I'm Getting By.

So I haven't blogged in a bit... I've been a bit busy.  On Saturday,  November 7, I started having pretty harsh abdominal cramping, but I thought...no big deal.. I'll take some OTC medications and get rid of it...I went through the gambit of medication over the next day or so, but Monday morning still had it.  I decided my best course of action was to go to the urgent care facility and see what they had to say... they took my money asked me a few questions then the doc said.. "my mentor alway said, with abdominal pain assume appendix..."  but they had no equipment there to do any of the tests I  needed, so I got referred to the ER.  After spending the better part of an evening there... and blood urine and cat scan tests, it was determined that I had duodenitis. ... an inflammation of the duodenum. ...the part of the digestive system that connects the stomach and the small intestine.  So they gave me protonics and sent me on my merry way ...of course they also noted my blood sugar was over 300... so metformin was added to my diet... I once before had high blood sugar in 2008, and lost a significant amount of weight in a short period of time. That brought my blood sugar under control then.... so this was my current plan.  Of course I was to follow up with a general physician and a gastrologist. The general practicioner they recommended took a few days to get back with me on whether they accept me as a new patient. .. but the gastrologist said they had nothing open until the end of February.   So I made an appointment with the GP on the following Monday. He said since I appeared to be getting better... continue taking the meds and start monitoring my blood sugar.  He wanted me to get some blood tests at the hospital and he would see me the to follow up. I made it until Friday... then all hell started to break loose.

I awoke on Friday... had an egg... couple pieces of bacon. ...and low carb toast. ...was feeling okay until lunch... started feeling queasy, and decided to skip lunch and have my flavored Nestlé life water. Even with this, I only kept getting worse and my abdomen was cramping more and more. By the time I left work, I decided to try to go home and rest. That only lasted a short time as my pain worsened. I realized that I didn't need to sit around the whole weekend in pain again...so I called my doc.  He evidently only works half days on Friday. ...so my only recourse was back to the ER.  By the time I got there, I was in considerable pain.  They took me back quickly and ran more blood tests, urine tests, and another cat scan... this time they noticed a small mass they had assumed was food the last time, but it hadn't moved in 11 days so they figured this might be an issue. They scheduled me for an x-ray and afterwards admitted me to the hospital.

There was consultation with the surgeon, and I was told there was this mass and it needed to be removed... that there might be danger of perforation.... and it hadn't moved in 11 days... he asked if I might have eaten a foreign object. ...Now I don't ever remember eating a foreign object since I was a kid. ....but I elected to have the surgery.   They scheduled it for just a few hours later... so after an 8 inch slice into my gut... and removal of the object as well as a small section of my intestine on either side... I get 32 staples to put me back together and am now recuperating in the hospital room where I've been for 4 days. Woke up with an NG tube to my stomach as well as a,catheter  and 2 IVs.... one on left arm.. other on right wrist.  They started me off on Morphine shots.  Every 2 hours... but quickly switched to dilauded after complaining the morphine sent stabbing pains through my abdomen for 5 min or so after each dosage.. the dilauded does a similar effect, but only a bit of cramping.  

So tomorrow is Thanksgiving. ...and I won't be seeing my daughters.... I didn't say, but dad was on his way up during surgery Saturday. ...and no will stay until I can get around a bit better.  I would have been okay, but he felt it necessary.   I've had 4 visitors here so far.. 3 with which I work. I just don't know many people.   In any case, I'm hoping to get out of here tomorrow.  Work isn't expecting me back until January.  So I'm doing what I can do so I can get out of here... get better... and hopefully get to make the trip to Kentucky for Christmas. I really miss my girls... but I'm getting by.