
Health,
Rick,
Spinal Fusion,
Spondyloarthropathy
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Wallace Benefit Letter
I wanted to post the letter that our wonderful friend Heather wrote to help get donations for the benefit dinner and auction. It is coming up on March 24th. We are very excited for this event. And very hopeful that it will be successful as we have recently been racking up the medical bills. As I think I mentioned before this was not our idea. Heather came up with the idea and she has been tirelessly planning for a few months. She is amazing and there is no way to thank her for what she has done.
To Whom It May Concern:
We are writing on behalf of our friend and colleague Rick Wallace and his family, asking for any assistance that you might be able to provide. Rick has been diagnosed with several serious diseases in the last few years that have greatly affected his family both emotionally and financially. The Wallace family is one of the most generous and kind-hearted families known to the many people around them, and are certainly deserving of our support, as they have done so much for our community.
Rick is an area educator for the University High School percussion students and is highly involved in many of the music programs’ ensembles. Rick dedicates his time to further the education of these students and provides instruction for them, many times for no monetary compensation and has for many years. Simply put, Rick does this for the love he has for music, education and, most of all, his students.
Currently, Rick is suffering greatly because of serious medical problems including Crohn’s disease, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, Spondyloarthropathy, and Gilbert’s Syndrome. As anyone might imagine, this has taken a serious toll on both him and his family. Because of the immense medical bills they have in addition to yearly trips to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. for Rick’s treatment, they are struggling to meet their financial responsibilities.
On March 24, 2009, a benefit will be held for Rick Wallace. This benefit will help support the Wallace family through difficult times. The money raised will go to the family’s medical bills and daily expenses. At the benefit, students of University High School, parents of students, and staff will be providing a spaghetti dinner and entertainment as well as a silent auction for those present. If you could, we ask for your assistance in contributing to this event either in the form of money or through a donated item that could be auctioned off.
If you are willing to donate to this cause, please contact Heather Brown at hbrown@cvsd.org or simply send your donation to:
Ponderosa Elementary
Heather Brown
10105 E Cimmarron
Spokane Valley WA
99201
Thank you in advance for your support and concern.
Sincerely,
Heather Brown
What a heartfelt letter, don't you think? And apparently it has worked some magic and she has gotten some amazing donations for the silent auction. The picture is of the poster that is plastered all over the area. It is a little weird to walk into the grocery store and that poster staring at me. I tried to post the original version of the poster on the blog but I am not smart enough to figure out how, so I gave up and took a picture of it. This event is the reason for the poll on the sidebar. I thought that maybe there would be some readers that might be interested in donating but don't live around here. The voting ends tomorrow. So if you have an opinion on having a donation link please vote. I cannot see who voted, so don't be shy.
We are looking forward to a fun night. Thank you in advance to anyone that is planning on attending. It sounds like there is going to be some fantastic auction items. And some fun musical performances as well.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
Benefit
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The "Absolutely's" Have It
You readers are crazy, twisted individuals aren't you?!?! The "absolutely's" won in a landslide. So if you are the one person that voted "No Way Jose" please don't look. I promise it really isn't that bad though. The stitches are buried under the skin and the top is held together with glue. You can see the bruising around the site as well. The doctor said it would have been easier if Rick had any fat on his belly. Since it is all muscle it was harder to move everything out of the way because muscle is much tougher than fat. Obviously.
The first picture is Rick wearing his corset. He has to wear this all the time unless he is laying flat in bed. Looks comfy doesn't it?
I actually wanted to post a picture of the scar anyway, but decided that maybe you wouldn't want to see it. But since you seem to be interested in seeing it here you go:
The first picture is Rick wearing his corset. He has to wear this all the time unless he is laying flat in bed. Looks comfy doesn't it?
I actually wanted to post a picture of the scar anyway, but decided that maybe you wouldn't want to see it. But since you seem to be interested in seeing it here you go:What do you think?!?! Since 9 of you voted to see it I hope that at least 9 of you comment. That would be fantastic. I think Rick deserves some love for allowing you all to see his scar.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
Rick,
Spinal Fusion
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
ALIF Part 3
Rick had to lay in bed, flat on his back for the entire first day. The head of the bed was barely elevated. He couldn't get up or move. He had a big bag of ice on his belly to help with incision pain and swelling. He was hooked back up to the same type of pain pump that he had during the other hospital stay for pancreatitis. By now we are veteran hospital guests. When the nurse asked if he knew how to use a pain pump this time he was able to say yes. Ughh.
I sat by his bed all day and just rubbed his head and shoulder. Rick would tilt his head and kiss my hand. I really appreciated that small gesture. It made me realize that he enjoyed me being by his side. It was really hard for me to see him like that. Yeah we had just been through a traumatizing experience in the hospital a week earlier, but this was different. The thought that he no longer had a normal spine; that he had a major surgery on his spine was nerve wracking. I started to worry about the future. How will he heal? Will this affect his hockey or work? What if he gets hurt? A lot of stuff ran through my head that first day.
Rick was pretty groggy most of the day. He had a few visitors but for the most part he was pretty quiet. He was only allowed ice chips all day, so I dutifully fed him his ice chips in between naps. It was a fairly quiet day for him. Since he wasn't able to get up or move the only thing he had to do was keep up on his pain pump.
Of course I found myself a recliner and slept right next to him again. It felt normal this time around. Like it was old hat. It wasn't as comfortable as the recliner at the other hospital though. I never thought I would miss that recliner, but I did.
The next morning the physical therapist was in first thing. He helped Rick "log roll" so that he could get his corset on. (Rick has a special corset that he has to wear for the next couple months. it helps to keep his back stable and prevents him from accidentally bending or twisting.) Then he was taught how to get up out of bed by log rolling. The therapist had him walk a couple feet in the room. And then he had him sit up in a chair for as long as he was comfortable. Which ended up being only about 45 minutes. Rick then learned how to get back into bed, and took a nap. Later he got up again and we took a short walk down the hallway with the help of a walker. I really wish I had taken a picture of that but I was focused on helping him at the time.
Later in the afternoon an occupational therapist came and showed Rick how to do normal everyday things. Like get on and off the toilet, get in and out of the shower, put on socks. All of the things that he normally does has to be relearned. These activities have to been done without any bending or twisting. You would be surprised how many things have to be done completely different.
We thought that he would be going home on thursday but wednesday evening was not so good and so on thursday morning when the surgeon came in he decided that it would be best to have one more day. There was no reason to rush home. It would be better to have one more day to rest in the hospital with the nurses there to take care of him. So that is what we did. Besides, that gave him some extra time to walk and the physical therapist came in one more time on friday before we left. He helped remind Rick how to do things and give him a big pep talk about how he was a model patient. Rick followed all the rules and did everything how he was told to do them.
Once we were given the discharge instructions on friday afternoon we were outta there. It was nice to get home. However it is harder to be at home. There isn't room service to bring us food whenever we want. Yes there was room service at the hospital, even for me. We have been sleeping together on the recliner loveseat in the living room. That is the most comfortable place for Rick to sleep and I want to be with him. It really isn't bad. Our new loveseat is really comfortable. Thanks to my mom, my dad, my grandma, and Rick's parents for buying him the recliner loveseat.
