Blatant appeal for sympathy

I don't mind admitting it. I am visiting tonight with a blatant appeal for your sympathy & empathy. I feel awful, although I'm on the mend. I want nothing more than a few "poor Chrises" virtual hugs. I would help me a bunch.

Nothing so fun as spending time in the hospital with emergency surgery and then having the brutal post -surgical pain as well a top level migraine and nausea to deal with at the same time. They were taking quite a long time to add Maxalt to what they were giving me for the post -surgical pain. Amazing that the Dilaudid, which is marvelous for the post-surgical pain did not touch my migraines.

The triptans is only med family that has always truly worked for my migraines. After about 12 hours of when I started complaining about the migraine and asking for Maxalt, I finally got it.

Let me back up a little to how I came to this sorry state. My gallbladder went bad, way bad, gangrene bad. I had to have emergency surgery that was intense, and took about twice as long as gallbladder removal usually takes.

I went through the surgery OK but then afterward they were having trouble waking me up. My respiration had slowed to 6/minute. At that point they gave me a drug, Narcan, that knocks all the opiates (read pain killer), out of the system - right now, in less that one minute.

What a shock. I woke up alright - to hell. Before I went into surgery I hadn't had any sleep for about 48 hours. For the first 24 hours I had plagued with vomiting, diarrhea, inability to keep down even water, and tremendous pain under my bottom ribs, especially on my right side.

So starting out with all of that, being sliced and diced, and then suddenly losing all pain meds definitely woke me up. I am not a screamer. No matter how bad my pain gets, the most I do is loud moaning. You can be sure that I was doing plenty of that. As soon as my breathing was stabilized, I returned to getting the pain meds.

So, I was in the hospital a week. I came home Tues afternoon this week. I am grateful that the hospital found a good surgeon and surgery team for me. As far as I can tell at this point, they did an excellent job.

What burns me is that I think my gall bladder was going bad the last time I was in the hospital, Nov '09. The Dr assigned to me that time just didn't go quite far enough. There was even some talk at that time of gall bladder surgery.

Somehow though, after my pneumonia was treated, and my lungs cleared up, the gall bladder issue was dropped. During follow up I asked my regular Dr about it. She did a liver enzyme test but when that came back normal, no more was said.

My feeling is that another gall bladder sonogram at that time would have told the story. I swear, do we have to personally have all medical knowledge of anything/everything that can go wrong with us?

This is the second time I have almost died because a diagnosis was missed. Then the organ gets sicker and sicker until it becomes blatantly apparent to anyone what is wrong. Then there is the mad dash, emergency surgery. I believe that in addition to the skills of my surgeons, if I weren't as strong as I am physically, I wouldn't have made it last time with the burst appendix or this time with the gangrenous gallbladder.

Chris

Just dragged my body out of bed and saw your post Chris............lots of hugs sent your way from the midwest.........((((((HUG))))) ((((((HUG)))))) (((((((HUG)))))) (((((((((HUG)))))))) (((((((((HUG)))))))).........stay in touch......L

Thank you so much JewishMom. I truly felt your hugs. It helps so much. It lifted my mood. Back at you!

Chris

Ouch!!!! I can't believe all the things that can go wrong that fast. I'm so glad you are okay. I hope the pain gets less and less until it is gone.

Sending warm fuzzies your way!!!

KimbaK

Ick-

I have had my gallbladder removed, but it wasn't years after I started having trouble, only months. I thought that was bad enough. I also knew about Narcan, but I've never heard the description from a pts. point of view, only from when it's medically necessary to use it (I'm in school for respiratory therapy currently). You take care of yourself.

Sorry it took so long to get you a reply, I've had a really bad cold and finally caved and saw the doc, so I wouldn't be contagious and house bound when I had to be at the hospital for school. I've been trying to give myself tea and sympathy. Mostly tea, along with as many fluids as I can cram down my sore throat.

Hope you've gotten your pain under control again.

I am so sorry you had to go through this!!! There is nothing like feeling crappy, and then even more crappier and then having to have people poke and prod you when you are in pain!!! Geesh. I am hoping you will be able to get a little rest and relief here soon!!!!

I am sure lots of us can empathize with your statement:

"My feeling is that another gall bladder sonogram at that time would have told the story. I swear, do we have to personally have all medical knowledge of anything/everything that can go wrong with us?"

I think, yes..............it seems like more and more we have to push the docs to be thorough and make them realize that we are not all the same and they need to think outside the box. I am a medical advocate for a friend of mine who has had cancer twice and now has CHF along with other "minor" health inconveniences and my job is to ask lots and lots of questions and make sure that they are covering all the bases when it comes to her care. They seem to have checklists in their heads and if she doesn't meet all the criteria for a certain medical problem then that can't be it. We have been told several times (especially at the ER) that when you hear hoofbeats you should assume that a horse is approaching not a zebra...........but lots and lots of times it is a zebra and so we push for tests that they don't think are necessary and lo and behold - we were right.......

Do you bring anybody with you to your appointments or keep track of your care when you are in the hospital? It can be very helpful to your sanity (and your lifespan!) if you are able to have someone with you who can also establish a relationship with your docs.....

Hope the pain is better...........(((((((HUG))))))

Goodness! What a nightmare!

I am so glad that you are doing better and can put that behind you. But what an ordeal.
By all means relax and take care and do something nice for yourself.

Oh gosh...I'm so not a hugger...but....... (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Wow, I'm so glad you are ok.

