Hospital-The Ugly Details

"Did I make the right decision?" This question ran through my mind like a hamster on a treadmill. I chose to push for a procedure, hoping to alleviate pain. Now that choice has placed me back in the hospital.

Debated about posting this lovely shot of myself...but then thought you wouldn't get the full affect of my ordeal without it.             

Looking very pretty with my sexy new nose!lol! FLESH COLORED TAPE~REALLY?!

I went in last Tuesday for a Laparoscopy to look for re-occurring Endometriosis. They found tons of adhesion's and removed them. It was an out-patient procedure so I went home the same day.

WARNING: Gross Content (now's your chance not to read!)

The next morning I felt fine, so I ate a PB&J sandwich. That was it...the nausea, pain and vomiting kicked in. By 4:00 a.m., I was throwing up tons of green bile. I knew something was really wrong (having had the procedure done 4 previous times with NO PROBLEMS.) I called my Dr., he said, "You may have an obstruction, head straight to the hospital."

I knew what I was in store for me...the dreaded NG Tube! This is a long tube that required two nurses to shove up my nose (crackling and crunching) as they continued to push it down my throat telling me to take big gulping drinks/sounds while drinking ice water, to stop from gagging and choking as they slid it down to it's final destination inside my stomach. Taping the tube to my nose with FLESH colored tape, which gave me a great look (long tube nose) to add to the pain. I was given Morphin and a CT scan indicating I had an obstruction in the small intestine from the procedure (handling/removal of the adhesion's which happens in about 85% of patients.)

I waited 14 hrs in the ER bed (no beds available in a room) with some crazy patients all around me. One guy was so out of control, 5 security guards followed him as he ran by screaming, swearing and threatening. Which caused me to instantly scan the room for the nearest exit in case he ended up having a gun or knife. I can't believe what goes on in there! I was finally admitted to a room, head pounding, taken for more x-rays (4 hrs on an x-ray table waiting for the Barium to travel down.) Finally they returned me to my room, continuing to bring a portable X-ray machine up every hour, telling me that the dye wasn't moving down very quickly (ummm duh, I have a blockage!)

I was desperate to be done so they could hook the suction back up to my NG tube and drain the excess out of my stomach (it was swollen like a 6 month pregnant woman-NO EXAGGERATION!) I suddenly began throwing up HALF a bucket of green bile mixed w/barium. Shaking, needing to rush to the bathroom to clean up, I swiftly set the bucket on the table to unplug my IV. All of a sudden, behind me I heard a loud SPLASH. The weight of the swaying contents propelled the lime green bile off the table & across the entire floor. I was trapped. I couldn't slide the IV unit across the bile, so a sat on the edge of the bed, my bile holding me prisoner from cleaning/washing/brushing my teeth. I frantically pushed the red button for the nurse, who said they were coming. After 5 minutes- pushing it again. Finally 15 minutes later (turns out my little 'episode' happened right smack in the middle of a shift change.) I eventually made it, but had two more LARGE barfing episodes.

I then asked my nurse to please change my lovely 'flesh' colored band aid holding my NG tube in because it smelled like vomit (huge mistake.) She couldn't get the tape off. I held the tube as she yanked, pulled, twisted and slowly cut it. While the tube moved up and down my nose and throat, gagging me, and causing me to sneeze about 15 times in a row over and over again. I finally lost it! I'd had enough. I'm normally the type to just suck it up, I NEVER lose it when it comes to pain. My hubby got a little stressed and nervous watching me cry. I finally said, in the middle of a sneeze/gag attack, "I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE! JUST OPERATE ON ME ALREADY AND FIX THE PROBLEM!" But I quickly grabbed hold of myself again, and felt bad I let myself snap like that:(

The next morning at 7:00 a.m. They took the final x-ray. It took an entire day to get the Barium through me (it normally takes 2hrs) talk about a blockage huh?

The next day brought one more episode. My IV began to leak. When they came to move it, my veins (due to dehydration) collapsed. They stuck me 4 separate times, one time causing blood to spurt out all over the bed and down my arm, while she called the nurse to bring more gauze. They told me they had the vein & the bleeding and burning I was experiencing was due to the fact that I jerked my arm. I told the nurse that it 'didn't feel right.' When she rudely replied, "LIKE I SAID..." A few minutes later she hooked up the IV and my arm began to swell up like a balloon. She walked back in and I said, "Does this look normal to you?" Boy, her attitude changed once she took one look at my elephantitised arm!lol! I wanted to say, "From now on, LISTEN TO YOUR PATIENTS!" But I didn't, she changed her attitude after that. Finally a 4th nurse tried to get the IV into a vein in my hand and it took!YES! My arms are sore and look like a bruised up drug addict now, but I survived without losing it again (proud of myself, I must say!)

After 5 days in the hospital, I was finally released on Tuesday. All in all I had AMAZING nurses (only two bad night time nurses.) I was even able to send out a prayer request for one of the nurses, through my church after talking to her about personal stuff for a while. I wanted to try to make the best of a difficult situation. We all go through tough times, but remembering that you have a choice in how you act helped me to keep a positive attitude...for the most part:)

Right now, I'm not completely out of the woods and need to slowly ease back into eating solids and stay on a low fiber diet for a while. Just had my first 'solid' food in 8 days- Cream of Wheat & it was the best thing I've ever tasted in my life!

Somehow, I always end up having the strangest things happen to me. But I've learned to trust God in ALL things and this has helped me become stronger through each and every obstacle.