Update from Vitalady

blackburn.vicki
on 9/17/10 4:17 pm

Graduate-OSSG] Cross post: no, actually, not doing to well‏

9:10 PM Reply ▼

Vitalady VITA To [email protected], [email protected], gbic

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Don is making vast progress with using his hands and legs again. Bladder
has started to work. That's good, because living with a cath at home was
scaring me (infections). And it's part of C-4 damage.

BUT.

The swelling from the surgery has damaged his throat. It's too swollen to
swallow properly, so about 30% of anything he eats tries to go down the wind
pipe. The installed an NG tube today for feeding/watering and to keep him
from aspirating. I think it took the spirit out of him. He has lost so
much wt from the dehydration and no food that it's scary.

I'm there as much as I can be and so things at home are falling all apart.
One of my friends has offered to come and help me, and I think I'll have to
take her up on it. We run out of medical benefits on Wed for inpatient
rehab. So, out he goes, into nursing home or we beg for money or some other
thing. The walking/feeding thing would be good if his swallower worked.
They're pretty sure it's mechanical, not nerves. WHEW.

Thanks,

Michelle
Vitalady, Inc T
www.vitalady.com <http://www.vitalady.com/>

BBoop
on 9/17/10 4:26 pm

Revision on 05/02/11

My heart goes out to Michelle and her husband. As we say around here, critters are in motion.

My prayers are with you two.

Betty

larra
on 9/17/10 4:32 pm - bay area, CA

Please let Michelle and Don know that there are many people concerned for them. The swelling should be temporary, and the fact that heis regaining use of hands and legs is very good news.
And just warn them that an NG tube is not a guarantee against aspiration.

Larra

vitalady
on 9/18/10 1:02 pm - Puyallup, WA

RNY on 10/05/94

i thought i answered this but the hospital wifi is a few notches slower than dial up. lol

yes, he has his suction in hand at all times since saliva and the body's attempt to provide more phlegm to "repel the invader" (food, water, saliva, said phlegm) could indeed induce pneumonia. he never lies flat.

seems to wake him up with the auto-cough response. i'll be happy to see his epiglotis (sp) working correctly. It just flaps around kinda helplessly according to the swallow I saw and transaltion thereof. The ENT verified that it seems to be mechanical, not nervous system.

Michelle
RNY, distal, 10/5/94

P.S. My year + long absence has NOTHING to do with my WLS, or my type of WLS. See my profile.