Thank you all so much for your kindness! That's just what I was looking for. JewishMom, what you said is so much help. I love the horses/zebras bit. I'm going to use that, if you don't mind. Yes, I do have a medical advocate, my Honey. I found out more about what happened when I was unconscious. For one thing, he kept bugging the staff about my slow respiration.

I am feeling better as I go along but I know it is a long road back. At least I know there is an end to this. There is a recovery.

Not so with migraines, eh?

If there were a surgery that could guarantee an end to migraines, I definitely would do it. Even if it entailed a long rehab and recovery. One can dream...


Best to you all,

Chris

Hi,

Oh boy- it sounds like you have really been through the wringer. I am so sorry. Sending hugs, good thoughts/prayers for a speedy recovery and no more problems like this your way.

I had to go through the whole narcan thing when the ER overdosed me on Depakan, benedryl, phenergan, and dilaudid by giving it in a wide open drip. If a friend had not been with me at the time, I am not sure they would have caught it as quickly- I still wound up on oxygen and in the step down ICU for two days.

I am sometimes readdy to shout at drs- just because it is rare, doesn't mean it can't happen.

Anyway, hang in there.

Pain free days,
sconesail

Chris! How rotten! Just an FYI, the last time I was in for seven days the nurses were so stinky about bringing my meds on time that I said hell with it, and took my own. I tried to do it their way for three days but it became clear that they did not agree with my pain management regime (even though all three Drs were fine with it) and one actually told me I "liked" my pain meds.

Slow burn thinking about it........

Can't believe you waited 12 hrs for a maxalt.

I'm glad you're on the mend. Hugs to you Dear Chris.

What an ordeal you went through, Chris! Trust you are on the mend now and hopefully on the road to better help!

Cheryl

wow crt, i'm really sorry to hear of what you've gone through.

my short answer....yes, we need to know a bit about everything. there's no other way around this. we all need to have the level of at least a 3yrd year medical student IMO to be safely able to navigate the system.

i hope you are feeling better, but this is truly tough stuff.

i spend a lot of time learning and reading about each body system, its diseases, and medications/procedures to fix or treat it. Waaaayyyy too much for someone that's not physicaly in the field practiciing.

but it comes in handy. my knowledge has helped good decisions and block bad ones. my gosh, i can only think how bad with would be without konwing what i do.

and for what i know, it is not normal for an average person.

the old GI Joe saying from the 80's "knowing is half the battle......" really rings true in medicine.

but every field in life. argh. no simple answers.

I wanted to say- unbelievable!, then I realized no, it is actually quite common what's happening these days in medicine.
Undereducated doctors, undereducated nurses, understaffed, underpaid system,
but most important - nobody gives a dam*n anymore

I am so terribly sorry Crt for what you had to go thru, my fists are balling involuntarily when I read your message.
This is simply an outrage...

One thing I am glad of is that you miraculously managed thru this ordeal. You're strong. And thank heavens for your Sweetie!

I hope you are feeling better and better everyday. Please let us have an update!

Risa

Chris sweetheart,

HOW are YOU?

I- we- haven't heard from you in awhile, if you are able to drop us a line how are you doing,
this would be much appreciated...


huggies,

Risa

Hi Folks,

I thought I'd drop in with an update. I continue to improve every day. I have continual pain from my multiple incisions but it does get less as time passes. I went to see the surgeon again Thurs. He is pleased with how my recovery is going. I am going back to work Monday. I am out of sick leave and I need the money. We (my doc and I) filled out State Disability papers but who knows if I will get any money from them. Of the 8 or so times I was eligible for State Disability $ and sent in the papers, I actually only got some money from them once. Who knows what they're doing. Anyway, I know I have to get back to work.

Basically I have an office job so it won't be a strain on my incisions. Oh, I promised my surgeon I wouldn't carry around any computer towers or CRTs for awhile.

I'm still pretty angry about the other Dr not spotting my gallbladder problem when I was in the hospital in '09. From the symptoms I've had intermittently ever since, I think this gallbladder had been gradually going bad all that time.

I think I've said this before, but the good thing in all of this is that it will completely heal in time. The migraines, not so much...

My best to all of you.

Chris

Good luck with your with Disability Chris. I hope you'll get it. You certainly deserve it.

And I am glad you continue to improve, whew. I was very worried about you.
I wonder if you thought of suing the other quack?

Please keep in touch! sweetheart.

Risa

Risa,

I've thought about suing but I think I'd probably get the same answer as I did when a similar thing happened with my appendix. I talked to a lawyer that time. He told me that the dr did just enough to be legal. Ethical, no, but legal yes. The system is pretty well rigged against patients who don't have truckloads of money. And even if you have truckloads of money to fight the dr and the hospital you might not win.

We have to fight really hard to take care of ourselves and our health. They certainly won't.

Chris

You got it Chris. I am so sorry

Well I am happy that you got good care after all, and in the nick of time.
How are you doing now, dearest girl?


Risa

Poor Chris,

And I do mean that. The medical profession I don't understand. Are they overworked, undereducated, underpaid? I just don't know.

I think Jewishmum is right with having an advocate. I don't know if I'm just not firm enough. Maybe we are all the same. We just ignore things, oh that will go away, Oh its not that bad. And suddenly bam, for you that ended up on the table. How do you stand up for yourself in the doctors office when you are lucky to get ten minutes of their time, when you have gone there to find out why you feel bad. How do you argue when you feel bad. I just don't know.

Good luck, really hope you feel better soon.