I realize that God is always teaching us and allowing us to discover things about ourselves and our world that we either take for granted or overlooked. I wish I weren't so dumb because He sure has given me many tests lately.
I think that in order to teach me to more fully appreciate my world and what I have, he has "allowed" me to experience some of the things that others around me have already experienced.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Update
Family and Friends,
This is just a note to update you on the happenings of the last month. On Thursday, June 26, my lower back began to hurt with sharp, hot pains. Of course, I thought that it was my sciatic nerve bothering me again, so I scheduled an appointment with the chiropractor for the next day. She worked on me and I figured I’d get better. I certainly wanted to because that weekend (June 28th) was our first ever Stephens’ family reunion.
Throughout the weekend, my back continued to hurt and burn. I couldn’t even stay at the family reunion on Saturday evening long enough for the homemade ice cream (so you know that I was in pain).
On Monday, June 30, Chad took me back to the chiropractor while Kenneth went to Bedford with Britney for her last fertility doctor’s visit/sonogram. Afterwards, he took me home, but relief was only for a few minutes at a time. I returned to the chiropractor on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday so that she could manipulate my hip (which turns and rotates occasionally) and my back to alleviate the pain. For about 3 days, I couldn’t sleep because of the excruciating pain.
So, early Thursday morning (July3), Kenneth took me to the Hamilton ER. I was in unbelievable pain. I’m a tough old bird, but I couldn’t stand the pain. I began to cry which is not like me at all. I just had to have some relief. They gave me a shot of steroids and demerol and prescribed Darvocet. I had a short-lived pain-free period. The doctor wanted to schedule an MRI, but they only do MRI’s in Hamilton on Fridays and the next day was July 4th so they wouldn’t be doing them that day.
I went home happy only to find that during the evening, the pain returned. I tried waking up every two hours and taking pain medication and holding an ice pack to the affected area. Still, no relief. Dr. Andrews (me) had the idea that combining the pain relief from the medical doctors with the bone and muscle manipulation of the chiropractor that sooner or later, I would get some relief.
Early Saturday morning (July 5), Kenneth again took me to the Hamilton ER. Again, I was crying because the pain was so severe. I told her that I lived with Crohn’s and that I’d had two natural childbirths, but that I could not tolerate this pain. The doctor on call found that I also had a urinary tract infection (UTI) and prescribed antibiotics and Lyrica for my symptoms. She also gave me two shots and concurred that I needed an MRI. I knew that I had difficulty walking at this time, but I thought it was because of the excruciating pain that I was in. In fact, the nurses met me at the car with a wheelchair because I was unable to walk the few steps from the parking pad into the ER.
Sunday did not bring any relief either. Kenneth and I talked about it and decided that I needed to go to Clifton to see my regular doctor since they all knew me and my case (Crohn’s) and had all of my medical records at their disposal. Since Mondays are so hectic at the Clifton Clinic, I called my friend who is over the ER and ACS at Clifton and told her my symptoms which by this time included numbness, inability to walk or stand or sit or lay, and the inability to tell when I needed to use the restroom.
She insisted that we come to the ER immediately. We arrived and again, they brought a wheelchair for me. A Nurse Practitioner saw me and called in the doctor on call. She put all the puzzle pieces together and realized that I had a BIG problem. She immediately ordered IV’s and an ambulance to take me to the ER at Providence.
By this time, I’m beginning to become alarmed. “What is the problem? What does she think is wrong?” But, I went along amiably because I felt like relief was just minutes away.
Time got away from me and I don’t know the exact length of events either because of the pain and because of the drugs that they were giving me to help me cope with it. Upon arrival, I was introduced to a doctor who prescribed the immediate MRI. He gave me enough pain medication so that I could lie still in the MRI. The MRI technician asked if I had any numbness in my legs. I told her that I did. That simple question told me that I had a major problem that even she could see.
Again the ER doctor came in the room and told me that he was referring me to a neurosurgeon. He wanted him to take a look at the MRI and advise me. “A NEUROSURGEON!?!?! What the heck? What is going on here?”
Dr. Schickner, the neurosurgeon, came in and said that when he looked at the MRI that he saw a mass in my lower spine (the lumbar region). He said that it didn’t look like a tumor or cancerous, but he didn’t know what it was.
I immediately thought, “Oh, dear. It’s lymphoma.” Since lymphoma is a side-effect of taking Remicade (which I take for Crohn’s), I feared the worst.
He also said that the area within the spine for most people was measured from about an 8 to a 10 and mine looked to be about a 2. He advised that we do surgery sooner rather than later. . . like right then. “Whoa, Nellie.” I didn’t know this surgeon nor his reputation, should I get a second opinion, should I go ahead with the surgery? I asked for some time to talk it over with Kenneth and pray about it.
Since I hadn’t eaten since about 7:00 that morning, he advised going ahead and doing the surgery and beginning the fight right then. So, we called the neurosurgeon back in and agreed to proceed.
