The hospitalist doctor showed up about 9PM tonight and we had a good talk with her. She was telling us how the procedure tomorrow would certainly help Mary's pain level and get her bile system working again using the stents. As for the cause, she was cautious and said if everything went well, they'd get a valid biopsy sample and be able to tell a lot more.
At that point, I said goodnight and Mary was ready for sleep. I'll see her in the morning between my dental appointment and my 10AM meeting. I'll be back at the hospital about an hour before the scheduled 4PM procedure.
Pat
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Non-decision
We had a good talk with the ERCP doc. Basically, it's a no decision
yet, more tests needed. So tomorrow afternoon is another
procedure--4:00pm or whenever the facility is free. This time he'll
insert stents to help her bile ducts work a bit better.
yet, more tests needed. So tomorrow afternoon is another
procedure--4:00pm or whenever the facility is free. This time he'll
insert stents to help her bile ducts work a bit better.
Our girl is suffering some discomfort so they gave her some happy
juice and she is sleeping now.
Pat
Mid-afternoon on Tuesday
Our good friend, Terry, had come to visit when she read I was at work. Thank you, Terry!
While we were visiting, a general alarm went off. At that moment, I was on the phone with my cousin, Dr. Mary Jo of St. Paul. She said it sounded like a fire alarm and just then a technican shoved some equipment in the room and closed the door. I didn't look at the clock and a little while later they announced an all clear. The same tech came by, opened the door, and dragged the equipment back out in the hall. Dragged isn't the right word, its all on wheels. Moved is better.
Mary had a clear liquid lunch and ate it all. She is now napping while I pound away on the keyboard.
News? Heck no. Nothing yet. Watch this space, I'll let you know.
Pat
While we were visiting, a general alarm went off. At that moment, I was on the phone with my cousin, Dr. Mary Jo of St. Paul. She said it sounded like a fire alarm and just then a technican shoved some equipment in the room and closed the door. I didn't look at the clock and a little while later they announced an all clear. The same tech came by, opened the door, and dragged the equipment back out in the hall. Dragged isn't the right word, its all on wheels. Moved is better.
Mary had a clear liquid lunch and ate it all. She is now napping while I pound away on the keyboard.
News? Heck no. Nothing yet. Watch this space, I'll let you know.
Pat
I talked to our primary physician
She said the procedures performed thus far indicated a normal progression and that we should not be concerned that the results were not available yesterday. Our hospital and doctor share an electronic database so as the results are reported, our doc can see them. Mary's results were not posted when we talked earlier today and she indicated that would be a nominal situation.
I'm heading to the hospital at lunchtime (from work) and I'll let you know how are girl is doing.
Pat
I'm heading to the hospital at lunchtime (from work) and I'll let you know how are girl is doing.
Pat
tuesday AM
Stopped in to see Mary on my way to work. She had slept well. They were drawing
blood and still had her on an IV.
blood and still had her on an IV.
Otherwise, no new news from the docs.
Pat
Monday, March 30, 2009
A doc came by at the same time Mary woke up!
The doc said that they did remove a stone in the bile duct. They also scraped the duct wall for biopsy samples. The CT scan was for assurance that everything solid had been found and removed.
Mary woke up about the same time the Doc came by and at the same time her lucious clear liquid dinner also arrived. She is sitting up, eating and not complaining too much.
She is becoming more awake by the minute. A phone call would be in line if anyone is free.
Hospital 408 559 2011, Room 365, Bed 2.
Pat
Mary woke up about the same time the Doc came by and at the same time her lucious clear liquid dinner also arrived. She is sitting up, eating and not complaining too much.
She is becoming more awake by the minute. A phone call would be in line if anyone is free.
Hospital 408 559 2011, Room 365, Bed 2.
Pat
Mary is still pretty much asleep.
The knockout drops have done a real job on her. The nurse thought they'd pretty much clear out "in a couple hours" and that was at 2:40PM. Right now, she is imitating a log and has been for those couple hours. Perhaps she'll be a bit more awake soon.
