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
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