Veronica David
2014 the Worst Year of my Life!
Jan 06, 2015
2014 was the worst year of my life. I had to go to the ER once every month, sometimes I was in ER 2-3 times in a month. December is the only month I didn't have to go to the ER. I had constant issues with my J-tube feeding tube either coming out or getting infected. In March we submitted the information to my insurance company so I could have the gastric pacemaker placed. Well, insurance went on to deny it. It took 4 appeals before they approved it. In July my J-tube fell out after only being in one week. So, my Nurse Practitioner made arrangements for me to have PICC line placed. I had never had nor been around anyone who had a PICC line so I had no idea what it was supposed to look like. I came home & it was going to be the following evening before my home health nurse would come to start my TPN feedings. When the nurse came she was absolutely floored. She asked if I had taken anything off of my PICC line or flushed it. I told her no this is how they sent me home from the ER & they didn't tell me to flush it. She immediately got on her phone & started calling her supervisors. I guess the Radiologist didn't put a cap or clamp on the line like he should have....so that left an open direct line to my heart & it wasn't closed off. Well, I wound up becoming very ill the next week. Was rushed to the hospital in Indy. There I fought sepsis that was caused from the PICC line not being properly placed. I was in for 5 days. I was too sick for them to risk putting a J-tube in or another PICC line. They sent me home trying to get nutrition in via ensure clears & a protein dessert cup. I was not able to get enough nutrition in via orally. I was home for 2 wks & then was rushed back to Indy hospital with a total systemic infection & then CDIFF from the IV antibiotics to fight the sepsis 2 wks earlier. Both times, sepsis then the total systemic infection I almost died. I thought I was gonna die. I have never been so sick in my life. I spent 10 days in the hospital that time. They had to place another J-tube to try & get some nutrition in me. Another PICC line was not an option they said. I had the j-tube placed & was about to be released to go home when I felt something wet on my gown. The nurse was in my room & we raised my gown & my feedings were squirting out the hole from around the j-tube. They rushed me down to interventional radiology & by the time I got down there the J-tube had snaked along itself & came out even though there was a stitch on the outside to help hold it in place. The Interventional Radiologist was floored. Then, I got a HUGE area across my whole abdomen of cellulitis. When the tube was only partially out, it had been pumping the feedings into the tissues & it set up an infection. I got sooooo sick. I was running a 103 temp & in so much pain. After 10 days in I finally was released Once again, no feeding tube, no PICC line.....Dr's just didn't know what to do. They knew the answer was the gastric pacemaker, but my ins company was fighting it. (would have been cheaper on them in the long run to just approved it the first time) I really felt like I was going to die because of the insurance company's ignorance. Finally, on Sept. 10th my insurance approved the gastric pacemaker. My surgeon implanted it on Sept. 17th. Within 12 hrs of surgery ALL my nausea & vomiting was gone. I had been having nonstop nausea for 3 yrs & severe vomiting for over a year. I had gastroparesis (basically a paralyzed stomach from damage to the vagus nerve of the stomach during the gastric bypass, revision, and ultimately reversal of the gastric bypass) and that was why I couldn't eat orally & keep food down. It was also causing severe nausea. I was released the day after my gastric pacemaker surgery, because my immune system is so weakened from all I have fought, that my surgeon said it would be a lot safer for me to recouperate at home. Too many germs in the hospital. I am pleased to say that I can now eat normally. I have not had any vomiting since surgery. I have only had minimal nausea. Definitely nothing that I can't live with. This has been the hardest journey I have ever been on. I have almost lost my life several times during the last 5 yrs. So ironic that something I chose to do to try to save my life & make my life better could backfire & take so much away from my life. I am so tired of the doctor's appts, tests, bloodwork, hospital stays. My quality of life is sure not what I had hoped it would be. I have regained all but 30 lbs. But really it isn't even about the numbers of my weight anymore. I just want to live & be happy. I would love to be the size 10 I had gotten down to. But for some reason that was not meant to be for me. Even though I have regained weight. At least I am still 30 lbs less than when I started this. I feel like a failure on so many levels. But if I can help just one person, then it is worth it.
