Home again, again

The question on my mind is; “What the hell just happened here?”  Doctor W’s partner, Dr. T, was on call Sunday when I went into the emergency room.  And he said that we may never know.  The CAT scan doesn’t clarify it, other than noting that a section of peritoneum, normally paper-thin, was swollen to an inch thick.  He said that even if we went back in for another operation, it might not be possible to tell exactly what’s wrong or what caused it.  But clearly there was some infection, and he said the odds favored a conservative approach.

Thus began another three days of IV antibiotics, and I am back home with a couple different particularly strong oral antibiotics.  Considerably weaker than when I returned from surgery the first time but having escaped a second operation for now.  The task now is to regain my strength and return to my life already in progress. 

There are challenges.  It’s hard to describe how weak losing 30 lbs in 24 days makes you.  I’m on liquid diet, though I can go to soft foods like scrambled eggs on Saturday.  Maybe once the antibiotics are done, I’ll be able to strike up more interest in food.  That will be next Wednesday.  Every twinge in my gut scares the bejeezus out of me now.

But I have made some progress; my mind is clearing and I think that’ll be crucial to recovery.

I am incredibly thankful for Diane, for my sons who are so supportive, for the medical wizards who were up in the middle of the night to save my ass, for my friends including my boss, my job, and for my good insurance. 

Posted by George on 06/04/09 at 09:49 PM

  1. Glad to hear you’re back home, George; that right there is likely a reduction in the stress level. 

    One irony to ponder is how many people would pay huge sums of money to “lose 30 lbs in 24 days.”

    Posted by *** Dave  on  06/05/09  at  12:50 AM

  2. Thanks ***Dave. 

    Funny - they don’t think about how catastrophic that would be!  Much better off losing about a pound a week, if they need to lose weight.  I wonder how I’d have gotten through this if I didn’t have the weight to lose.  Or would it not have happened if I hadn’t been on the heavy side to begin with?  It makes my head spin.

    And I am sure that this whole adventure has already cost more than I am likely to make this year.

    Posted by George  on  06/05/09  at  03:28 AM

  3. George—
    This is turning out be a memorable year for you…  Glad to see you getting though it…

    MC

    PS:  the CAPTCHA word for this comment was “friends”...

    Posted by mostly cajun  on  06/05/09  at  07:45 AM

  4. Glad you are home.

    “Liquid diet” always makes me think of those for whom the majority of their caloric intake consists of ETOH.

    Posted by gerry rosser  on  06/05/09  at  08:02 AM

  5. Good to know you are home and getting the words out on the blog. I enjoyed the essay. My friend Pixie is in Kenya at present, and it made me think of her and what all she must be learning and re-learning. Give MrsDoF a big hug, get your rest, and keep taking those antibiotics.  See you soon.

    Posted by Deb  on  06/05/09  at  07:36 PM

  6. Just another reader, glad you’re home and wishing you a quick recovery.

    Posted by Karen  on  06/06/09  at  07:08 PM

  7. George— Glad to hear you’re home again and healing.  Can’t trust those infectious bugs.  Take care and just lay around like 3rd base and get better. You’ll be back at McD’s soon.
    Love,
    Karen

    Posted by the other sis--Karen  on  06/09/09  at  12:41 PM

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