So that is Rick's journey through spinal fusion surgery in a gazillion words or less. Since it appears that you all are crazy readers and want to see the scar I will be posting that tomorrow. I promise! And I have one other story from the hospital that deserves it owns separate post.
We want to thank everyone for praying and supporting us. This has been a crazy few weeks. Much more has happened than we could have ever imagined. And we really get energy from reading comments and knowing that there are so many people that care about Rick.
Until next time,
Jaime
I sat by his bed all day and just rubbed his head and shoulder. Rick would tilt his head and kiss my hand. I really appreciated that small gesture. It made me realize that he enjoyed me being by his side. It was really hard for me to see him like that. Yeah we had just been through a traumatizing experience in the hospital a week earlier, but this was different. The thought that he no longer had a normal spine; that he had a major surgery on his spine was nerve wracking. I started to worry about the future. How will he heal? Will this affect his hockey or work? What if he gets hurt? A lot of stuff ran through my head that first day.
Rick was pretty groggy most of the day. He had a few visitors but for the most part he was pretty quiet. He was only allowed ice chips all day, so I dutifully fed him his ice chips in between naps. It was a fairly quiet day for him. Since he wasn't able to get up or move the only thing he had to do was keep up on his pain pump.
Of course I found myself a recliner and slept right next to him again. It felt normal this time around. Like it was old hat. It wasn't as comfortable as the recliner at the other hospital though. I never thought I would miss that recliner, but I did.
The next morning the physical therapist was in first thing. He helped Rick "log roll" so that he could get his corset on. (Rick has a special corset that he has to wear for the next couple months. it helps to keep his back stable and prevents him from accidentally bending or twisting.) Then he was taught how to get up out of bed by log rolling. The therapist had him walk a couple feet in the room. And then he had him sit up in a chair for as long as he was comfortable. Which ended up being only about 45 minutes. Rick then learned how to get back into bed, and took a nap. Later he got up again and we took a short walk down the hallway with the help of a walker. I really wish I had taken a picture of that but I was focused on helping him at the time.
Later in the afternoon an occupational therapist came and showed Rick how to do normal everyday things. Like get on and off the toilet, get in and out of the shower, put on socks. All of the things that he normally does has to be relearned. These activities have to been done without any bending or twisting. You would be surprised how many things have to be done completely different.
We thought that he would be going home on thursday but wednesday evening was not so good and so on thursday morning when the surgeon came in he decided that it would be best to have one more day. There was no reason to rush home. It would be better to have one more day to rest in the hospital with the nurses there to take care of him. So that is what we did. Besides, that gave him some extra time to walk and the physical therapist came in one more time on friday before we left. He helped remind Rick how to do things and give him a big pep talk about how he was a model patient. Rick followed all the rules and did everything how he was told to do them.
Once we were given the discharge instructions on friday afternoon we were outta there. It was nice to get home. However it is harder to be at home. There isn't room service to bring us food whenever we want. Yes there was room service at the hospital, even for me. We have been sleeping together on the recliner loveseat in the living room. That is the most comfortable place for Rick to sleep and I want to be with him. It really isn't bad. Our new loveseat is really comfortable. Thanks to my mom, my dad, my grandma, and Rick's parents for buying him the recliner loveseat.So that is Rick's journey through spinal fusion surgery in a gazillion words or less. Since it appears that you all are crazy readers and want to see the scar I will be posting that tomorrow. I promise! And I have one other story from the hospital that deserves it owns separate post.
We want to thank everyone for praying and supporting us. This has been a crazy few weeks. Much more has happened than we could have ever imagined. And we really get energy from reading comments and knowing that there are so many people that care about Rick.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
Back Pain,
Health,
Hospital,
Rick,
Spinal Fusion
Sunday, March 15, 2009
ALIF Part 2
As you know I really suck at waiting. And this was probably the most nervous I have ever been while waiting for Rick. I found a seat in the waiting room and gave my mom and Rick's mom a call to let them know he was in surgery. They were both going to come sit in the waiting room with me so that I wouldn't have to wait all alone. While I waited for them to get to the hospital I found myself very upset. I tried to read my book but I kept realizing that I had no idea what I had read. I just kept stopping and praying that everything would go as planned. My eyes kept filling with tears but I didn't want to cry in front of the other people in the waiting room.
Our mom's arrived and they tried to talk to me and keep my mind off of what was going on. But I couldn't help but have my mind keep drifting back to what was happening in that operating room. I knew that Rick was hooked to a breathing machine and that there were doctors messing with his spine. That was a terrifying thought for me. I just couldn't help but think about what was happening. Part of me wished I could just make sure that everything was going okay somehow. But I also had complete faith in his surgeon. And that was comforting; knowing that his surgeon truly cared about Rick.
I pretty much have memorized what the little clock in that waiting room looked like. I basically couldn't take my eyes off of it. I was told that the surgeon anticipated the surgery only taking 90 minutes. At the two hour mark I couldn't take it anymore and I asked the receptionist if she could find out if he was okay. She phoned back and found out that at that moment he was being wheeled into the recovery room. The doctor would be out shortly to talk with me. At that moment I thought I should feel relieved to know that he was no longer in surgery but I didn't. I just wanted to see him for myself but I couldn't.
The surgeon came walking down the hall and I jumped up to find out how it all went. Apparently the disc was completely obliterated. It never would have healed on its own. (Take that you other stupid "wait and see" doctor.) The reason surgery took longer was because it took a lot of work to get the part of the disc out that was bulging into the space where the nerves run (I can't remember exactly what that is called). And they had to use a bigger capsule than what the surgeon thought he would need. They are measured 14, 16, and 18 mm (at least I think it was mm). The 16 was just too loose when he inserted it, so it had to be removed and the 18 had to be forced in place. Rick is now 1/8 inch taller. It took a lot of work to get the 18 in place, and it is apparently in there very snug. The capsules are filled with growth hormone that will stimulate bone growth and over the next year the two vertebrae will grow together, thus the fusion will be complete. But for now the capsules and vertebrae are held together by the fibrous tissue that makes up the outside of the disc. That part of the disc was left in place to hold the vertebrae together. The good news is that there was no need to insert any rods or screws. That was something that Rick was really hoping to avoid.
I thanked the surgeon, I wanted to hug him but I didn't. And then even more waiting continued. Family is not allowed in the recovery room so I wouldn't be allowed to see Rick for another hour and a half. I think that wait was almost harder because I knew he would be waking up in pain and I wouldn't be there with him. I just wanted to hold his hand and be there but I couldn't. So yet again I just stared at the clock. I did break down a little at that point.
As soon as I heard a nurse say Wallace I jumped up out of my seat and I could see Rick being wheeled down the hallway. I was able to get in the elevator with him. He looked so pale and when I asked him how he was doing he just made a little noise. The elevator doors opened and I was told to wait in another waiting room while they transferred him to his bed. I was NOT happy about having to wait again. I did not wait in the waiting room, I waited in the hallway. And then after he was transferred to his bed, using a back board and pain apparently, I was told to still wait because the nurse wanted to check his vitals. The heck with that!!! I waited about one more minute and just walked into his room. The nurse didn't seem very thrilled with me but I was not going to wait any longer.
I knew he was in pain. I could see it all over his face. And that totally sucked!!!!
