I'm Back!

I haven't blogged literally in months. While things have been happening, my life changed dramatically. I had no idea what I was in for when I finally visited the doctor about three months ago. I haven't felt really good in so long I can't remember but things started to worsen for me about five months ago. RaChael, Buck and the girls visited us in August and RaChael talked to me about my health and made me promise to go the doctor.

Now I have been to the doctor in California with the same symptoms and was given iron pills and sent on my way; obviously this didn't work. I went to an internist in Knoxville and explained my symptoms. For the first time I felt listened to. I was so relieved and yet confused when the doctor said 'lets get to the bottom of this, I think you are bleeding internally'. I thought there was no way his hunch was right. But since I am at the age when you start getting routine tests done, I just accepted his radical idea.

While I was on a health fishing expedition, all my coworkers were called in to a special meeting with my bosses. We were told that evening that they were closing up shop as of that moment. So while I was waiting for my colonoscopy, I was job hunting. I was interviewed at Target and was offered a job. I told them the only thing in my future was just a routine test. On the following Monday, I went in for my colonoscopy. During the procedure, I noticed the doctor reacting angrily and the situation got tense. After the procedure, I was told that I had two inch polyps in my upper colon and they would need to be removed....and fast. I called Target and told them I would need about ten days to recover from this minor procedure. They were so gracious and would hold my job.

The doctor pushed for the procedure to be done and a week later I was scheduled for the colonectomy. They were to laproscopically remove the portion of the colon the polyps were located. Once I was out I was suprised; what was supposed to be a two to three hour procedure turned out to last I think about eight hours. I was soon given blood transfusions and fluids. RaChael flew in which was an overwhelming blessing and was there after the surgery. I was put in ICU and heavily medicated. Things are pretty sketchy from my memory so I have relied on RaChael's recollection. I was given I think about four units of blood and two IVs of fluids at the same time. My resting heart rate was 170 and my blood pressure was high; they started sedating me more because when I moved around my heart rate would climb. From what I understand it was touch and go for a while. I was given a diarectic and that corrected the problem.

I was in the ICU for five days; the length of my sister's visit. She was a lifesaver picking up the the kids, cooking and cleaning. During the day she would visit with me. I was so sedated her visits are like faint memories I wish I could remember. I was put in the normal ward for the next five days and give a few more transfusions. I finally got to go home. I was in a lot of pain and could only sleep sitting up.

Okay, I will try to explain the procedure. First, they placed shunts so that the area like the kidneys would not be damaged in the procedure. They started to do the procedure laproscopically, but realized to would have to be an open surgery. The polyps at that point were unknown if they were cancer and I was happy to hear they were not. The doctor told RaChael that they were like old food in the refridgerator; one day they were fine by the next it could go bad. Plus they were the kind of polyps that, if cancerous, would ravage my body. A portion of my upper colon was actually hernaited and was removed. There was also a hole in my colon. There was a hernia on my kidneys along with grossly enlarged varicous veins wrapped around them. They had to take my organs out and rerout and fix the problems.

Once I got home, it was a VERY slow recovery. I ended up back in the hospital a week later needing two more transfusions. It has now been almost two months and I am still in pain (the doctor thinks the anemia is slowing down the healing process), but I am doing much better. I continue to wear a binder around my stomach for support and I am still anemic. I have had rectal bleeding about four times but because of all my rerouting, they can't really scope me properly. If I bleed again, I will go immediatley for a bleeding test. I feel pretty good but it goes without saying I have to pass on the Target job. I am trying to do as much as I can to get back to normal while still be obediant to the doctors.

Our church and family have been a great support through this time; it has been tough to go through for everybody especially being so far from outside support. It was hard on Norm; he have started his new the job the day after my surgery, then he would come home and take care of the house and the girls. Hope and Grace both had to pitch in more. My memory is very foggy; I cannot remember October at all. But God has provided wonderful people in our lives that have been invaluable and I am very thankful to not only them, but the doctors who discovered the problem and took care of it. I am hoping to now start iron therapy and look forward to better health. I have had a lot of people praying for me and I appreciate it so much. I have learned some great lessons through this trial and I have given up the dream of wearing a bikini (ha!), but God is faithful and has been with me through this time and has brought spiritual healing and hopefully soon my physical healing will be complete.

Tina