Brief Synopsis (final entry)
Heck, this was supposed to be brief, and it's not. It's 784 words. So if you are really really bored, or really really interested, and your PEM is on the wane, by all means, go for it.
Words Inflicted
Exhausting.
THE END?
More Words Inflicted
Kneecaps scraped and bruised, but otherwise, a smooth transport down the stairs and beyond. I do not blame them for damaging me, considering there exist three 90-degree angles to navigate while carrying me down on a tarp.
At the Hospital
Couldn't readily communicate with hospital staff until almost three hours in. Having the office manager from the caregiving agency with me was beneficial. Prior to them allowing him into my room, things started off unpleasantly.
Note: always have someone with you, even a mannequin, it really really helps
Openings
Confirmed clean open wound (split and extending downward from tailbone). Based on blood work, no infection. Area still feels bruised, but I'll have regular nursing visits (going forward - thanks to the office manager accompanying me. He was there most of the day).
Waited eight hours for the tube replacement, which was quite alright.. gave me a chance to recover some physical strength. Napped.
The Tubes, She's a Beauty
The J-Tube replacement came off rather smoothly. The doctor used a different technique than the others, managing to get a fair amount of Lidocaine into the stoma, thus, numbing it up better (If you need details for your feeding tube friends, please ask
). Bypassed the fentanyl this time, thus avoiding the unwanted after-effects.
A Discovery, a Theory, and the Steady Beat
What I found most interesting was that upon removing the old feeding tube, and despite having a heart rate well over 100 beats per minute, I DID NOT experience ectopic heartbeats like I usually do.
Anytime my heart rate goes above 91 beats per minute, it skips. But I believe they're releasing pressure and internal fluids through the stoma, my constant intestinal pressure beneath my rib cage (duodenum/transverse colon/stomach area) was also relieved.
So I am almost wondering if perhaps my severe gastroparesis and/or my current blockage (unable to take in any solid foods the past four months), could be caused by this constant pressure into (and underneath) my rib cage. Perhaps my duodenum is so squashed, virtually nothing can pass.
Wouldn't that be something? I will have to research (again) and see if that's actually a thing. It would be nice if I could discuss this theory with an open-minded gastroenterologist, but that's likely an impossibility.
So of course, twenty minutes after the procedure was completed, I was once again having sporadic ectopic heart beats (at 33-second intervals).
Premature Discharge
After that, they tried to send me home without resolving the bed sore issue. So I protested, and they sent a doctor in to see me. She came back, inspected.. left, then came back with specially with medicated gauze pads (and other related supplies) for me to use.. except that I left them on the hospital bed, or in the ambulance, or they flew out the window somehow, while we were barreling down the avenues.
Yes, I sometimes get confused and lose track of things. Oh, and they told me petroleum jelly should work just fine.
Stuck
The only other point of interest (not that any of this is particularly interesting, but of course, I must finish the story.. right) -
Um, the plug would not disconnect from my J-Tube this morning (which is necessary to change out formula and flush the feeding tube system every 8 hours). Yes, it was stuck in place. Like, really really really stuck. Welded in there.
I tried for 20 minutes to disconnect the apparatus, but it wouldn't budge. Then I was concerned that the whole darn thing might pull out of my body if I wasn't careful with my tugging and twisting.
First, I wrapped my heating pad around, hoping the rubber and/or plastic tip would expand. Then, since it didn't work, I tried to ice the darn thing. Then I tried a pair of pliers. More twisting. More dangerous. And then in steps my wife, running late for work. She decides to squeeze, using the pressure already in the tube to force the plug back out the way it came. And after a few spare minutes, it did come out. Hallelujah!
And now I am feeling fine!
I've already written out a 5 billion word essay detailing multiple (positive) social impacts experienced by me. I'll post it over in the usual spot. And yes, it's even a LESS vital read than what you've just read here.
THANK YOU very much for helping me through this life experience. Orchestrating these actions and remembering the details is sometimes overwhelming for me. My brain perceives oddly.
H