Stephany Laulu

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26 Days Post-Op..Another procedure scheduled

2 days ago

Well today my Dr came to see me.. Of course it was after 4pm, since he was in surgery all day. I had been dying to drink something but I had to wait for his orders.. But before we started I had asked him to close the door and I wanted 15 mins of his time so that I can let him know how I have been feeling and the way he had made me feel… So after we had our little talk I felt little bit better that I was able to release this burden off my chest..

So now it came down to the liquid diets.. I has asked him If I could take a sip of water before he left.. So I opened up the Dasani water took a sip and looked down at my drain.. I began to smile and looked up and said “No Leak”.. Not long after my smile appeared a frown and tears followed.. My Dr. for HIS first time seen the water go straight into my drain.. He promptly stated that he was going to do the procedure that he originally wanted to do, but couldn’t because of the stricture and dilation he had to do.

So tomorrow at 6pm, I will be having a EDG w/ stent placement with possible seal. This procedure should last anywhere from 15-30min..Hopefully it will go smooth this time..

Please pray for me.. Love to you all who read this..

25 Days Post-Op

So I was discharged from my 6 day hospital stay on 11/23/2011, Just in time for Thanksgiving. The Dr. sent me home with antibiotics and told me to get liquid vitamins from my neighborhood Walgreens. That night I was still pretty anxious and nervous since not being able to have my Effexor XR. So later that night around 1’oclock in the morning, I just could not deal with it, and I crushed my Effexor tablet and drank it. Within 5 mins I started gagging and threw it up…I had a massive headache as well.. But I finally went to sleep.

Thanksgiving morning I woke up very week. I looked over to check my pouch as usual to see what exciting new fluid was in there… This time there was BLOOD..Holy crap what happened?..Could it of been that little vomit that I had the night before..I got up and I could barely walk.. I went and showed it to my mom so that she could see and bare witness and we were just going to keep an eye on it through-out the day..She said that I could of “renched” it by throwing up that time after taking my Effexor..Later that day I drank a little broth and took both of my liquid Vitamins and Antibiotics. As I was looking at my drain you could see some of it coming out.. It was very discouraging when my Dr tells me that after all these test there is NO LEAK..It just drives me mad.. I remember a nurse of mine told me “What kind of Great Surgeon doesn’t listen to his patients”, and that stuck to me. Technology isn’t ALWAYS right and when doing X-rays you have to time it just right in order to catch what u need to.. But anyways back to my story.. I was so upset to see whatever I drank in my drain (not normal) and come to think about it, this drain possibly saved my life.. I could have got real sick by having all that flowing around my body..

Later that Thanksgiving evening I still wasn’t feeling right..I felt fatigue, weak, and malnourished. I called the Drs. Right hand women (Amelia) who happened to be in Europe on vacation and my mom left her a message and she called back and provided my mom with Dr. Dayhia pager number. She called him about 10pm Thanksgiving night and she put me on the phone. I could tell that the Dr was irritated with me especially calling with another problem. He informed me that maybe I pulled the tube in my sleep and that caused the bleeding and that he could not be sure since he couldn’t see it over the phone, and if I felt it necessary then go back to the ER.. So I hung up the phone feeling lost and confused..So I decided this is my life, my body and I want to live and I don’t want to miss a thing. So just a day in a half of being discharged I was back at the hospital in the ER..They ran all the test by taking labs, urine, etc..came back that my labs and the ER Dr. stated that they were all out of whack and needed IV fluids and mediation.. He also informed me that I had a possible UTI infection & Yeast Infection. I told the ER doc that I did not want to be admitted and that I wanted to come home.. He said please stay, atleast for 24 hrs so that I can get your “chemistry” back to normal.. I want you to be safe. So I agreed..So I was admitted back in Friday around 2am.

So, Friday morning my Dr. walks in my room…Not looking to happy with me at all and this is what he says….”You know Stephany, I am going to be looking for a new Doctor for you. I don’t know what else to do”..

My mouth dropped and my eyes starting tearing up..He tells me that everyday its always something with me.. and he knows that once it hits after 9pm in the evening he knows that he will get a phone call regarding me. He said the 1^st time I was admitted and didn’t need to be, and he said this second time now that I was admitted I also didn’t need to be.. The Dr. said that he is afraid that one day it will be a serious call and he might just blow it off because he figured ohhh, it’s just Stephany, and then something bad would them of happened.

Wow, talk about a slap in the face..Both times I was admitted was because of my blood labs.. I did not beg or plead to get admitted.. I pretty much told him that I didn’t want him to throw me away..I am not crazy, but like I told him several times before.. It is NOT normal from your jello, broth, liquid medication to come out of the drain, and hearing that “No Leak” was detected and just going with it..That is not right.. There comes a time when a Surgeon should take the time and LISTEN to their PATIENTS!!

So before he left he told me that I could try a strawberry protein shake. As I began to drink it, I seen it coming out my tube like clockwork.. I then immediately called for my nurse and let her watch me drink it and she watched it come out to my drain. She then paged the Dr. and she told me that she said. Dr, her shake IS coming out.. He then ordered another UGI #4.. This time they used a lil monitor that you could see the drinking draining and that they could flash immediately as the liquid is going down. They took 4 of those and 4 of the ones with my back up against the x-ray board. Then I was done and sent back to my room.. About 40mins later I get a nurse coming in with paperwork informing me that I will be having an Endoscopy w/ stent placement the next day..I was like huh? What? Why? What is that for?.. Wow after so long of me trying to make myself heard they finally seen something.