I am absolutely going crazy over what they know and what they suspect. Can't wait to see the doc. If the daily pattern holds, the doc will be through here in the next hour or two.
Pat
I am absolutely going crazy over what they know and what they suspect. Can't wait to see the doc. If the daily pattern holds, the doc will be through here in the next hour or two.
Pat
Back from the CT Scan
Mary was awake enough to ask me what the news was. I told her that the ECRP (aka Rotor Rooter) didn't find anything so they ran her thru a CT scan. We are now awaiting a doc's report on the findings from the CT scan.
She is still pretty much out of it from the knock out drops used for the RCRP procedure.
Pat
She is still pretty much out of it from the knock out drops used for the RCRP procedure.
Pat
Mary just went for a ride
And she barely knows it. She is out like a light, sleeping like a log and they rolled her out of here for a CT scan. I'm staying put this time because I don't expect to learn anything and because she is so out of it.
After waiting a day and a half for the ECRP, its refreshing to find them do the CT scan so quickly.
Pat
After waiting a day and a half for the ECRP, its refreshing to find them do the CT scan so quickly.
Pat
No news is no news
The nurse reports that they did not find a specific blockage--no
stones or whatever. Next is a CT scan. I'm waiting to hear from a
Doc. No schedule on the scan.
stones or whatever. Next is a CT scan. I'm waiting to hear from a
Doc. No schedule on the scan.
Pat
Mary is back in her room
She returned about 2:40 or so. Unfortnately, the tech that took her down for the ECRP placed me in a waiting room and then forgot to tell them where I was. So, if the Doc did come out to tell me anything, he went to waiting room #2 while I was quietly hiding in room #1. Gggrrrrrrr!
So, Mary is sleeping like a log right now, probably because they knocked her out. I have no further info other than she is breathing, horizontal and causing no trouble.
Pat
So, Mary is sleeping like a log right now, probably because they knocked her out. I have no further info other than she is breathing, horizontal and causing no trouble.
Pat
On the way to the ECRP
They came in and swooped her up and rolled to the area. I am waiting in the room next door.
Expect about 1 hour until she is done.
Pat
Mary Hughes from my iPhone
Waiting for an ECRP or Earthquake, take your pick
We're in that mode of "Is something going to happen?"
Well, it did. While we've been waiting, we had an earthquake. The USGS reports it was a light earthquake rated at 4.3 apparently on the Calaveras fault. People walking around the hospital didn't feel it. Only those siting quietly did.
We are fine and still quietly waiting.
Pat
Well, it did. While we've been waiting, we had an earthquake. The USGS reports it was a light earthquake rated at 4.3 apparently on the Calaveras fault. People walking around the hospital didn't feel it. Only those siting quietly did.
We are fine and still quietly waiting.
Pat
Monday am
We're waiting. Mary signed the releases last night. No visit yet from the ERCP team.
Pat from Mary Hughes' iPhone
gruesse
Hallo Mary, Hallo Pat
I feel so bad about this new’s. Hopefully Mary is doing better in the meantime and the medical people found the right things to start the health process.
We will watch all the information over the evening.
Alles Liebe
Ute
Mary is in the hospital
Mary,
Sorry to hear you are in the hospital. Hope you are feeling better now.
I'm currently in the Philippines, so I haven't been able to call. I'll check in when I'm back next week. I expect you'll be in much better health by then
Here's hoping for a speedy and uneventful recovery,
Dan
Get Well Soon
Hello Pat and Mary,
well this is certainly one way to keep the weekend exciting.... I hope the pain is gone soon and the Doc will do all the right things to bring Mary back to her normal happy self.
Keep us updated!
Warm Regards,
Susan
******************************************
Dr. Susan Weiher-Telford
Dresden, Germany
===============================
well this is certainly one way to keep the weekend exciting.... I hope the pain is gone soon and the Doc will do all the right things to bring Mary back to her normal happy self.
Keep us updated!