We met with the anesthesiologist (who, it turns out, is married to Brit’s OB) and began the process. About 10:00 p.m., I went in to surgery. I got out about 2:15 a.m. As they wheeled me to my room, I saw Kenneth, Brit and J. P. and Gayland and Ella Faye. Again, I said to myself, “Whoa, what are all these people doing here?” I had no idea what time it was.
When Dr. Schickner came out of surgery, he told my family that he was certainly glad that we didn’t wait any longer. He said that if we had waited until morning that I would most likely have been in a wheelchair the rest of my life with no control over my bowels . . . or worse. That frightened them and I must say, when they told me, I was also startled.
The good doctor came by the next morning and explained the surgery to me. He said that once he made the incision, that he had to remove the muscles from the spine. As he did that, there were large pockets of puss there. He cleaned those up and did the laminectomy (removing the back of the spine). Once it was removed, he used an instrument to run up under the nerves and he said he found even larger pockets of puss which he also cleaned up.
He then told me that he was calling in an infectious disease doctor to confer with. That doctor told me that I had a staph infection and that was what caused the matter (puss) in my spine. The Remicade that I take for my Crohn’s had suppressed my immune system so much that I didn’t have anything left to fight it off with. But, I have to have the Remicade or I’ll have a terrible flare-up with my Crohn’s. That’s a Catch-22. He did lab work and immediately ordered IV antibiotics. At first, he thought that the staph had cleared from my blood, but that was not the case. So, I had to stay an additional 5 days. Twelve days in the hospital was more than enough for me.
I had to have several procedures done while I was there including an EEG and a trans-esophogeal EEG. They also inserted a PICC line. Yuck! I hate all that hospital stuff.
I’m home now using a walker to get around. Kenneth gives me the IV antibiotics 3 times a day. He gives them at 6 a.m., 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. We have to do that for 3 more weeks. Then, I’ll have my Remicade infusion which will knock my immune system down again. But, the infectious disease doctor said that he’d probably keep me on oral antibiotics for 6 months to be sure that all of the staph is cleared.
The antibiotics make me nauseous and I have no appetite (which is not necessarily a bad thing for me). So, Ken makes his special grilled-cheese sandwiches for me. I can always eat those because they are the best in the world.
Just keep us in your thoughts and prayers as I make my recovery. Both the surgeon and the infectious disease specialist expect a complete, but long recovery. It’s nice to be here and be able to walk even if it is with a limp.
This is just a note to update you on the happenings of the last month. On Thursday, June 26, my lower back began to hurt with sharp, hot pains. Of course, I thought that it was my sciatic nerve bothering me again, so I scheduled an appointment with the chiropractor for the next day. She worked on me and I figured I’d get better. I certainly wanted to because that weekend (June 28th) was our first ever Stephens’ family reunion.
Throughout the weekend, my back continued to hurt and burn. I couldn’t even stay at the family reunion on Saturday evening long enough for the homemade ice cream (so you know that I was in pain).
On Monday, June 30, Chad took me back to the chiropractor while Kenneth went to Bedford with Britney for her last fertility doctor’s visit/sonogram. Afterwards, he took me home, but relief was only for a few minutes at a time. I returned to the chiropractor on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday so that she could manipulate my hip (which turns and rotates occasionally) and my back to alleviate the pain. For about 3 days, I couldn’t sleep because of the excruciating pain.
So, early Thursday morning (July3), Kenneth took me to the Hamilton ER. I was in unbelievable pain. I’m a tough old bird, but I couldn’t stand the pain. I began to cry which is not like me at all. I just had to have some relief. They gave me a shot of steroids and demerol and prescribed Darvocet. I had a short-lived pain-free period. The doctor wanted to schedule an MRI, but they only do MRI’s in Hamilton on Fridays and the next day was July 4th so they wouldn’t be doing them that day.
I went home happy only to find that during the evening, the pain returned. I tried waking up every two hours and taking pain medication and holding an ice pack to the affected area. Still, no relief. Dr. Andrews (me) had the idea that combining the pain relief from the medical doctors with the bone and muscle manipulation of the chiropractor that sooner or later, I would get some relief.
Early Saturday morning (July 5), Kenneth again took me to the Hamilton ER. Again, I was crying because the pain was so severe. I told her that I lived with Crohn’s and that I’d had two natural childbirths, but that I could not tolerate this pain. The doctor on call found that I also had a urinary tract infection (UTI) and prescribed antibiotics and Lyrica for my symptoms. She also gave me two shots and concurred that I needed an MRI. I knew that I had difficulty walking at this time, but I thought it was because of the excruciating pain that I was in. In fact, the nurses met me at the car with a wheelchair because I was unable to walk the few steps from the parking pad into the ER.
Sunday did not bring any relief either. Kenneth and I talked about it and decided that I needed to go to Clifton to see my regular doctor since they all knew me and my case (Crohn’s) and had all of my medical records at their disposal. Since Mondays are so hectic at the Clifton Clinic, I called my friend who is over the ER and ACS at Clifton and told her my symptoms which by this time included numbness, inability to walk or stand or sit or lay, and the inability to tell when I needed to use the restroom.
