Good Morning. Vitacouple Update..Happy Bday, Michelle
Here's the latest from Michelle last night. Keep those lizards swinging for them, LWs.
--gina
***
* * * * * * Updates at the bottom * * * * *
*** This is my apology for any abruptness of replies and my delinquency in
responding. Here is the long and short of my status. August 20, Don
acquired a very serious kidney infection. Although he recovered, he was
very ill for 2 weeks. When he finished his course of antibiotics and was
cleared, then he really got sick.
He was OK at 3 am early the morning of Sept 7, but at 6 am he was on the
floor unable to move. He felt chest pain (a spasm, is how he describes it
now) and planned to stand up and walk it off. There seems to be a 3-4
second gap in his memory. I heard a loud THUD and he was on the floor. He
can't say if his bad knee crumpled or if he lost consciousness or perhaps
the paralysis had begun.
In any case, when he fell, he hit his head on (?) something unforgiving and
it snapped his neck backward breaking/displacing C-4. The nerve damage was
immediate and he became a Spinal Cord Injury patient.
The local EMT's responded immediately and the ER team was excellent in
diagnosing his issue and ruling out any possibility of heart or stroke
issues. We still don't know what the chest pain was (not strong) and we
still don't know why he went down.
He was transferred and had surgery 9/9 (they waited for swelling to go
down). They fused C 3-4-5-6. He began to have movement again in his
hands/fingers/legs. But it will be months before these things work well.
This surgery is done via the throat and back of his neck and a drain was
installed in his throat area. All this causes swelling in his throat area
and he cannot swallow.
He was moved to in-patient rehab at the closest hospital. They did swallow
studies and his problem seems to be mechanical, not more nerve damage. He
does PT, OT, ADL and speech therapy all day.
As of 9/22, he is home, with all kinds of scary equipment. My decor is
Modern Hospital these days. He can speak again, but is being tube fed. The
danger of his aspirating his own saliva is still present. His swallowing is
improving, but the swelling from the damage and fixit surgery are still
making his throat too snug for much to pass.
We were trying to work with the tube feeding and doing OK, except it blocked
twice. If you're seeing a tube like an IV line, no. It's a pediatric line,
smaller in diameter than a paper clip. HOWEVER, Sunday night it decided it
didn't like Don and started to just come out. I suspect he bumped it in the
shower and we can't slide it back in without being under fluoroscopy.
The neurosurgeon took the neck brace Monday. The ENT said he was at a
Crossroads. Either he can get past the swallow issue at this point or they
re-place the tube. If he gains wt, he's home free. If he loses any more
(he's lost 30# in a month), back in with the tube.
Then there's me. My bladder slammed shut and I had to go to ER to get it
un-slammed. I did call my doc office and sure, they could've determined
that it was a bladder infection (didn't act like one), but they would have
sent me to ER anyway.
Walgreen's Rx thinks we're stalking them by now.
Oct 14. Visit to ENT today. Unfortunately, Don gained a few lbs, but then
lost them when his throat pretty much closed up tight. Tomorrow, surgical
visit to install G or J tube. No more teensy NJ tube smaller than Angel
Hair pasta. We need to be able to pump stuff in at a faster rate and not
worry about it jamming.
His arms/legs/hands are doing VERY well, according to his OT, PT, RN that
visit at home (til these benefits run out).
In the meantime, the first actual bills are starting to roll in. What I'd
seen before were initial bills before insurance or EOB's only. Thanks to
you, I was able to pay the ER visit for the kidney infection promptly.
Just the words "thank you" are not enough. At all. But we both say them,
anyway.
****
Thanks,
Michelle
Vitalady, Inc T
www.vitalady.com <http://www.vitalady.com/>
--gina
***
* * * * * * Updates at the bottom * * * * *
*** This is my apology for any abruptness of replies and my delinquency in
responding. Here is the long and short of my status. August 20, Don
acquired a very serious kidney infection. Although he recovered, he was
very ill for 2 weeks. When he finished his course of antibiotics and was
cleared, then he really got sick.