Warm Regards,
Susan
******************************************
Dr. Susan Weiher-Telford
Dresden, Germany
===============================
Good recovery for Mary
Hi Pat, I was shocked and have felt frightfully bad because I have called you yesterday and have bothered you with mine " problem " without knowing that you're just with Mary in the hospital. You have all my best wishes and hope that today everything runs well and Mary can be back home soon again healthy and happy.
All my best wishes to Mary,
Renate
All my best wishes to Mary,
Renate
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Hope all goes well
Hi Pat,
Hope all goes well tomorrow. Tell Mary we will be thinking of her. Will check the blog.
Love,
Terry and Barnes
http://lomaprietapottery.etsy.com or http://lomaprietapottery.com/Potteryblog/
The specialist GI Specialist dropped in
The ECRP procedure is set for noon Monday.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003893.htm
The Dr was very detailed in his description and confident it was a "mechanical blockage" i.e., stone rather than tumor. Tumors are gradual in their effect with long-term weight loss and companion development of jaundiced coloration. Blockages are sudden and acute, just like our girl is experiencing.
He talked in terms of 95% confidence that it will be a blockage and if so, there may be a follow on gall bladder removal. Why a blockage? Because the ultrasound shows her bile ducts being enlarged indicating a down stream blockage. The enlargement is the build up of pressure and the stretching of the duct as a result.
So we now have a plan and a positive feeling that the problem is well understood. We won't know, of course, until the work is done but the Dr was confident.
Pat
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003893.htm
The Dr was very detailed in his description and confident it was a "mechanical blockage" i.e., stone rather than tumor. Tumors are gradual in their effect with long-term weight loss and companion development of jaundiced coloration. Blockages are sudden and acute, just like our girl is experiencing.
He talked in terms of 95% confidence that it will be a blockage and if so, there may be a follow on gall bladder removal. Why a blockage? Because the ultrasound shows her bile ducts being enlarged indicating a down stream blockage. The enlargement is the build up of pressure and the stretching of the duct as a result.
So we now have a plan and a positive feeling that the problem is well understood. We won't know, of course, until the work is done but the Dr was confident.
Pat
Internist Visit
The Internist just stopped by. The weekend on-duty GI Specialist doesn't do the down the throat procedure so they have contacted the "specialist" GI Specialist and Mary is apparently scheduled for Monday, sometime. The procedure is to stick a long ugly thing down her throat and visit the bile duct area in an attempt to see the problem. Yucko, chucko.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003338.htm and
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003893.htm
There was a thought to give Mary a broad based antibiotic in preparation for the procedure but we discussed the risk given her bout with c diff colitis four years ago. The Internist decided she didn't need the antibiotics.
Otherwise, Mary is doing just fine. Minimal pain, looking good from all the electrolytes and IV fluids and waiting for tomorrow.
Mary ordered dinner for 6PM so her appetite is good even though its back to clear liquids again in preparation for the procedure. The Internist was surprised to hear Mary had a solid liquid lunch and wasn't involuntarily giving it all back to the hospital.
Pat
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003338.htm and
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003893.htm
There was a thought to give Mary a broad based antibiotic in preparation for the procedure but we discussed the risk given her bout with c diff colitis four years ago. The Internist decided she didn't need the antibiotics.
Otherwise, Mary is doing just fine. Minimal pain, looking good from all the electrolytes and IV fluids and waiting for tomorrow.
Mary ordered dinner for 6PM so her appetite is good even though its back to clear liquids again in preparation for the procedure. The Internist was surprised to hear Mary had a solid liquid lunch and wasn't involuntarily giving it all back to the hospital.
Pat
Sunday Early Afternoon
Mary did eat her solid liquids lunch: Tomato soup, pudding and tea. She is saving the jello (lemon, I think, its yellow) for a later snack.
We are still waiting for the GI specialist. Its an absolutely lovely day outside. My guess is that we'll see the doc after his round of golf. Its too nice to not be doing something.
Mary is napping now. Drifting in an out of sleep. She has taken all of her potassium and is now working on the bag of magnesium. Her pain is way down but still there. She is not on a pain med at the moment.