She insisted that we come to the ER immediately. We arrived and again, they brought a wheelchair for me. A Nurse Practitioner saw me and called in the doctor on call. She put all the puzzle pieces together and realized that I had a BIG problem. She immediately ordered IV’s and an ambulance to take me to the ER at Providence.
By this time, I’m beginning to become alarmed. “What is the problem? What does she think is wrong?” But, I went along amiably because I felt like relief was just minutes away.
Time got away from me and I don’t know the exact length of events either because of the pain and because of the drugs that they were giving me to help me cope with it. Upon arrival, I was introduced to a doctor who prescribed the immediate MRI. He gave me enough pain medication so that I could lie still in the MRI. The MRI technician asked if I had any numbness in my legs. I told her that I did. That simple question told me that I had a major problem that even she could see.
Again the ER doctor came in the room and told me that he was referring me to a neurosurgeon. He wanted him to take a look at the MRI and advise me. “A NEUROSURGEON!?!?! What the heck? What is going on here?”
Dr. Schickner, the neurosurgeon, came in and said that when he looked at the MRI that he saw a mass in my lower spine (the lumbar region). He said that it didn’t look like a tumor or cancerous, but he didn’t know what it was.
I immediately thought, “Oh, dear. It’s lymphoma.” Since lymphoma is a side-effect of taking Remicade (which I take for Crohn’s), I feared the worst.
He also said that the area within the spine for most people was measured from about an 8 to a 10 and mine looked to be about a 2. He advised that we do surgery sooner rather than later. . . like right then. “Whoa, Nellie.” I didn’t know this surgeon nor his reputation, should I get a second opinion, should I go ahead with the surgery? I asked for some time to talk it over with Kenneth and pray about it.
Since I hadn’t eaten since about 7:00 that morning, he advised going ahead and doing the surgery and beginning the fight right then. So, we called the neurosurgeon back in and agreed to proceed.
We met with the anesthesiologist (who, it turns out, is married to Brit’s OB) and began the process. About 10:00 p.m., I went in to surgery. I got out about 2:15 a.m. As they wheeled me to my room, I saw Kenneth, Brit and J. P. and Gayland and Ella Faye. Again, I said to myself, “Whoa, what are all these people doing here?” I had no idea what time it was.
When Dr. Schickner came out of surgery, he told my family that he was certainly glad that we didn’t wait any longer. He said that if we had waited until morning that I would most likely have been in a wheelchair the rest of my life with no control over my bowels . . . or worse. That frightened them and I must say, when they told me, I was also startled.
The good doctor came by the next morning and explained the surgery to me. He said that once he made the incision, that he had to remove the muscles from the spine. As he did that, there were large pockets of puss there. He cleaned those up and did the laminectomy (removing the back of the spine). Once it was removed, he used an instrument to run up under the nerves and he said he found even larger pockets of puss which he also cleaned up.
He then told me that he was calling in an infectious disease doctor to confer with. That doctor told me that I had a staph infection and that was what caused the matter (puss) in my spine. The Remicade that I take for my Crohn’s had suppressed my immune system so much that I didn’t have anything left to fight it off with. But, I have to have the Remicade or I’ll have a terrible flare-up with my Crohn’s. That’s a Catch-22. He did lab work and immediately ordered IV antibiotics. At first, he thought that the staph had cleared from my blood, but that was not the case. So, I had to stay an additional 5 days. Twelve days in the hospital was more than enough for me.
I had to have several procedures done while I was there including an EEG and a trans-esophogeal EEG. They also inserted a PICC line. Yuck! I hate all that hospital stuff.
I’m home now using a walker to get around. Kenneth gives me the IV antibiotics 3 times a day. He gives them at 6 a.m., 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. We have to do that for 3 more weeks. Then, I’ll have my Remicade infusion which will knock my immune system down again. But, the infectious disease doctor said that he’d probably keep me on oral antibiotics for 6 months to be sure that all of the staph is cleared.
The antibiotics make me nauseous and I have no appetite (which is not necessarily a bad thing for me). So, Ken makes his special grilled-cheese sandwiches for me. I can always eat those because they are the best in the world.
Just keep us in your thoughts and prayers as I make my recovery. Both the surgeon and the infectious disease specialist expect a complete, but long recovery. It’s nice to be here and be able to walk even if it is with a limp.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Today's my birthday. I'm alive and I'm home.
I haven't written on my blog in nearly a month. That's because I've been under the weather. Over the next few days and weeks, I'll give a detailed explanation of my illness, but for now, I just want to say how great it is to be alive and in my own home.
I had emergency back surgery on July 7th following two weeks of excruciating pain. I spent almost 2 weeks in the hospital following the surgery, but now, I'm at home. . . and it never looked so good.
It's funny how circumstances change your outlook. Things I used to deem so important are not now and others that I took for granted, I now treasure. The Lord is always teaching me. I hope that I learn and remember his lessons.
I had emergency back surgery on July 7th following two weeks of excruciating pain. I spent almost 2 weeks in the hospital following the surgery, but now, I'm at home. . . and it never looked so good.
It's funny how circumstances change your outlook. Things I used to deem so important are not now and others that I took for granted, I now treasure. The Lord is always teaching me. I hope that I learn and remember his lessons.
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