Page Created August 9, 2001
Updated Sept 12, 2001
Continuing One Day at a Time
Written August 9, 2001
I am home from a lot
of tests and I have a tube in my nose that
feels like it moves every time I
swallow.. It is a rough
test and I am really tired. I had a EKG and Labs
done afterward.
Tomorrow i go back to Pittsburgh and they will remove this
tube and
put in an another for the endoscopy..
I have to carry a monitor
around with me and write down
every time I eat and how long and even if I
gag or rift,
I have to note the time.. This test is such that she had to
intubate me twice. First for the esophageal motility and
that seemed
like it took forever.. Then i had to wait
ten minutes and she put the second
tube in. This time it
was a little easier.. I am very uncomfortable no
matter
what I am doing.. But I keep telling myself it will be over
soon.. 8 AM tomorrow.. lol
I am really worn
out.. I just ate and it was difficult to do.
But I will be okay. It is
getting closer to 8 AM US EST.
It is actually 7 PM here so only 13 hrs to
go.. :-)
The countdown continues. lol I always get through the rough times.
I am a survivor.. I will be having my Surgery as scheduled on Aug 29th
at least it seems that way.. I have the endoscopy tomorrow,
then
Echocardiogram on Tuesday and then Wednesday I see the
Nutritionist, Friday
I go to the Surgeon and the Hematologist
in the same day.. Thank the Lord!!
Then it will be wait until
the 29th and then it will begin again..
I
hope to feel a little better by tomorrow afternoon.
After all the tubes are
gone..
Thank you all for the cards, prayers and most of all your friendship
!!
It is Friday August
10, 2001
Today I went to University of Pittsburgh MC Presbyterian
Hospital
to have my NG tube removed and then they did the Endoscopy.
I
am glad these tests are over, however,
they did found a growth in my
esophagus and
a Hiatal Hernia this is about 3 inches long.
They gave me
Demerol and Versed as Anesthesia and kept saying
to close my eyes and sleep.
They gave me about 5 injections
of the anesthesia and I was still wide awake
most of the test.
I still felt some pain as they removed the growth to send
out for
biopsy.. The Dr said that the Surgeon may be able to repair the
hernia while they do the Gastric Bypass. I hope so!
I have been
suffering with upper abdominal pain for quite a while.
I have always chalked
it up to muscles or nerves.
When the Doctors were talking about the Hiatal
Hernia he said that
It was a big Hiatal Hernia... Then he said "See that,
take it,
I don't know what that is" and told the other Dr to remove it
and they would send it out for a biopsy.
He said Dr Ikramuddin would
tell me the results and what to do
in the meantime for the Hernia. I will
also find out next Friday
if they can fix it during the Gastric Bypass, but
he thought they
might be able to do that, so I could have only the one
surgery..
I pray he is right and that this growth is benign also.
These
tests this last two days have really stirred up my stomach.
I am having
a good bit of pain but it may be from where
he removed the growth or all the
tubes..
They sure made my throat sore and my sinus on the right side,
where the tubes were put in are feeling really clear compared
to the
left side. So, I jokingly told the nurse that if I
had to have another NG
tube I hope they use the left nostril
to clear that side too... Maybe I will
ask the Surgeon to make
sure they use the left side when I have my surgery..
lol
Well, i have been through a lot this past 48 hours and I
need to
rest some and see if I can get rid of this pain.
I hope to be able to add
more to me Health Journal as i go,
so it isn't so difficult to remember
everything..
Today is Thursday
August 16, 2001
I had to take a Leave of Absence from the Site Fights
due
to medical reasons and I hope to return to the competitions
after my
Surgery and recovery. Thanks to all of you who have
been supporting my web
site.
Today is Monday
August 20, 2001
I have been waiting too long to update this page and now
I have a lot to write about. First, I found out that the
growth is
benign. Thank God!! I had my Echocardiogram on
Tuesday and the jury is still
out on that one. I received a
call from Dr Ikramuddin's office on Tuesday to
see if I could
come in on Wednesday instead of Friday. So I had to tell my
husband when he got home from work since he wanted to go with me.
Needless to say he was none too happy since his employer is strict
on
days off and he was supposed to be off on Friday.
Well, he called in for a
personal day at 5 AM and then I got
up to get ready to go to Pittsburgh. I
had to see the nutritionist
at UPMC Shadyside at 9 AM and then the surgeon
at 12:15 PM.
I am glad things worked out this way since I had planned on
going to Pittsburgh alone on Wednesday to see the nutritionist.
I am not
too thrilled about driving into Pittsburgh with someone
along since there
have been a lot of violent crimes there lately.
So i guess that goes to show
that everything does happen for a reason.
Okay now the Nutritionist gave us
a lot of information and then we
went to see Dr Ikramudduin at UPMC Presby.
An interesting day.
Then the Dr tells me that my sonogram from a few
weeks back showed
that my liver is enlarged and also my liver profile (lab)
was high.
Now I will have not only a gastric bypass but also a hiatal hernia
repair and a liver biopsy all at the same time. What timing
for my liver
to go.. At least I only have to have one surgery.
Friday we went to Dr
Bontempo's office in Oakland. He is a
hematologist and he asked me about my
history of DVE and PE
or blood clots. After a lot of questions and confusion
he said he would like to run a gene test to see if I am
genetically
pre-disposed to blood clots.
Then I joked to him that he wouldn't want
to clone me.
Of course he said he doesn't clone anyone. lol
Blood was
drawn again and then we were on our way home.
Whew! What a couple of weeks I
have had.
I will add some more later since I am getting really tired.
~~~~To be continued~~~~ next page .
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