I went out for lunch with Erika, Ingrid and Mary. We had a nice conversation and a nice lunch at the Purple Onion. Erika arrived from NY at 10:30 this morning for a quick visit home and for a couple of interviews. She is off visiting friends at the moment.
Pat
We are still waiting for the GI specialist. Its an absolutely lovely day outside. My guess is that we'll see the doc after his round of golf. Its too nice to not be doing something.
Mary is napping now. Drifting in an out of sleep. She has taken all of her potassium and is now working on the bag of magnesium. Her pain is way down but still there. She is not on a pain med at the moment.
I went out for lunch with Erika, Ingrid and Mary. We had a nice conversation and a nice lunch at the Purple Onion. Erika arrived from NY at 10:30 this morning for a quick visit home and for a couple of interviews. She is off visiting friends at the moment.
Pat
Family Medical Events
Reenie reports the anwer to Tim's question.
"Yes I had my gallbladder out in 1976. Jacob was 3 weeks old when I also turned a lovely shade of yellow and started to have incredible pain. I had developed gall stones during the pregnancy and they had spread far and wide. Was in the hospital a total of 37 days and have the giant scar to prove it. I know things will be much better for Mary. I am pretty sure she hasn't recently given birth."
And as we know, Alberta also had her GB removed too.
P
"Yes I had my gallbladder out in 1976. Jacob was 3 weeks old when I also turned a lovely shade of yellow and started to have incredible pain. I had developed gall stones during the pregnancy and they had spread far and wide. Was in the hospital a total of 37 days and have the giant scar to prove it. I know things will be much better for Mary. I am pretty sure she hasn't recently given birth."
And as we know, Alberta also had her GB removed too.
P
Sunday Morning
Mary is looking quite perky this morning. And, she says she is feeling the best she's felt since this problem started a week ago.
Frankly, I think she is a bit bored. Feel free to call, either thru the hospital or our cell phones. Good Sam is 408 559 2011. Mary is in room 365, bed 2.
They did allow her a full liquid lunch so she is tickled pink. The clear liquid diet here is so salty, it drives her nuts. Full liquid includes tomato soup, pudding and jello. The nurse just plugged in a new set of bags into the IV with magnesium and potassium.
We are waiting for the GI specialist. We'll see him/her when we see him/her. No plan that we know of for the specialist to arrive.
Tim asked if Grandma Alberta and Reenie had their gall bladders removed. Alberta, a definite yes. Not sure about Reenie, she'll need to tell us.
Frankly, I think she is a bit bored. Feel free to call, either thru the hospital or our cell phones. Good Sam is 408 559 2011. Mary is in room 365, bed 2.
They did allow her a full liquid lunch so she is tickled pink. The clear liquid diet here is so salty, it drives her nuts. Full liquid includes tomato soup, pudding and jello. The nurse just plugged in a new set of bags into the IV with magnesium and potassium.
We are waiting for the GI specialist. We'll see him/her when we see him/her. No plan that we know of for the specialist to arrive.
Tim asked if Grandma Alberta and Reenie had their gall bladders removed. Alberta, a definite yes. Not sure about Reenie, she'll need to tell us.
Mary is in a room
Good Samaritan Hospital, San Jose CA
Tel: 408 559 2011 or our cell phones.
Room 365, bed 2.
She is on clear liquids. No pain meds or nausea meds. Haven't heard from a
Dr yet. Pat
Tel: 408 559 2011 or our cell phones.
Room 365, bed 2.
She is on clear liquids. No pain meds or nausea meds. Haven't heard from a
Dr yet. Pat
I am on my way
to the hospital.
Dogs are fed.
Ingrid is set to pick up Erika at SFO (I hope).
And, according to Good Sam, Mary is still hung up in ER for lack of nursing staff.
More later.
P
Dogs are fed.
Ingrid is set to pick up Erika at SFO (I hope).
And, according to Good Sam, Mary is still hung up in ER for lack of nursing staff.
More later.
P
I'll use this blog to respond to your emails
cuz its difficult keeping track of what I told everyone. This will be the clearing house of information.