11/26/2011 @9am.. I was going to have my Endoscopy w/stent placement. I was told it takes about 30min.. when I woke up it was OVER 2 hrs later!!.. I was later informed that the Dr. couldn’t get the stent where he wanted it and also that the opening to my pouch was kinked and tight he had to dilate it (basically stretching it out more).. I still have the JP tube in and I was told nothing to eat or drink until they did another UGI#5... But I can give you all some good news.. Well remember how I have a habit to look at my drain whenever I eat or drink something??.. well after drinking that stuff I looked at my drain… and there was NOTHING LEAKING TO THERE!!!!... I was so happy.. I just kept thanking God and thanking God..The Dr. did come back and see me after he got the results and I told him look…Nothing strange in my drain!!!:).. He said that he did not touch anything on that side, but atleast by dilating it that might of helped the problem and the little pin hole leak if any will most likely seal/heal itself.. But I would need to follow-up with another endoscopy in 6 weeks, because sometimes they just restrict themselves back. I asked the Dr if I could drink something and he said no, to wait until tomorrow the 28^th, and I can have clear liquids and then I could go on a soft food diet…But I think Imma just stick to shakes for awhile so that I can get back on my feet again with energy!!...

Thanks for you all listening!!!... More to follow later

19 Days Post-Op
posted on 11/21/11 12:52 am

Hello to all that read this... I am 19 Days post Op...

Well on that Friday, I went to see my Dr and he told me that the drain had to stay in because he wasn’t happy with the color and wanted to see me on Tuesday and for me to eat green jello all day Sunday and Monday to see what the drain would show... Well that sure didn’t last long... Later that evening after only drinking water and clear liquids I thought that I would take a chance and try Tomato Soup and to what would come out of my drain.. So about 7:30ish I had me half a coffee cup of soup, and about 1 hr later I looked down into my drain and low and behold there was..........THE DAMN SOUP IT ATE, but not a whole bunch but enough for me to know..My drain went from white/clear to Tomato looking... My heart dropped..

I then text the office coordinator/The Dr. right hand woman Amelia and informed her.. She contacted the Dr and told me to go to the ER and that they were going to have me admitted..So that Friday night on November 18 I went to the ER and was admitted…They drew blood, checked urine, cleaned my stomach where the drain is at, and they told me that there was a small infection there and gave me antibiotics… So as I was on my way to my room I was then informed that the Dr had placed me on NPO, which basically means nothing by mouth, no food, no water…Only IV’s until at least Monday…I was a nervous wreck in the ER, I even had a panic attack.. one reason is because I am a big baby with a lot of fears..But everyone reassured me that I would be ok. They told me that they have seen several other different Drs. Patients come in who are really sick with leaks..They have fevers, can’t stand on their own and are in pain. But by the Grace of our Heavenly Father that wasn’t my situation..

What my Dr. believes is that there must be a microscopic pin hole leak that the UGI & CT did not see so by the Dr. stopping all oral intake will give the leak a chance to heal /scar on its own.. The Dr. doesn’t want to go back in to operate for several reasons…One being it could cause more damage that could possibly lead to serious problems and we don’t know where the pin hole is, and also to try and sew/staple it would be like messing with cheese on a hot pizza. So I have been on IV for 2 days now..The Dr has been here every day, yes Saturday & even Sunday… this man WORKS let me tell you.. So with lots of praying and lots of prayers I really feel much better than I did when I first arrived Friday night. So I will be keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that when I am about to put liquid back in my mouth it will not show up in the drain… Until then..I will follow up soon . J

16 Days Post-Op and drain STILL in
posted on 11/18/11 7:52 pm

Well I went to my Dr. today so that I could remove my staples and drain... The staples were removed, HOWEVER, not the drain.. Even after all the test came out negative, the Dr. doesn’t feel comfortable with the color of my drainage.. The color is thick w/ white stuff.. Looks almost like cottage cheese.. Has anyone have had that?? So the Dr. said one last type of test before he removes it on Tuesday.. He wants me to eat jello. Maybe like a purple color of blue...to see if that color comes out in my drain... So we shall see... See you all on Tuesday

15 Days Post-Op.. The results are in…
posted on 11/18/11 10:13 am

Well I went back to see the Dr. yesterday the 17 and the Dr. came in and said that the labs and Upper-Gi with gastrografin were good. Then he wanted to see the drain and once again he did not feel comfortable with the color. He said that there was a significant change and to be on the safe side he wanted to do one more test. The test he ordered was a CT-Scan w/ Contrast. So once it was ordered and verified I left his office and went to the hospital to have it done. OMG talk about gross.. I had to drink not one, but 2 large cups of stuff it was disgusting..After about an hour I finally got them down and had my test.. My Dr. wanted me to wait there until he was notified with the results… After about 30mins the results were in… NO GASTRIC LEAK!!!.. I was so happy and relieved. But the Dr. did say that he wanted me to come back into the office to get the JP drain removed since that could be the problem. So today at 1:30pm I will be going back to the Dr. I am so blessed that I have such a great Dr. who truly cares and is concerned about is patients.