I think I will continue later. That's probably enough for now. I will have a couple pictures for the next post. I didn't really take pictures this time.
Until next time,
Jaime
Our mom's arrived and they tried to talk to me and keep my mind off of what was going on. But I couldn't help but have my mind keep drifting back to what was happening in that operating room. I knew that Rick was hooked to a breathing machine and that there were doctors messing with his spine. That was a terrifying thought for me. I just couldn't help but think about what was happening. Part of me wished I could just make sure that everything was going okay somehow. But I also had complete faith in his surgeon. And that was comforting; knowing that his surgeon truly cared about Rick.
I pretty much have memorized what the little clock in that waiting room looked like. I basically couldn't take my eyes off of it. I was told that the surgeon anticipated the surgery only taking 90 minutes. At the two hour mark I couldn't take it anymore and I asked the receptionist if she could find out if he was okay. She phoned back and found out that at that moment he was being wheeled into the recovery room. The doctor would be out shortly to talk with me. At that moment I thought I should feel relieved to know that he was no longer in surgery but I didn't. I just wanted to see him for myself but I couldn't.
The surgeon came walking down the hall and I jumped up to find out how it all went. Apparently the disc was completely obliterated. It never would have healed on its own. (Take that you other stupid "wait and see" doctor.) The reason surgery took longer was because it took a lot of work to get the part of the disc out that was bulging into the space where the nerves run (I can't remember exactly what that is called). And they had to use a bigger capsule than what the surgeon thought he would need. They are measured 14, 16, and 18 mm (at least I think it was mm). The 16 was just too loose when he inserted it, so it had to be removed and the 18 had to be forced in place. Rick is now 1/8 inch taller. It took a lot of work to get the 18 in place, and it is apparently in there very snug. The capsules are filled with growth hormone that will stimulate bone growth and over the next year the two vertebrae will grow together, thus the fusion will be complete. But for now the capsules and vertebrae are held together by the fibrous tissue that makes up the outside of the disc. That part of the disc was left in place to hold the vertebrae together. The good news is that there was no need to insert any rods or screws. That was something that Rick was really hoping to avoid.
I thanked the surgeon, I wanted to hug him but I didn't. And then even more waiting continued. Family is not allowed in the recovery room so I wouldn't be allowed to see Rick for another hour and a half. I think that wait was almost harder because I knew he would be waking up in pain and I wouldn't be there with him. I just wanted to hold his hand and be there but I couldn't. So yet again I just stared at the clock. I did break down a little at that point.
As soon as I heard a nurse say Wallace I jumped up out of my seat and I could see Rick being wheeled down the hallway. I was able to get in the elevator with him. He looked so pale and when I asked him how he was doing he just made a little noise. The elevator doors opened and I was told to wait in another waiting room while they transferred him to his bed. I was NOT happy about having to wait again. I did not wait in the waiting room, I waited in the hallway. And then after he was transferred to his bed, using a back board and pain apparently, I was told to still wait because the nurse wanted to check his vitals. The heck with that!!! I waited about one more minute and just walked into his room. The nurse didn't seem very thrilled with me but I was not going to wait any longer.
I knew he was in pain. I could see it all over his face. And that totally sucked!!!!
I think I will continue later. That's probably enough for now. I will have a couple pictures for the next post. I didn't really take pictures this time.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
Back Pain,
Health,
Hospital,
Rick,
Spinal Fusion
Saturday, March 14, 2009
ALIF Part 1
It seems that a lot of you enjoyed the play by play of the pancreatitis experience so I thought I would do the same thing for the surgery as well. Now remember the surgery was called an ALIF, which stands for Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion. So here it goes:
We woke up way before the sun on tuesday morning. I am not a morning person and I should never be up before the sun, but its just one of those things I will do for my hubby. As I was finishing up getting ready we got a phone call from the hospital asking if we could come in early because the guy scheduled before Rick had a big cup of coffee before coming in for surgery. What an idiot!! So we were out the door in about 5 minutes.
We arrived at the hospital a few minutes before 7 a.m. We didn't have to wait at all. Rick was immediately sent back to a room to get prepared for surgery. I got to go back with him right away, which is how it should always be but I won't get into that now. He put on his gown and crawled up into his bed. At this point I was so nervous. The thought of what was about to happen was almost too much for my nerves. But I of course held it together.
The nurse asked a lot of questions and got him all entered into the computer. Then another nurse walked in and said that she had the blood and would be sending it to the operating room. I saw the 2 units of blood she was trying to hide behind her back. It was a little disturbing to think that Rick could possibly need a blood transfusion. Luckily he never needed the blood though.
He was then rushed up to another pre-op holding area where lots of different doctors and nurses talked to him about what would be happening. They kept asking him if he was nervous and he said he wasn't, but I think he was just trying to hide it from me. His IV was started and he got to put on his very fashionable blue hospital cap. The surgeon came and talked about the surgery. He was a little worried about the pancreatitis getting stirred back up because of the surgery, but it never did. He explained what was going to happen. And the general surgeon that was working with him came and talked to us as well. The incision was going to have to be made a little higher on the abdomen because of where the herniated disc was, and because of the abnormality of Rick's back. He also told us that there is a chance that the leg pain won't be completely relieved, in which case he will go back in and remove some more disc from the back. But that wouldn't be a major surgery and wouldn't slow the recovery time. We are just hoping that doesn't happen.
So after the anesthesiologist came and explained how Rick would be intubated during the surgery, and the rest of the nurses were done with their stuff, it was time to say goodbye to Rick. The anesthesiologist gave him some IV versed (very good happy drug) and I had to kiss him goodbye. I watched as he was wheeled out the doors and I was escorted to the dreaded waiting room. My heart was beating like crazy and my stomach felt like it was in my throat. I hate saying goodbye, but this was a very different circumstance than what we are used to. Major surgery is scary. I was very scared!
I will continue later. Now I am going to hang out with my hubby.
Until next time,
Jaime
We woke up way before the sun on tuesday morning. I am not a morning person and I should never be up before the sun, but its just one of those things I will do for my hubby. As I was finishing up getting ready we got a phone call from the hospital asking if we could come in early because the guy scheduled before Rick had a big cup of coffee before coming in for surgery. What an idiot!! So we were out the door in about 5 minutes.
We arrived at the hospital a few minutes before 7 a.m. We didn't have to wait at all. Rick was immediately sent back to a room to get prepared for surgery. I got to go back with him right away, which is how it should always be but I won't get into that now. He put on his gown and crawled up into his bed. At this point I was so nervous. The thought of what was about to happen was almost too much for my nerves. But I of course held it together.
The nurse asked a lot of questions and got him all entered into the computer. Then another nurse walked in and said that she had the blood and would be sending it to the operating room. I saw the 2 units of blood she was trying to hide behind her back. It was a little disturbing to think that Rick could possibly need a blood transfusion. Luckily he never needed the blood though.
