Wow! I just saw this. I dont know what to say.................I guess I'll let everyone know what has happened. Back in late march, Melissa was starting to get ick on stomach. Then it turned into all day and night sickness. She could not eat or drink and keep it down, eaither throwing up or diareah. A week or so of this and she had to go to the doctor. Classic symptoms of gall stones but as usual quick moneymaker for hospitals. Well they decided to call it that.
After some x-rays they wanted to do the surgery right away. After looking at the x-rays the also found a tumor on her left hip. Didn't know if it was cancer, but they needed to do the gall bladder surgery first. Well after the gall bladder surgery her sickness seemed to get even worse. Couldn't even hold down water. About 2 weeks later she was admitted into baptist hospital in Winston, they wanted to remove the tumor, even if she was sick.
The day of the surgery came and they went in. The tumor was attached to the hip bone, (not what they expected) they had to cut it off and grind the bone till they reached healthy bone. In doing so they had ground a large hole through the hip and came to see me in the waiting room. They wanted to do a bone graph and I agreed. The next day the doctor came to see us and told us the hip would not hold.
They needed to put a titanium plate and screws in but the current surgery neded to heal first. The next week was tough. I had to work and traveled to Winston every night. The hip surgery seemed to make the original sickness the worst it had ever been. She was dangerously low in nutrition and very dehydrated. Doctors couldn't find the problem and still didn't know if the tumor was cancer. Couple days past and the first good news came in. It was not cancer.
Her st in Baptist consisted in 22 days. Still her nutrition very low the insurance company convinced the doctors she didn't need to be there. Two more weeks past as she stayed at her mothers house as she had to have 24 hour care. confined to bed and wheelchair with bedside toilet. Starting to feel better, the doctors wanted to do the plate. Another week and back to baptist.
Surgery went well and as planned. They got her up and walking right away.
By this time she was skin and bone and weighed in at 94 lbs. Another 6 days in the hospital. Finally came home with the same 24 hour care for 2 weeks. She didn't make it 2 days at home. Very Very sick. She wanted to just give up and die. This was tough. I called Baptist and since it was past buisness hours they told me not to bring her to them. I finally decided to take her to the local emergency room. They admitted her there. I think this was her lowest point. 91lbs.
They had her for another week and a half. Battling her nutrition was a tough go. They found out she was alergic (sp) to wheat. Let me tell you wheat and gain is in almost everything.They decided to put in a feeding tube. Liquid nutrition bypassing the stomach. Insurance again wanted her out of the hospital, but we did get home health. CNA's Nurses, and physical thearpy came to the house. Took blood samples, thearpy, etc all at home. This is better.
Every night I set up the pump to the feeding tube and poured in the shake. The tube came out a couple times and had to go back to the hospit to have it put back in as it had to be put in with an x-ray. 3 weeks of this tube in her nose and it came out again. The doctor didn't want to put it back this time because the nutrition level was finally half way where in needed to be. She could now drink the stuff and keep it down most of the time. Still liquids, no solid food.
Few weeks later she felt better and could eat solid food. made it back to 103 lbs. We finally went on our summer vacation. Well we went but she was sick everyday. Just got back this past Sat. This is a vacation we had planned to go on early in the year. We missed it because of her sickness and lost the money we spent on plane tickets. Since she was feeling better My parents bought us replacement tickets.
Since she has still been sick she went back to the doctor yesterday. They did bloodwork and she had to go back today. Doctor sent her to the Hospital today......same thing, sick everyday and nutrition level way down again and very dehydrated. They set up the IV and gave her fluids and medication. So, I don't know what else to do.
Next friday is 6 months from her job. It is held till then. When her job is gone, so is the insurance and short term disability. Didn't know what to do other than start selling toys. Her insurance is decent......alot better than mine but we still owe alot. When her disability is gone I dont know what will happen. Anyone been through this stuff before?
This was the short version. Somewhere in the above there was a type of gastro internal surgery where they did a procedure through the throat to cut some scar tissue in a bile duct. I don't even remember haw many procedures was done but there has been 4 surgerys. Just wanted yall to know the basic story. Thanks to all, KC