Pat
Pat
The flu that wasn't the flu
Feel free to forward this blog url to friends and family. I'll be adding posts during the day as I learn what is going on.
How we got here:
Mary's flu that started last Sunday in Denver while visiting Chris, Casey, Danny and Sarah didn't really go away all week. She never did have a fever. And, other than Monday morning, she kept everything she ate down. Mary did have to eat slowly when she did eat, but she had no difficulty with food intake--other than a lack of appetite because of the pain and discomfort.
Most telling, no one she was in contact with came down with the flu including her Habitat volunteers and family members.
Saturday (yesterday) morning after her shower, she asked me if her skin had a yellow shading to it. I had to agree. So then we started web searching for all her symptoms. That led to calling our doc's office which lead to the emergency room.
This is one of the links we found that appears to be accurate for our girl.
Http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000263.htm
Yesterday they took a battery of blood tests and an ultrasound. The blood tests showed her potassium was low, her liver enzymes were elevated and some other "out of normal"range for her but those were the two biggies. The ultrasound showed her bile ducts were constricted, perhaps blocked, but no indication of the cause. The ER decision was to admit her for follow on diagnosis.
California has a law about nurse to patient ratio. Turns out Mary's designated room was on a floor that was short handed on Saturday night so we took the trip up to the floor only to immediately return to the ER. The plan was to bring in hospital beds for the five patients stuck in ER until the legal requirement was met. Actually, this wasn't bad because she had a really great nurse for her overnight stay. He has been in nursing for 20 years, half in ICU and the other half in ER. A calm and knowledgeable guy with great bedside manner.
They have Mary on a pain killer that is causing nausea so they have her on two anti-nausea meds. Actually, this seems to work. When she got her 2nd injection (she is on an IV), she drifted off to dreamland and was resting comfortably when I left at 1AM. It's 7:45AM as I finish this and they told me she'd like be set up to move after 8AM so I'll be over there in a short while.
I'll be updating during the day. Good Samaritan Hospital does have guest wifi so its one of the things I do to keep busy and distracted.
Pat
How we got here:
Mary's flu that started last Sunday in Denver while visiting Chris, Casey, Danny and Sarah didn't really go away all week. She never did have a fever. And, other than Monday morning, she kept everything she ate down. Mary did have to eat slowly when she did eat, but she had no difficulty with food intake--other than a lack of appetite because of the pain and discomfort.
Most telling, no one she was in contact with came down with the flu including her Habitat volunteers and family members.
Saturday (yesterday) morning after her shower, she asked me if her skin had a yellow shading to it. I had to agree. So then we started web searching for all her symptoms. That led to calling our doc's office which lead to the emergency room.
This is one of the links we found that appears to be accurate for our girl.
Http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000263.htm
Yesterday they took a battery of blood tests and an ultrasound. The blood tests showed her potassium was low, her liver enzymes were elevated and some other "out of normal"range for her but those were the two biggies. The ultrasound showed her bile ducts were constricted, perhaps blocked, but no indication of the cause. The ER decision was to admit her for follow on diagnosis.
California has a law about nurse to patient ratio. Turns out Mary's designated room was on a floor that was short handed on Saturday night so we took the trip up to the floor only to immediately return to the ER. The plan was to bring in hospital beds for the five patients stuck in ER until the legal requirement was met. Actually, this wasn't bad because she had a really great nurse for her overnight stay. He has been in nursing for 20 years, half in ICU and the other half in ER. A calm and knowledgeable guy with great bedside manner.
They have Mary on a pain killer that is causing nausea so they have her on two anti-nausea meds. Actually, this seems to work. When she got her 2nd injection (she is on an IV), she drifted off to dreamland and was resting comfortably when I left at 1AM. It's 7:45AM as I finish this and they told me she'd like be set up to move after 8AM so I'll be over there in a short while.
I'll be updating during the day. Good Samaritan Hospital does have guest wifi so its one of the things I do to keep busy and distracted.
Pat
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