He was then rushed up to another pre-op holding area where lots of different doctors and nurses talked to him about what would be happening. They kept asking him if he was nervous and he said he wasn't, but I think he was just trying to hide it from me. His IV was started and he got to put on his very fashionable blue hospital cap. The surgeon came and talked about the surgery. He was a little worried about the pancreatitis getting stirred back up because of the surgery, but it never did. He explained what was going to happen. And the general surgeon that was working with him came and talked to us as well. The incision was going to have to be made a little higher on the abdomen because of where the herniated disc was, and because of the abnormality of Rick's back. He also told us that there is a chance that the leg pain won't be completely relieved, in which case he will go back in and remove some more disc from the back. But that wouldn't be a major surgery and wouldn't slow the recovery time. We are just hoping that doesn't happen.
So after the anesthesiologist came and explained how Rick would be intubated during the surgery, and the rest of the nurses were done with their stuff, it was time to say goodbye to Rick. The anesthesiologist gave him some IV versed (very good happy drug) and I had to kiss him goodbye. I watched as he was wheeled out the doors and I was escorted to the dreaded waiting room. My heart was beating like crazy and my stomach felt like it was in my throat. I hate saying goodbye, but this was a very different circumstance than what we are used to. Major surgery is scary. I was very scared!
I will continue later. Now I am going to hang out with my hubby.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
Back Pain,
Health,
Hospital,
Rick,
Spinal Fusion
Friday, March 13, 2009
Home Sweet Home! Again
Rick is home. He is in his recliner sleeping at the moment. He has some really good pain meds that have knocked him out. I am very tired. I will write a better update later. For now I am going to unpack and rest. It is going to be a lot of work taking care of Rick. He has some major restrictions. But for now I am just going to enjoy the fact that we are home.
Until next time,
Jaime
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
Back Pain,
Health,
Hospital,
Rick,
Spinal Fusion
Monday, March 9, 2009
Nerves
I am a bundle of nerves. So much so that I was actually physically sick this morning. I am so nervous about tomorrow that my stomach is in knots. Rick says he isn't nervous, but he hasn't been himself either.
If you have a spare minute during the day today and tomorrow I am asking you to please say a prayer for Rick's surgery to be successful and without complications, and for me as I am struggling with everything that has happened and is about to happen.
I will not have computer access again during the surgery. I will Twitter all day, and update my facebook. If you haven't signed up for Twitter yet it is easy. That way you can keep up to date on how things are going by getting text messages to your cell phone. You don't have to Twitter yourself, but you will need an account to get the messages. Make sure you turn your device updates on too. I know it is silly, but I have found it a good way to update when I am away from my computer.
I don't know when I will get a chance to do an actual update again. If there is a patient computer at the hospital I will try to update with that. And when I come home for a bit I will try to update if I have time. I will miss my computer, and checking for any comments that have been left by my supportive friends. Thank you all so much for your support and prayers. We really need it right now.
Until next time,
Jaime
If you have a spare minute during the day today and tomorrow I am asking you to please say a prayer for Rick's surgery to be successful and without complications, and for me as I am struggling with everything that has happened and is about to happen.
I will not have computer access again during the surgery. I will Twitter all day, and update my facebook. If you haven't signed up for Twitter yet it is easy. That way you can keep up to date on how things are going by getting text messages to your cell phone. You don't have to Twitter yourself, but you will need an account to get the messages. Make sure you turn your device updates on too. I know it is silly, but I have found it a good way to update when I am away from my computer.
I don't know when I will get a chance to do an actual update again. If there is a patient computer at the hospital I will try to update with that. And when I come home for a bit I will try to update if I have time. I will miss my computer, and checking for any comments that have been left by my supportive friends. Thank you all so much for your support and prayers. We really need it right now.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
Hospital,
Jaime,
Rick,
Spinal Fusion,
Support
Saturday, March 7, 2009
ERCP/Pancreatitis Part 4
Rick's IV continued to drip his only source of nutrition at a quick pace. It also pumped him full of different antibiotics and his pain meds. After around 60 hours without anything by mouth he was allowed to have his first drink. The doctor decided that after the retching had finally stopped, Rick was safe to try a liquid diet. The first thing he had besides a sip a water was a purple popsicle. His liquid meals consisted of either chicken broth or beef broth, tea, juice, and jello. The jello wasn't really jello, it was a "gel treat" that was pretty gross, so that was never really eaten.
When every thing was all done Rick had a total of 4 different IV's placed. Unfortunately it was never easy to place those IV's because of how sick he was. Every IV took at least 3 different tries to get a vein that would work. And then every morning at around 5 AM someone from the lab would come in and draw blood. I lost count of how many times he was poked with a needle but it was seriously around 25 times. One of the IV sites caused phlebitis; his arm was really red and hot. The nurse even got a pen and made a line around the redness to mark it so she could keep an eye on it. Rick's arms are bruised from all the abuse they took in those 6 1/2 days.
The bloodwork results were something that we looked forward to hearing about every morning. We were surprised when, at first, the bloodwork got worse. I think I mentioned that at one point his lipase, which measures pancreas function, was at 5,600. Normal is 78. His bilirubin jumped up to 4.7 at one point as well and his eyes were more yellow than I had ever seen them. But now his bilirubin is normal for the first time in more than a year and his eyes are actually white. I don't know if the ERCP cleaned something out, or if the liquid diet and all the fluids flushed out the liver. Either way, for the moment he is no longer jaundice or itching.
We were really hoping to be home during the weekend sometime but Rick had a minor setback. After a couple days of liquid diet, and several short walks in the hallways of the seventh floor, Rick still wasn't feeling good. He was continuing to run fevers and his entire body would start shaking. So much so that it would shake the entire bed. He spent almost all of sunday asleep again. He had to be given anti nausea meds again too.
When every thing was all done Rick had a total of 4 different IV's placed. Unfortunately it was never easy to place those IV's because of how sick he was. Every IV took at least 3 different tries to get a vein that would work. And then every morning at around 5 AM someone from the lab would come in and draw blood. I lost count of how many times he was poked with a needle but it was seriously around 25 times. One of the IV sites caused phlebitis; his arm was really red and hot. The nurse even got a pen and made a line around the redness to mark it so she could keep an eye on it. Rick's arms are bruised from all the abuse they took in those 6 1/2 days.
The bloodwork results were something that we looked forward to hearing about every morning. We were surprised when, at first, the bloodwork got worse. I think I mentioned that at one point his lipase, which measures pancreas function, was at 5,600. Normal is 78. His bilirubin jumped up to 4.7 at one point as well and his eyes were more yellow than I had ever seen them. But now his bilirubin is normal for the first time in more than a year and his eyes are actually white. I don't know if the ERCP cleaned something out, or if the liquid diet and all the fluids flushed out the liver. Either way, for the moment he is no longer jaundice or itching.
We were really hoping to be home during the weekend sometime but Rick had a minor setback. After a couple days of liquid diet, and several short walks in the hallways of the seventh floor, Rick still wasn't feeling good. He was continuing to run fevers and his entire body would start shaking. So much so that it would shake the entire bed. He spent almost all of sunday asleep again. He had to be given anti nausea meds again too.
Thankfully all that sleeping seemed to really help and by monday morning he was finally feeling better. The doctor decided to start him on a very light diet of real food. His first real meal was a half of a turkey sandwich. When that seemed to work out he was finally unplugged from the IV fluids and started on oral medications. We continued to take walks around the hall and it was nice to see him finally making progress.
