an update on STP/Sandy
Hey guys.
I got a call from Sandy's partner, Ruth, tonight, to let me know that Sandy is out of the hospital. I was also able to speak to Sandy for a few minutes. I'll tell you she sounds strong, but she says it definitely ebbs and flows. The hospital staff was impressed that she was up and walking the day after her surgery. She attributes how well she's doing, now, to the training she did prior to climbing Mt St Helens several weeks ago.
She's amazing, really.
Let's see... what else? She hopes to fly home Thursday or Friday, assuming she can get clearance from her surgeon. She'll see him tomorrow, and have her staples removed. She may or may not be up to attending the Seattle area DS support group meeting on Saturday.
This is important: In retrospect, she admits that did not take action as quickly as she should have - ignoring signs and signals from her body that should have spurred her into action sooner. Once she's feeling up to it, she plans on sharing what she's learned, so we can all benefit from her experience.
But in spite of her delayed reaction, there were a lot of fast-acting individuals that flat-out saved the woman's life. She was VERY VERY lucky to have the surgeon she had. He brought a good deal of weight-loss surgery experience to the table, and while that experience wasn't with the DS, he was able to talk to Shrikanth prior to cutting, so he knew what he was going to encounter in terms of how she was plumbed.
Thank goodness Ruth (who happens to be a nurse) took action as quickly as she did, and was able to get Shrikanth on the line. She literally handed the cell phone over to the surgeon even before he'd spoken with or examined Sandy. Shrikanth apparently convinced the surgeon to skip all the preliminary testing and messing about and get her *straight* into surgery. If Shrikanth hadn't done that... or if the surgeon hadn't listened to him... Sandy's bowel would likely have perforated.
The obstruction was in the large bowel, which had turned over on itself and then twisted. There was some dead tissue, which of course had to be removed. She lost some large bowel and a negligible amount of common channel. There was damage to the valve that regulates how quickly the contents of her common channel empties into her large bowel, which could have resulted in serious future issues. The surgeon ... thinking ahead to her quality of life down the road, and not "just" in taking care of the issue at hand... used his expertise to create what they hope will act as a regulator in place of the valve.
Both Shrikanth and the local bariatric surgeon that she had in Alaska feel confident that she'll be back to where she was before the obstruction, once she heals.
She really appreciates all the good thoughts we're sending out to her.
-Kathy
For those who can't place the OH handle, this is her profile:
I got a call from Sandy's partner, Ruth, tonight, to let me know that Sandy is out of the hospital. I was also able to speak to Sandy for a few minutes. I'll tell you she sounds strong, but she says it definitely ebbs and flows. The hospital staff was impressed that she was up and walking the day after her surgery. She attributes how well she's doing, now, to the training she did prior to climbing Mt St Helens several weeks ago.
She's amazing, really.
Let's see... what else? She hopes to fly home Thursday or Friday, assuming she can get clearance from her surgeon. She'll see him tomorrow, and have her staples removed. She may or may not be up to attending the Seattle area DS support group meeting on Saturday.
This is important: In retrospect, she admits that did not take action as quickly as she should have - ignoring signs and signals from her body that should have spurred her into action sooner. Once she's feeling up to it, she plans on sharing what she's learned, so we can all benefit from her experience.
But in spite of her delayed reaction, there were a lot of fast-acting individuals that flat-out saved the woman's life. She was VERY VERY lucky to have the surgeon she had. He brought a good deal of weight-loss surgery experience to the table, and while that experience wasn't with the DS, he was able to talk to Shrikanth prior to cutting, so he knew what he was going to encounter in terms of how she was plumbed.
Thank goodness Ruth (who happens to be a nurse) took action as quickly as she did, and was able to get Shrikanth on the line. She literally handed the cell phone over to the surgeon even before he'd spoken with or examined Sandy. Shrikanth apparently convinced the surgeon to skip all the preliminary testing and messing about and get her *straight* into surgery. If Shrikanth hadn't done that... or if the surgeon hadn't listened to him... Sandy's bowel would likely have perforated.
The obstruction was in the large bowel, which had turned over on itself and then twisted. There was some dead tissue, which of course had to be removed. She lost some large bowel and a negligible amount of common channel. There was damage to the valve that regulates how quickly the contents of her common channel empties into her large bowel, which could have resulted in serious future issues. The surgeon ... thinking ahead to her quality of life down the road, and not "just" in taking care of the issue at hand... used his expertise to create what they hope will act as a regulator in place of the valve.
Both Shrikanth and the local bariatric surgeon that she had in Alaska feel confident that she'll be back to where she was before the obstruction, once she heals.
She really appreciates all the good thoughts we're sending out to her.
-Kathy
For those who can't place the OH handle, this is her profile:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/stp/
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Have you considered the Duodenal Switch? Information is power.
Have you considered the Duodenal Switch? Information is power.
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