We left you with Stu’s ER visit late Friday/early Saturday. Things were okay all weekend and he went to see our primary care doctor on Monday. Without any other symptoms and only the CT scan results to go on, they jointly decided to wait until the COVID vaccine was given to him before doing any more testing. That is, unless he started to show signs of jaundice or other pain episodes. Yay!
We headed out on Tuesday morning to get our COVID tests, something we thought was a good idea after being in Pigeon Forge for three days. The wait wasn’t bad, the test about the same as our previous – well organized and we could check for our results online after 24 hours. We watched a woodpecker attack a tree as we waited. I couldn’t get a clear, close-up shot but did snap a couple.
Then Tuesday night late, it happened again. Back to the ER we went. A different doctor, asked a lot of questions, checked out Stu’s past records, ordered bloodwork and an ultrasound of the gallbladder, and returned with some choices.
The ultrasound confirmed showed no definitive signs of a stone blocking a duct and although the wall of the gallbladder was a bit thick, it didn’t (outwardly) appear inflamed. But, the lab showed Stu’s bilirubin level had doubled to borderline high in three days. Not a good sign. His recommendation was to get the gallbladder removed and if Stu agreed he would contact the surgeon on call to discuss his case. We both agreed and off he went.
He returned with the news that the surgeon was on his way in to do his rounds and would talk with Stu. When he arrived, he took a look at the xrays and ultrasound and felt there might be a stone blocking the duct. With the increase in the bilirubin combined with multiple attacks, he agreed the gallbladder should come out and could fit him in the day’s schedule. So while they processed him into the hospital, I headed home to feed the #2doods and grab a couple hours sleep.
When I returned around 12:30-1:00ish, he was in surgery and I waited in his room.
He arrived around 2:30 and was definitely loopy.
The doctor came by around 3:30, gave us the results. Turns out the gallbladder was very inflamed internally and definitely needed to come out. It was a good decision. He had flushed the duct with dye and neither he nor the radiologist were 100% positive there might not still be a minor blockage. That said, we are to watch for tea-colored urine and yellowing eyes. Stu goes in for a post-surgical check-up on the 5th of January. In the meantime he was to rest and slowly return to normal eating as he felt like it.
He got to come home around 6pm that night and the #2doods were happy to see us after having been crated most of the day. (Love being able to check in on them when we’re not home.) He’s on similar restrictions as I had been with my surgery in June. No lifting, tugging, pulling…so a lot of the things he normally takes care of are back in my daily chore list. But that’s fine with me!
All was good, right?
Hmm, maybe?
I headed out to the closest pharmacy to fill the pain prescription. They almost didn’t fill it because it was a narcotic and we hadn’t been a customer before. I told our tale and combined with it being the day before Christmas with nasty weather, they filled it (VERY nice folks – will use them again). I was there less than 15 minutes and when I walked out, everything was fogged in. So fogged in I missed our street because I couldn’t see any landmarks! I found a place to turn around, set HOME on the GPS and tried again.
So now all was good, right? I mean, we woke to a beautiful white Christmas day!
Not so much.
On Friday night the pains came back, worse than before. Yes, Friday night, Christmas night. With snow and ice on the roads and temps in the teens. Oh, and a gas tank almost on empty because I hadn’t filled it up yet with the bad weather.
Our previous two visits to the ER, we had been put into a room almost immediately. This time they were slammed, no beds. One young girl told us she’d been waiting nine hours! So we waited and Stu paced. The triage nurse took his information and ordered an x-ray. So we waited two more hours and Stu paced. A bathroom visit produced a lot of gas. Oh my! Maybe things were starting to move? A CNA come out to take vitals on the half dozen (or more) people in the waiting area, three had been there longer than us! Stu paced more and expelled more gas. His pain level of almost 10 was down to a 2. Finally, after waiting over five hours, he decided to head home. The temps were now in the single digits and the car was showing a low fuel warning. A fill-up was necessary. Thank goodness for 24 hour gas stations!
It’s Sunday afternoon as I write this – he’s had one bowel movement, his appetite is returning, and coffee tastes good again. Progress!
Now we try to settle back into some semblance of normal as we await the arrival of 2021. Here’s hoping for a better year for everyone!
9 thoughts on “Another week we wish wasn’t…”
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Surely not the Christmas you were hoping for! You got to spend it with people – but definitely the wrong people! And white Christmases are meant to be spent at home. Glad things are looking up now and praying for continued improvement for Stu and some rest for you.
Definitely looking up…he’s learning what he can and can’t eat now.
Amen to that! Happy New Year wishes to you and Michael.
I’m glad he’s finally feeling some relief! Oh the adventures you two have.
Tell me…no editing or writing got done. LOL!
Oh gosh…what a week! Glad to hear he is better! Keep on recovering, Stu! Best wishes for a better start to the New Year!
Thanks and happy New Year to you and Eldy.
Did anyone tell you that narcotics sloooow down bowel movements? Makes like tough for my hubby when he has to take his pain meds for his migraine. No one told us that this could be a side effect. Glad he is on his way to mending and your travels were safe. Leigh
Oh yeah, he was sent home with Colace Rx. I already had some – he was taking 3 a day. Took Dulcolax tablets and a warm water enema and still no results.