The girls came to the hospital a couple of times to visit with Daddy. On monday night Megan ate the dreaded "jello" while Rick ate his dinner of turkey and mashed potatoes. The girls were really worried about Rick and whenever Megan would get upset she would cry and say "my daddy's in the hospital." Samantha was pretty emotional about the whole thing too. But it was good for them to see him, and it was good for us as well.
Tuesday morning was a good morning. Rick was feeling better and was ready to go home. We got the okay from the doctor and immediately started packing the bags. Rick was given instructions on what to eat at home for the next week and prescriptions to finish up the antibiotics.
At 2:30 I went to get the car and waited at the front doors of the hospital for my hubby to be wheeled out to freedom. It was nice to finally bring him home. And even nicer to sleep in our own bed that night.
It has been a challenge to figure out what to feed him. He is on a low fat diet and I am obviously not a low fat type of girl. But so far it has worked out fine. However Rick has lost 10 pounds. I brought him some oral supplement drinks home from work yesterday. I need to try to beef him up before he goes in for surgery on tuesday. Yes you heard that right, he is still having surgery on tuesday.
I think that I have pretty much summed up our hospital experience. Rick remembers some of it, but not all of it. I, however, remember all of it. And the experience will not easily be forgotten. I realized I can handle more than I thought I could. But I would like to not have to pass that test again any time soon. I am more in love with my hubby than I ever thought possible. He is so strong and amazes me with his ability to fight everything that is handed to him. I will always remember stroking his hair and willing him to be okay. I will always remember the morning I went home and cried the entire way there; begging God to make him better. And even though it seems like I was strong, I felt so very weak. But I would do it again, I would do anything for that man.
Until next time,
Jaime
The girls came to the hospital a couple of times to visit with Daddy. On monday night Megan ate the dreaded "jello" while Rick ate his dinner of turkey and mashed potatoes. The girls were really worried about Rick and whenever Megan would get upset she would cry and say "my daddy's in the hospital." Samantha was pretty emotional about the whole thing too. But it was good for them to see him, and it was good for us as well.
Tuesday morning was a good morning. Rick was feeling better and was ready to go home. We got the okay from the doctor and immediately started packing the bags. Rick was given instructions on what to eat at home for the next week and prescriptions to finish up the antibiotics.
At 2:30 I went to get the car and waited at the front doors of the hospital for my hubby to be wheeled out to freedom. It was nice to finally bring him home. And even nicer to sleep in our own bed that night.It has been a challenge to figure out what to feed him. He is on a low fat diet and I am obviously not a low fat type of girl. But so far it has worked out fine. However Rick has lost 10 pounds. I brought him some oral supplement drinks home from work yesterday. I need to try to beef him up before he goes in for surgery on tuesday. Yes you heard that right, he is still having surgery on tuesday.
I think that I have pretty much summed up our hospital experience. Rick remembers some of it, but not all of it. I, however, remember all of it. And the experience will not easily be forgotten. I realized I can handle more than I thought I could. But I would like to not have to pass that test again any time soon. I am more in love with my hubby than I ever thought possible. He is so strong and amazes me with his ability to fight everything that is handed to him. I will always remember stroking his hair and willing him to be okay. I will always remember the morning I went home and cried the entire way there; begging God to make him better. And even though it seems like I was strong, I felt so very weak. But I would do it again, I would do anything for that man.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
ERCP,
Hospital,
Pancreatitis,
PSC,
Rick
Friday, March 6, 2009
ERCP/Pancreatitis Part 3
When we arrived on the fifth floor we discovered that Rick would have a roommate. Apparently the hospital was very full that night. I had this sinking feeling because I knew that I wasn't supposed to stay in the room when there is another patient in it. But little did I know that my mom was looking out for me and asked the nurses if I could stay in the room and arranged for me to get a recliner to sleep in. Rick asked for a private room and was put on the waiting list.
It was crazy getting him settled. There were lots of questions to answer. Rick told the nurse that I could answer for him because he wasn't feeling up to it, but the nurse didn't seem very impressed with that and kept looking at him after I answered the questions. Another nurse was setting up the PCA pump, you know those pain pumps with a button to push that gives nice pain meds. When all of that was finally finished my mom and Heather left, I think it was around midnight by that time.
Unfortunately Rick's roommate had different plans than us and kept his light on all night long. Rick was up retching most of the night and in between episodes couldn't get any sleep because the old man had his light on. He apparently had a "condition" that required him to leave his light on at night so that he could read whenever he couldn't sleep. He called it his valium. Rick was ready to kill him and I was plotting how to smother him with my pillow. I think I may have gotten a combined total of an hour of sleep. Maybe.
Here he is in the middle of the night trying to rest. Can you see how bright that light is?
I just felt so bad for Rick. There wasn't anything that I could do except just stand beside him and stroke his hair. I don't know about anyone else, but that always helps me feel better. What made it even worse for him was that he was not allowed to have anything by mouth. He was not allowed to have a sip of water even after throwing up all that nasty stuff. I won't describe it but it was really disgusting. They did bring him these little spongy things he could use to swab out his mouth, but that just didn't really cut it. And to make things even more unbearable he was put on bed rest, which meant he wasn't allowed to get out of bed. We found out later the next day that he was on bed rest because of his back. Apparently someone got some wrong information and thought that his back made him unstable. Once that got straightened out he was allowed to get out of bed and use the bathroom.
He slept pretty much the entire day on thursday. He only woke a couple times to push the pain button and to throw up. Other than that I just sat next to his bed and watched him sleep. My mom came to the hospital and sat with me. And she sat with Rick while I went home to shower and get some supplies for the hospital. It was later that afternoon that Rick was finally transferred to a private room on the seventh floor. It was so nice to finally have some peace and quiet, and privacy.
Rick finally got a break from the retching for a few hours. Luckily the next morning would be the last time he would actually throw up. However the pain was still very bad, and it was pretty unbearable whenever he had to get up to use the bathroom. Pretty soon he did have to start getting up quite frequently because they were pumping him full of IV fluids. But it was sad to see how much he was hurting, especially when he had to get up. I had to keep persuading him to use the pain pump because he didn't want to use it. The nurses and I had to convince him that he didn't have to be in pain, and that he would heal faster if his body wasn't in pain.
So by this point he has been in the hospital for 24 hours. I am still hanging in there, but it is starting to wear on me.
I think this is enough for now. I will continue later tonight. I hope you all aren't bored with this. I kinda want it all written down as a reminder for myself. And maybe someone else is interested in it too. Right Jackie?!?!
Until next time,
Jaime
It was crazy getting him settled. There were lots of questions to answer. Rick told the nurse that I could answer for him because he wasn't feeling up to it, but the nurse didn't seem very impressed with that and kept looking at him after I answered the questions. Another nurse was setting up the PCA pump, you know those pain pumps with a button to push that gives nice pain meds. When all of that was finally finished my mom and Heather left, I think it was around midnight by that time.
Unfortunately Rick's roommate had different plans than us and kept his light on all night long. Rick was up retching most of the night and in between episodes couldn't get any sleep because the old man had his light on. He apparently had a "condition" that required him to leave his light on at night so that he could read whenever he couldn't sleep. He called it his valium. Rick was ready to kill him and I was plotting how to smother him with my pillow. I think I may have gotten a combined total of an hour of sleep. Maybe.