He was OK at 3 am early the morning of Sept 7, but at 6 am he was on the
floor unable to move. He felt chest pain (a spasm, is how he describes it
now) and planned to stand up and walk it off. There seems to be a 3-4
second gap in his memory. I heard a loud THUD and he was on the floor. He
can't say if his bad knee crumpled or if he lost consciousness or perhaps
the paralysis had begun.
In any case, when he fell, he hit his head on (?) something unforgiving and
it snapped his neck backward breaking/displacing C-4. The nerve damage was
immediate and he became a Spinal Cord Injury patient.
The local EMT's responded immediately and the ER team was excellent in
diagnosing his issue and ruling out any possibility of heart or stroke
issues. We still don't know what the chest pain was (not strong) and we
still don't know why he went down.
He was transferred and had surgery 9/9 (they waited for swelling to go
down). They fused C 3-4-5-6. He began to have movement again in his
hands/fingers/legs. But it will be months before these things work well.
This surgery is done via the throat and back of his neck and a drain was
installed in his throat area. All this causes swelling in his throat area
and he cannot swallow.
He was moved to in-patient rehab at the closest hospital. They did swallow
studies and his problem seems to be mechanical, not more nerve damage. He
does PT, OT, ADL and speech therapy all day.
As of 9/22, he is home, with all kinds of scary equipment. My decor is
Modern Hospital these days. He can speak again, but is being tube fed. The
danger of his aspirating his own saliva is still present. His swallowing is
improving, but the swelling from the damage and fixit surgery are still
making his throat too snug for much to pass.
We were trying to work with the tube feeding and doing OK, except it blocked
twice. If you're seeing a tube like an IV line, no. It's a pediatric line,
smaller in diameter than a paper clip. HOWEVER, Sunday night it decided it
didn't like Don and started to just come out. I suspect he bumped it in the
shower and we can't slide it back in without being under fluoroscopy.
The neurosurgeon took the neck brace Monday. The ENT said he was at a
Crossroads. Either he can get past the swallow issue at this point or they
re-place the tube. If he gains wt, he's home free. If he loses any more
(he's lost 30# in a month), back in with the tube.
Then there's me. My bladder slammed shut and I had to go to ER to get it
un-slammed. I did call my doc office and sure, they could've determined
that it was a bladder infection (didn't act like one), but they would have
sent me to ER anyway.
Walgreen's Rx thinks we're stalking them by now.
Oct 14. Visit to ENT today. Unfortunately, Don gained a few lbs, but then
lost them when his throat pretty much closed up tight. Tomorrow, surgical
visit to install G or J tube. No more teensy NJ tube smaller than Angel
Hair pasta. We need to be able to pump stuff in at a faster rate and not
worry about it jamming.
His arms/legs/hands are doing VERY well, according to his OT, PT, RN that
visit at home (til these benefits run out).
In the meantime, the first actual bills are starting to roll in. What I'd
seen before were initial bills before insurance or EOB's only. Thanks to
you, I was able to pay the ER visit for the kidney infection promptly.
Just the words "thank you" are not enough. At all. But we both say them,
anyway.
****
Thanks,
Michelle
Vitalady, Inc T
www.vitalady.com <http://www.vitalady.com/>
5'1" -- HW 195/SW 187/GW 115 July 08/CW 121 Dec 2012
******GOAL*******
Starting BMI between 35 and 40ish?
Join us on the Lightweights Board!
DS on Aug 9, 2007 with Dr. Hazem Elariny
Wow - my thoughts and prayers are still with them. They still have a long way to go....
HW-218/SW-208/CW-126/ Lowest Weight-121/Goal-125 - hit 8/23/09/Height-5'3"
Regain 30 lbs from 2012 to 2016 - got back on track and lost it. Took 8 months.
90+/- pounds lost BMI - 24 or so
Starting BMI between 35 and 40ish?
Join us on the Lightweights Board!
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