My new Christmas card pic.

Progress

The nurse came in this morning and removed the tube that went from my stomach, thru my nose, and up to the drainage bottle. I'm relieved, but removing that thing was probably the 2nd most disgusting thing I've ever done. Later, the doctor removed the dressing that covered Boston's Big Dig. Thirty staples hold the skin together. Yeah, 30!

Regardless, I feel better today than I did 2 weeks ago. That's an improvement.

Update from Ed

This is Ed writing in behalf of Andre. He is now back in his hospital room recovering from the surgery. Everything went well. There was no need for a colostomy (just a resection). Just to let y'all know of the ordeal he went through, here’s a recap of Thursday. From 12:01 am Thursday, he was not allowed to drink or eat anything. Seventeen hours later (around 5 pm), they wheeled him out of his room to the surgery ward. According to my new friend Kirk who mans VM's surgery waiting room, Andre was on the table at 7 pm. The surgery lasted until 9:30 pm. At 10:40 pm, he was back in his suite with tubes sticking out everywhere. And now at 1:10 am Friday, he’s telling me to write this email. Again, everything is okay. Thanks for keeping him in your thoughts.

Here's the deal....

Ok, it's Tuesday. I've been in Virginia Mason Hospital since last Friday afternoon. A total of nine docs are working on this little situation I have.

The solution? They're going to remove and resect my sigmoid colon on Thursday. It's gonna leave a scar!

Weekend report

I checked myself in to Virginia Mason Hospital this past Friday on the advice of my PCP. I hit the ER at about 3pm and finally got a room at about 9pm. Whatever.... stuff happens.

So I've been sitting here for 48 hours in an ortho hospital room (basically a private room) and they've been pumping me full of antibiotics and gluco-saline solutions. They did a CT with contrast in lots of wonderful variations. They've checked my blood and my poop and my urine and my vitals about 17,000 times.

Results? "Well, we pretty much think you might possibly have what you said you had when you walked in the door."

Anyway, the antibiotics aren't working and the pain isn't subsiding and they might consider the possibility of maybe thinking about potentially doing another CT tomorrow.

Decisions, decisions, decisions....... they don't wanna make any.

Physician, heal thyself.

Ok, the terrific results of my Monday adventure with the gastroenterologist: He sent me to 'urgent care' to get some tests done. More blood work, more Xrays, wonderful brunch of barium (berry flavor!), then a CT scan.

Results? Same as before - "Yes, there is an infection but the results are indeterminate."

Thanks a freaking lot, doc! I knew that when I walked in. I told you that when I walked in. I had to spend SEVEN hours here for you to tell me you agree with me?

So what decision was made? Basically, 'well, we know what we're doing isn't working, but you're not getting any worse, so keep doing what's not working and we'll give you some morphine so you wanna sleep all the time and won't give a shit if you feel bad. Call us in a week if it's the same.'

No kidding. WTF is up with gastroenterologists? Do indecisive procrastinators all choose this as a specialty? There has to be some good reason people tolerate poo.... Sorry, I'm a bit frustrated......

Tomorrow, tomorrow......

Tomorrow morning I see a gastroenterologist to figure out why I'm in such pain. My lower GI is absolutely killing me and no amount of antibiotics is making it go away. I have no energy, no sense of motivation, not even a willingness to talk.... It just HURTS.

Wanna know how badly it hurts? So badly I've taken 1/2 tab of Dex (my evil steroid) every day since Friday. It keeps the inflamation down and reduces the pain. Yeah, I hate the 'roids, but I hate the pain even worse.

Hopefully tomorrow won't be a "Hmmmm...." session with the gastro. I've been thru all the tests, dammit! I want some action! This CANNOT go on for a couple of weeks while he rediscovers what's already been discovered.

The fun of it all.

You're not gonna believe this, but the steroids have been hiding a pretty serious infection in my lower GI tract. I've been sick for the past several days. Is that ironic, or is life really unfair sometimes?

Looks like maybe we have it under control.