Here he is in the middle of the night trying to rest. Can you see how bright that light is?
I just felt so bad for Rick. There wasn't anything that I could do except just stand beside him and stroke his hair. I don't know about anyone else, but that always helps me feel better. What made it even worse for him was that he was not allowed to have anything by mouth. He was not allowed to have a sip of water even after throwing up all that nasty stuff. I won't describe it but it was really disgusting. They did bring him these little spongy things he could use to swab out his mouth, but that just didn't really cut it. And to make things even more unbearable he was put on bed rest, which meant he wasn't allowed to get out of bed. We found out later the next day that he was on bed rest because of his back. Apparently someone got some wrong information and thought that his back made him unstable. Once that got straightened out he was allowed to get out of bed and use the bathroom.
He slept pretty much the entire day on thursday. He only woke a couple times to push the pain button and to throw up. Other than that I just sat next to his bed and watched him sleep. My mom came to the hospital and sat with me. And she sat with Rick while I went home to shower and get some supplies for the hospital. It was later that afternoon that Rick was finally transferred to a private room on the seventh floor. It was so nice to finally have some peace and quiet, and privacy.
Rick finally got a break from the retching for a few hours. Luckily the next morning would be the last time he would actually throw up. However the pain was still very bad, and it was pretty unbearable whenever he had to get up to use the bathroom. Pretty soon he did have to start getting up quite frequently because they were pumping him full of IV fluids. But it was sad to see how much he was hurting, especially when he had to get up. I had to keep persuading him to use the pain pump because he didn't want to use it. The nurses and I had to convince him that he didn't have to be in pain, and that he would heal faster if his body wasn't in pain.
So by this point he has been in the hospital for 24 hours. I am still hanging in there, but it is starting to wear on me.
I think this is enough for now. I will continue later tonight. I hope you all aren't bored with this. I kinda want it all written down as a reminder for myself. And maybe someone else is interested in it too. Right Jackie?!?!
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
ERCP,
Hospital,
Pancreatitis,
PSC,
Rick
Thursday, March 5, 2009
ERCP/Pancreatitis Part 2
I looked around the very crowded emergency room and was very worried that we would be waiting a long time to see a doctor. I approached the reception desk and explained the situation and how sick Rick was getting. I was handed some papers to fill out, and in my anxiety and fear I proceeded to fill out my name. I stood next to Rick as he sat in the wheelchair looking very sick and a little on the pale/green side. I was trying to finish filling out the paperwork when a concerned triage nurse pulled Rick into the triage room and started checking his vitals. I told him that I was parked in a no parking zone and he got the security guard to open the gate to the doctor's parking so that I could move the car. I ran to the car and back because I was scared to leave his side.
Rick was then "fast tracked" back to a room. By that time he was getting very chilled and was asked to take off his shirt and then just left there without a gown to put on in its place. I grabbed his shirt and sweatshirt to drape over him so he wasn't so cold. The nurse was not the nicest of people. A doctor was in the room very quickly and asked about the ERCP. He felt Rick's abdomen and discovered that it was EXTREMELY tender. The doctor was very worried about what might be happening. His biggest worry was that there might be a hole in the bile duct somewhere that was leaking. That could have been very dangerous. He ordered a CT scan to be done to check on any leaks. The nurse then attempted to get an IV started and draw blood. Unfortunately Rick was so sick that it was almost impossible to find a vein. And Rick is usually the easiest poke ever.
After MANY pokes she was finally able to find a vein. All the while Rick is very out of it. He spent most of the time asleep. He was feeling nauseous but had to drink four cups of contrast for the CT scan. I kept pouring him the glasses and cheered him on as he drank it. He was able to get those down. Soon after that is when things got much worse. He suddenly was shaking bad and his pain had skyrocketed out of control. He said his pain was a 14, and the nurse said that the pain scale only goes to 10, but Rick insisted it was a 14. His jaw just quivered and his neck got very stiff. He was basically writhing in pain. It was all I could do to hold it together. I was so scared as I watched him get progressively worse and worse. I was afraid that I was watching him die. I am not exaggerating. I just rubbed his head and told him that it was going to be okay. My mom was there with us and she was out in the hall trying to find someone to come give him something for the pain. The nurse finally came in and gave him something but it didn't seem to make any difference. It was at that time that I decided that it was time to have his parents come to the hospital. They were staying at home because they had our kids.
The radiologist came to take him for the CT scan. At the same time our friend Heather was arriving with some food for me. I decided to stay back in the room and my mom followed him to the CT. It was then that I lost it. I just couldn't believe what I was watching. I thought that I was losing my husband. I also knew that I needed to eat so that I could be strong for him. So that is what I did.
It wasn't very long and Rick was being brought back into the room. By that time he was extremely nauseous and shaking violently. My mom actually went into the CT room with him because he was so sick. It is really hard to explain how I was feeling at that point. I don't think there really are words to describe what it is like to watch someone that you love so much in such excruciating pain.
His parents arrived at the hospital soon after that and there was a room full of people just staring at him. I just stood by his bed and stroked his head. Then a nurse came in to draw some more blood to test for an infection in the blood. She couldn't use the IV to draw the blood though and had to get a certain amount of blood from each arm, so that meant several more pokes because a vein was not easy to find. You would not believe the amount of bruises and needle pokes he has on his arms right now.
Finally the doctor came in and told us that he had pancreatitis. The CT scan showed no leaks. The doctor looked me right in the eye and said "thank you for bringing him in, he is very sick." That was a scary statement. It was right after that that the puking began. And it lasted all night long and into the next day. He was throwing up fairly continuously for a few hours. It was horrible. And none of the anti-nausea medications were helping. Every time he started in again my mom and Heather would leave the room. Normally I am not much of a vomit person, but I was going to help him no matter what it took.
Pretty soon nurses were hanging IV antibiotics and rushing around getting him ready to be admitted. Before I knew it I was following him down the hall on the way to his hospital room. He was sitting up on the bed throwing up into a cardboard bowl as he was being wheeled down the hall and into the elevator.
I don't really know how I was able to hold it together as well as I did. I just knew that he needed me and I needed to be there for him. My legs felt like jello and my heart was pounding, but there was no way I was going to fall apart in front of him. He was too sick to see that and I was going to prove that I could be strong for him.
I will continue tomorrow with the rest of our hospital stay. Right now I am going to cuddle with my hubby.
Until next time,
Jaime
Rick was then "fast tracked" back to a room. By that time he was getting very chilled and was asked to take off his shirt and then just left there without a gown to put on in its place. I grabbed his shirt and sweatshirt to drape over him so he wasn't so cold. The nurse was not the nicest of people. A doctor was in the room very quickly and asked about the ERCP. He felt Rick's abdomen and discovered that it was EXTREMELY tender. The doctor was very worried about what might be happening. His biggest worry was that there might be a hole in the bile duct somewhere that was leaking. That could have been very dangerous. He ordered a CT scan to be done to check on any leaks. The nurse then attempted to get an IV started and draw blood. Unfortunately Rick was so sick that it was almost impossible to find a vein. And Rick is usually the easiest poke ever.
