Emergency Bowel Obstruction Surgery

[Ray_Of_Fricken_Sunshine]

Hey y'all! I just wanted to hop on and tell y'all that I just had emergency bowel obstruction surgery. Wow...Talk about pain! I had the most intense pain on Sunday night. My husband paged my doctor, but never got a response. I ended up passing out on my bathroom floor from the pain and exhaustion. The next day, I was sore, but fine. Then Monday evening, the pain started again. This time, I was either having a bowel movement, or violently vomiting every 5 minutes along with the building pain. My husband travels for work, and he was supposed to leave the next morning. That's the only reason I went to the ER, because I didn't want to be in that much pain alone.
From the time I got to the ER, to the time of surgery is mostly a blur. They were pumping me full of morphine, but it didn't' touch the pain. It just made me loopy. They put a hard straw down my nose and throat into my abdomen to try to drain whatever was in there. Since I'm allergic to lidocain, they weren't able to numb me at all for that. It didn't work. They finally decided to open me up and do the surgery.
My surgeon said had he waited another hour to perform the surgery, or had I waited another hour to come in, I would have died. It was so awful.
A few hours after the surgery I was doing really well. So well, that my surgeon's intern thought it would be fine to discharge me. Even though I protested, she sent me home. I was on a morphine drip, with steady oral meds. She cut it off, I got dressed, and she sent me home with 8 vicodin. I was handling it all pretty well, until that evenng. Pressure started building, and at some point, I felt a pop. That pop knocked me on my ass, and sent me into immediate, extreme pain. My husband rushed me back to the ER, and we had to start the whole process over again. I'm now sitting in the hospital, working on pain management. I'm in more pain now than I ever was post op for my DS. I am really having a hard time, and I feel like I'm having to fight for everything they'e giving me. I'm pretty sure they'e going to send me home tomorrow.
Things have been really rough for me the last few months, and when I get anxious, I tend to shut down. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. But I do miss y'all, and hope you're all doing well.
I have full intentions to post my 6 month lab work when I get home. That''s a whole separate can of worms!! Please pardon the spelling errors.... The meds paired with the jacked up phone is an illiterate combination! !

 

[galaxygrrl]

Hang in there. Glad you are OK. It will get better.

 

[Charris]

in my goodness. have you contacted your DS surgeon? I wonder would that be appropriate?I could have never had that happen to me and I not contact Dr. K.

I hope they figure it out and you get some relief. My gosh you could have died yet all they are concerned about is putting you out!

HOPING for some good juju to come your way.

 

[Ray_Of_Fricken_Sunshine]

@Charris My DS surgeon is who performed the obstruction removal, as well. He was pretty wonderful. His staff is mostly composed of interns. There was one in particular who was just really adamant on sending me home asap, and back to work in a week!! Once I came back, the rest of the team definitely seemed like they knew I was sent home too early and they have all been great since then. I'll take all the positive JuJu you can send!!!
@galaxygrrl Thank you so much! I've already started getting much better. I never would have guessed, though, that this would have been worse pain than the original DS! !

 

[southernlady]

I am glad to hear that you listened to your body and went in. And I suspect that intern who sent you home got torn a new asshole for being an asshat.

 

[JackieOnLine]

OMG, how scary. I'm so sorry you've had such a painful time and glad to hear you are improving.

I'm pretty sure they'e going to send me home tomorrow.
Things have been really rough for me the last few months, and when I get anxious, I tend to shut down.

tell them you need Home Health nursing when you do go home

is there any way we can help from a distance?

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

I'm so sorry you're going through this but so thankful you got there in time! Bowel obstruction is my biggest fear as something that might happen. Did your surgeon say any details? Was there a kink he straightened out, did he have to dissect, or remove adhesions?

I hope the pain goes away very soon.

 

[GrammyLuLu]

Oh my! so glad your doing better.

 

[Grammaof5]

Glad you are on the mend ! Take it easy !

 

[DianaCox]

One again - I really think the DS should require an IQ and EQ test to ensure that the patient fully understands their surgery and is emotionally prepared to advocate for themselves and argue with medical personnel effectively. And why we need to each have confidence in at least ONE medical person on their "staff" who knows that the patient is knowledgeable, and will step in/up as required (like a trusted PCP, or a surgeon who knows us and stays involved if needed).

As for whomever sent you home too quickly - if you find yourself in this position and don't want to leave, call in the patient ombudsman at the hospital before being forced out the door.

Glad to hear you're now doing better!

 

[Jbandmmomma]

Been there twice - it is horrendous pain. I'm glad you are getting it under control. I agree with @DianaCox re: calling in the ombudsman. I have had to do that. It's their job. Use them. Rest and heal.

 

[CaitlynR]

I’m so sorry. Let me know if you’d like a visit. After today I’m off until next Wed.

 

[Larra]

Glad you're feeling better, but next time, don't let some intern push you around. Demand either an ombudsman, or whatever resident is supervising that intern, or your surgeon, etc.
Of course, it's easy for all of us to say this when we aren't recovering from major surgery, general anesthesia, severe pain and still perhaps a bit loopy from morphine, and much harder to do this when you are the one in the hospital bed looking up (literally) at some intern who thinks he or she knows everything, but it you can't manage it, have someone advocate for you. At that point it's not a question of IQ points, you are not at your best or even close to it and need someone to advocate on your behalf.

 

[Munchkin]

Glad you are doing better now! I hope they keep you long enough this time!

 

[Ray_Of_Fricken_Sunshine]

@Susan in Tennessee There was a staple from my original DS surgery that had scar tissue grown over it. It was in the perfect place, so that as the scar tissue grew, it tightened my intestine more and more. The Dr. said as soon as he got in there, it very was obvious. He said once he clipped the adhesion, everything immediately relaxed and went back to looking normal.
@Larra Thank you, You'e exactly right. My husband and my sister have been with me the entire time, but during that moment the intern decided to discharge me, they were both gone. It happened so fast. Everyone kept coming in telling me how wonderful I looked compared to the traiwreck I was the day before. When the intern woke me up to tell me I was going home, it was when I had a morphine drip and 3 other pain meds, along with the nausea meds that tend to make you drowsy. I was not in the right state of mind at all. By the time I cleared the fog a bit, they had me halfway out the door.
I know better now, and I hope I won't get the chance any time soon, but next time I'll do better.
@Jbandmmomma I can't imagine having to go through that twice!! Bless your heart! You'e right, "Horrendous Pain" summerizes that experience perfectly. @CaitlynR Thank you so much for your offer. They'e discharging me today. I would like to see you soon... Maybe in a week or so we can schedule a lunch date!?
Thank you all so much for your well wishes and encouragement. It really does mean a lot.