After MANY pokes she was finally able to find a vein. All the while Rick is very out of it. He spent most of the time asleep. He was feeling nauseous but had to drink four cups of contrast for the CT scan. I kept pouring him the glasses and cheered him on as he drank it. He was able to get those down. Soon after that is when things got much worse. He suddenly was shaking bad and his pain had skyrocketed out of control. He said his pain was a 14, and the nurse said that the pain scale only goes to 10, but Rick insisted it was a 14. His jaw just quivered and his neck got very stiff. He was basically writhing in pain. It was all I could do to hold it together. I was so scared as I watched him get progressively worse and worse. I was afraid that I was watching him die. I am not exaggerating. I just rubbed his head and told him that it was going to be okay. My mom was there with us and she was out in the hall trying to find someone to come give him something for the pain. The nurse finally came in and gave him something but it didn't seem to make any difference. It was at that time that I decided that it was time to have his parents come to the hospital. They were staying at home because they had our kids.
The radiologist came to take him for the CT scan. At the same time our friend Heather was arriving with some food for me. I decided to stay back in the room and my mom followed him to the CT. It was then that I lost it. I just couldn't believe what I was watching. I thought that I was losing my husband. I also knew that I needed to eat so that I could be strong for him. So that is what I did.
It wasn't very long and Rick was being brought back into the room. By that time he was extremely nauseous and shaking violently. My mom actually went into the CT room with him because he was so sick. It is really hard to explain how I was feeling at that point. I don't think there really are words to describe what it is like to watch someone that you love so much in such excruciating pain.
His parents arrived at the hospital soon after that and there was a room full of people just staring at him. I just stood by his bed and stroked his head. Then a nurse came in to draw some more blood to test for an infection in the blood. She couldn't use the IV to draw the blood though and had to get a certain amount of blood from each arm, so that meant several more pokes because a vein was not easy to find. You would not believe the amount of bruises and needle pokes he has on his arms right now.
Finally the doctor came in and told us that he had pancreatitis. The CT scan showed no leaks. The doctor looked me right in the eye and said "thank you for bringing him in, he is very sick." That was a scary statement. It was right after that that the puking began. And it lasted all night long and into the next day. He was throwing up fairly continuously for a few hours. It was horrible. And none of the anti-nausea medications were helping. Every time he started in again my mom and Heather would leave the room. Normally I am not much of a vomit person, but I was going to help him no matter what it took.
Pretty soon nurses were hanging IV antibiotics and rushing around getting him ready to be admitted. Before I knew it I was following him down the hall on the way to his hospital room. He was sitting up on the bed throwing up into a cardboard bowl as he was being wheeled down the hall and into the elevator.
I don't really know how I was able to hold it together as well as I did. I just knew that he needed me and I needed to be there for him. My legs felt like jello and my heart was pounding, but there was no way I was going to fall apart in front of him. He was too sick to see that and I was going to prove that I could be strong for him.
I will continue tomorrow with the rest of our hospital stay. Right now I am going to cuddle with my hubby.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
ERCP,
Hospital,
Pancreatitis,
PSC,
Rick
ERCP/Pancreatitis Part 1
Since the ERCP was what started this entire ordeal I thought I would post about what happened. We have both concluded that we were lulled into a feeling of things just being routine. Thinking that he would check in, get good drugs, wake up and go home. Unfortunately, as you know, that is not exactly how it turned out.
It did start out routine. Rick was taken back to get in a gown and get his IV started while I waited in the waiting room. Apparently they think there isn't enough room to have me back there while he is getting ready. Anyway, after about 20 minutes they came to get me and we joked while waiting for him to be taken for the ERCP. We were laughing because under the lights in the hospital my newly dyed hair looked kinda pink. 
Soon after that he was wheeled into the endoscopy room and I was taken back out to the dreaded waiting room. I was told that if everything was fine and nothing was found it would only take about 30 minutes. So when an hour passed I knew something had been found. Shortly after an hour the nurse came to get me. I went back into the endoscopy room and spoke with the doctor. He told me that the PSC has progressed and there is a lot more narrowing of the smaller ducts and the common bile duct now has a dominant stricture. He didn't like the location of the stricture so he took some brushings of it to send in for biopsy. He said that at the moment it isn't narrow enough to block anything, but that probably won't last. I was told that during the exam no dye was injected into the pancreas and that there was probably not a chance of developing pancreatitis due to the brushing of the duct. Boy was he wrong.
Rick was taken to recovery and rested for about 40 minutes and then he was sent home. I asked if that was long enough recovery time and the nurse said that his vitals were good and didn't see a reason to keep him there any longer. So she called for transport to wheel him to the car and I went to drive the car around.
About a couple blocks away from the hospital Rick started to mention that his abdomen was sore. He just said it was probably due to the ERCP taking so long. As we got about four blocks from home he said he felt sick. I had to pull over and he starting vomiting out the door. We got home and I called the doctor. Rick basically passed out on the couch. The doctor said to get back to the hospital. I let Rick rest for a few more minutes and then told him the doctor wanted him to go back to the hospital. He didn't argue with me about going back, which was my first clue that he did not feel good. It was interesting getting him back out to the car. By that time he was really out of it. I covered him with his blanket, gave him a bucket, and started driving.
I drove fast! I got behind someone going at a nice pace on the freeway and just followed him. It seemed like it took forever to get him back to the hospital. I pulled right up to the doors of the emergency room, ran in and grabbed a wheelchair, and carefully helped Rick out of the car. I put him inside the hospital doors, parked the car in a no parking zone, and proceeded to get him checked in very quickly.
I will continue the story later. Right now I have to take Rick for his Pre-Op appointment.
Until next time,
Jaime
It did start out routine. Rick was taken back to get in a gown and get his IV started while I waited in the waiting room. Apparently they think there isn't enough room to have me back there while he is getting ready. Anyway, after about 20 minutes they came to get me and we joked while waiting for him to be taken for the ERCP. We were laughing because under the lights in the hospital my newly dyed hair looked kinda pink.
Here he is before, very thrilled I am taking his picture with my phone.
Soon after that he was wheeled into the endoscopy room and I was taken back out to the dreaded waiting room. I was told that if everything was fine and nothing was found it would only take about 30 minutes. So when an hour passed I knew something had been found. Shortly after an hour the nurse came to get me. I went back into the endoscopy room and spoke with the doctor. He told me that the PSC has progressed and there is a lot more narrowing of the smaller ducts and the common bile duct now has a dominant stricture. He didn't like the location of the stricture so he took some brushings of it to send in for biopsy. He said that at the moment it isn't narrow enough to block anything, but that probably won't last. I was told that during the exam no dye was injected into the pancreas and that there was probably not a chance of developing pancreatitis due to the brushing of the duct. Boy was he wrong.
Rick was taken to recovery and rested for about 40 minutes and then he was sent home. I asked if that was long enough recovery time and the nurse said that his vitals were good and didn't see a reason to keep him there any longer. So she called for transport to wheel him to the car and I went to drive the car around.
About a couple blocks away from the hospital Rick started to mention that his abdomen was sore. He just said it was probably due to the ERCP taking so long. As we got about four blocks from home he said he felt sick. I had to pull over and he starting vomiting out the door. We got home and I called the doctor. Rick basically passed out on the couch. The doctor said to get back to the hospital. I let Rick rest for a few more minutes and then told him the doctor wanted him to go back to the hospital. He didn't argue with me about going back, which was my first clue that he did not feel good. It was interesting getting him back out to the car. By that time he was really out of it. I covered him with his blanket, gave him a bucket, and started driving.
I drove fast! I got behind someone going at a nice pace on the freeway and just followed him. It seemed like it took forever to get him back to the hospital. I pulled right up to the doors of the emergency room, ran in and grabbed a wheelchair, and carefully helped Rick out of the car. I put him inside the hospital doors, parked the car in a no parking zone, and proceeded to get him checked in very quickly.
I will continue the story later. Right now I have to take Rick for his Pre-Op appointment.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
ERCP,
Hospital,
Pancreatitis,
PSC,
Rick
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Home Sweet Home!
Rick is home!! We actually got home yesterday, tuesday, afternoon. As you can imagine it is exhausting to get back home and get settled after nearly a week in the hospital. The girls came home tonight. And the dog came home tonight too. I think he was the most excited to be home.
The biggest challenge so far has been figuring out some lowfat/fat free meals for Rick. He has to be very careful about what he eats in order to keep the pancreas calm. Anything too fatty could over stimulate the pancreas and he could get sick again. He has to eat like this for the next week and then he should be safe to resume a normal diet. I went grocery shopping today to pick up some more food that he can eat. It isn't easy to figure out what to feed someone that has never had to worry about fat content before. I feel bad that he has to eat this way, but he isn't really hungry so it is okay for the time being.
I really do have a lot of things to blog about but I am just beyond exhausted. I had a horrible day at work. It is times like this that prove who your real friends are, and it is obvious that the girls at work are not real friends. And I have so much to catch up on and things to do before Rick has surgery next week. I plan on filling you all in on everything in the next day or two. Right now I can hardly think straight.
Until next time,
Jaime
The biggest challenge so far has been figuring out some lowfat/fat free meals for Rick. He has to be very careful about what he eats in order to keep the pancreas calm. Anything too fatty could over stimulate the pancreas and he could get sick again. He has to eat like this for the next week and then he should be safe to resume a normal diet. I went grocery shopping today to pick up some more food that he can eat. It isn't easy to figure out what to feed someone that has never had to worry about fat content before. I feel bad that he has to eat this way, but he isn't really hungry so it is okay for the time being.
I really do have a lot of things to blog about but I am just beyond exhausted. I had a horrible day at work. It is times like this that prove who your real friends are, and it is obvious that the girls at work are not real friends. And I have so much to catch up on and things to do before Rick has surgery next week. I plan on filling you all in on everything in the next day or two. Right now I can hardly think straight.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
Hospital,
Jaime,
Pancreatitis,
Rick
Monday, March 2, 2009
Feeling Better
Rick is starting to feel better. Not good, but better. He is still having pain in his abdomen, and now his back is really starting to hurt from being in bed. But he can finally have solid food, although it is very low fat for now. The doc said that if it tastes good don't eat it. Meaning it has to be bland and boring for a while. We don't want the pancreas over stimulated and have it get sick again. His bloodwork is finally going in the right direction. The Lipase is the factor that shows how the pancreas is functioning. A normal person's Lipase should be 78, at one point Rick's was 5,600. His bilirubin had also gotten pretty high and his eyes were turning very yellow, along with his skin. That has gone down too.
So it looks like Rick is on the path to going home. He will eat another meal tonight and tomorrow morning and then probably head home. Yippee!!!!!
So much has happened since last wednesday. I don't know what to blog and what not to blog. Like today he had his fourth IV started. He was poked by needles more than 30 times because his veins are reacting to how sick he is and they have gotten small and don't want to be messed with. He also was running fevers and would keep getting so chilled that his entire body would just shake. So many little things and so many big things have happened. I have never been so scared in my life. Quite honestly, at one point I thought he might be dying. And I think maybe the ER staff may have wondered that as well. I will never go in to another procedure thinking that it is just routine. I will never be comfortable having Rick go through an ERCP again.
I have only left his side to go home and take a shower, or go to the cafeteria for food. I have slept in a recliner every night. Right beside his bed. I love him so much and I just couldn't leave him. I just couldn't.
I have a couple pictures to post when we get home. But only a couple. I didn't really take many because he looked so bad. But I wanted to get a couple to document his very first inpatient stay at a hospital.
Keep checking my Twitters and I will blog again when we are home.
Until next time,
Jaime
So it looks like Rick is on the path to going home. He will eat another meal tonight and tomorrow morning and then probably head home. Yippee!!!!!
So much has happened since last wednesday. I don't know what to blog and what not to blog. Like today he had his fourth IV started. He was poked by needles more than 30 times because his veins are reacting to how sick he is and they have gotten small and don't want to be messed with. He also was running fevers and would keep getting so chilled that his entire body would just shake. So many little things and so many big things have happened. I have never been so scared in my life. Quite honestly, at one point I thought he might be dying. And I think maybe the ER staff may have wondered that as well. I will never go in to another procedure thinking that it is just routine. I will never be comfortable having Rick go through an ERCP again.
I have only left his side to go home and take a shower, or go to the cafeteria for food. I have slept in a recliner every night. Right beside his bed. I love him so much and I just couldn't leave him. I just couldn't.
I have a couple pictures to post when we get home. But only a couple. I didn't really take many because he looked so bad. But I wanted to get a couple to document his very first inpatient stay at a hospital.
Keep checking my Twitters and I will blog again when we are home.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
ERCP,
Health,
Pancreatitis,
PSC,
Rick
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Pancreatitis Sucks!!!!!!!
So as many of you know by following my Twitters on my sidebar, Rick is in the hospital with pancreatitis. He had his ERCP on wednesday and he developed a severe case of pancreatitis. It was so bad that I honestly thought he was dying. And Rick says it felt like he was dying. He was very out of it and doesn't remember very much. I have never ever been so scared. His pain was through the roof. He is on a liquid diet and even still doesn't want to "eat" that.
I have never seen Rick like this. It has been a long few days. And I haven't had my computer. My good friend Heather brought her laptop to the hospital today and that is how I am able to update. I promise to update with a lot more information later but for right now I just wanted to post a quick update. If you want to know what is happening just follow me on Twitter. That is my only way to update at the moment.
I have been staying at the hospital with Rick so I haven't even been home to get on my computer.
I hope that you all will please pray for Rick as he is trying to heal from this. He is going to be rescheduling his back surgery. Right now he is too sick to be able to go through major surgery. Please just say a prayer for a quick recovery and for him to get home.
Until next time,
Jaime
I have never seen Rick like this. It has been a long few days. And I haven't had my computer. My good friend Heather brought her laptop to the hospital today and that is how I am able to update. I promise to update with a lot more information later but for right now I just wanted to post a quick update. If you want to know what is happening just follow me on Twitter. That is my only way to update at the moment.
I have been staying at the hospital with Rick so I haven't even been home to get on my computer.
I hope that you all will please pray for Rick as he is trying to heal from this. He is going to be rescheduling his back surgery. Right now he is too sick to be able to go through major surgery. Please just say a prayer for a quick recovery and for him to get home.
Until next time,
Jaime
Labels:
ERCP,
Pancreatitis,
Praying,
PSC,
Rick
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
