Our Weekend didn't start very well

10 years ago

On Saturday morning, I woke up and made a cup of coffee then sat at my computer to slowly wake up. I had planned on baking a coconut macadamia cheesecake, clean the bathroom and kitchen and do a little laundry. But I need a few coffees to start my day first. My husband was already awake and came into my office holding his stomach and said it felt like it was on fire. I thought it was one of a few things, first: flu. So I made him a cup of lemon/ginger tea to settle his stomach. That did nothing. So I took a quick shower and went to the store to buy Gavison and Tums thinking heartburn or indigestion. Neither did a thing and he said he felt it was getting worse. I asked him if a trip to the ER was a good idea and he put on his shoes. Jokingly I said, "if you burp or fart and feel better, I'm smacking you", but I could clearly see he was in agony. I asked him if it was kidney stone pain. He's had them before and he said it's completely different. I threw gall stones at him but he's never had them so he didn't know. The pain seemed closer to his belly button and he said it was pushing up. I know the appendix can hurt around the belly button so I figured that. Our ER's can often take hours to get into. Once he was seen by the initial triage nurse and got his information taken by the unit clerk we sat for what I thought was going to be hours. There were about a dozen people ahead of us. My husband tried to sit but couldn't. He tried to walk. But couldn't. The he laid down on the floor. A nurse told him it wasn't a good idea but it was the only thing that helped. For two minutes. He was taken in rather quickly, I think because of his pain. The medical team acted very quickly when he described his pain. He was writhing on the bed and could barely lay still. The doctor quickly did an ultra sound on his upper belly thinking the same as me: gall stones. But nothing was found. Then he brought in the ecg machine and his heart was perfectly fine, but beating rapidly from the pain. I overheard a nurse say, "He looks worse laying down than he did when he walked in here. What have you started to do with him?" She looked very worried. He was taken into the main ER area where they watched his heart and took a lot of blood. They gave him a type of morphine (hydromorphine, I think it's called) every 1/2 hour but it only seemed to help for 10 minutes at a time. He had to drink a litre of liquid and then they did a ct scan. The results came back quickly: it appeared to be a twisted bowl, but the scan was different. The lining of his intestine was thick and they thought maybe something else was going on. They took him to surgery at 7 pm. My kids and I went to eat dinner as I hadn't eaten since Friday. His surgery could last 2 hours minimum depending on what they found.

The surgeon phoned me just after 9 and said he had to take 132 cm of small intestine out. When my husband was 5 years old, his parents sent him to get a bottle of milk. It was winter and after he bought the milk, he started walking home. It was winter and there was snow on the ground. The snow hid the fact that the sidewalk was a bit broken. He tripped over the broken sidewalk. His first instinct was to save the GLASS bottle. He landed on top of it, but the bottle had broken. All he remembers is he thought he was going to be in trouble for breaking the bottle, walking into the house and hearing his mother scream. He passed out and woke up in the hospital. The bottle had broken and not only gone through his winter coat, but cut open his stomach from his belly button to his hip bone. His intestines had come through that large hole. He had internal bleeding so he had to be reopened and fixed up again.

58 years later, a ring of scar tissue built up over his small intestine. He had NO symptoms until Saturday. It killed off part of his intestine so the doctor had to remove 132 cm of his small intestine and attach it to his colon. While they were in there, they removed his appendix. I just talked to him a few minutes ago, and his pain meds were lowered a little bit. When I was up last night, two nurses helped him out of bed to walk a little bit. Our grandson missed him so much. He kept asking if grandpa had "widdle holes in him" and would hold his hand. And because he couldn't give grandpa real hugs, he would hug his hand. It was so sweet. I've been googling his home care when he comes home. I like food with flavour, as does he, but he will need a bland diet for several weeks. I'm making bone broth today and will freeze it. He should be able to sip on that during the day.

When he first walked into the ER, and the triage nurse asked what was wrong, he said, "I think I'm going to die". She said, "Oh don't say that, it's probably something small." Little did we know, he was dieing. (how the heck to you spell such a simple word???) This could very well have killed him. But he's on the mend and will hopefully be home within the week. I'll be taking next week off to give him a hand.

Featured Answer

Dakota

10 years ago

So glad the ER worked quickly to figure out what was going on!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (44)

katlan
10 years ago
Good Lord! That is terrifying, amazing, crazy and thankfully has a happy ending. Take care of you so you can take care of him. He will be in my prayers for a speedy and complete recovery.
Related Discussions
Veggies That Produced Well....And Those Which Didn't
Q
Comments (1)
Dawn, sounds like you had a good year, all things considered! Our spring/summer garden was fairly pitiful. The only thing that produced was salad greens, walking onions, and garlic. We got only a gallon or ywo of summer squash before it went kaput. Tomatoes never did get it right after the rainy setbacks but we did get a decent flush this fall, enough for several days of good eating. Melons, not so much. Beans & cukes were a complete bust. The fall garden is seems to be doing better. Peas, cabbages, and cukes are showing promise, summer squash has just started putting lots of goodies, and salad greens are up a almost ready to start cutting. Walking onions and herbs are doing well now and I'll be setting out the garlic before much longer. The chiles finally started taking off in late summer so we've had a decent harvest of those and they're continuing. Spring = Fail. Fall = Much Better. Diane
...See More
Well that didn't work!
Q
Comments (16)
DH and I have been discussing and we're contemplating putting the microwave to the west side of the fridge. I really wanted a tall pantry with big drawers and shelves - just like my Mom had and I'm not sure if I want to give that up for a MW yet. I probably will I just have to get use to the idea. Here is about the layout of the rooms. The biggest constraint we had was we could not move the plumbing. We had to come in from the bathroom above the level of the foundation. The foundation between the two areas is rocks. And I don't mean a rock wall, I mean rocks, as in very large boulders. Shifting one would have caused shifting in all of them and you can't just cut a hole through a rock like you can cement. So the plumbing actually comes through the wall from the bathroom, not under the floor. The other issue is all walls in the kitchen were once exterior walls, and the sink/oven walls are bearing walls too. The wall behind the fridge became the new bearing wall for the upper level floor for that section as the upper roof is actually supported by the old rafters and not the end wall. well, let's just say this house presented a lot of problems one does not normally encounter in a newer home. Removing the patio door was a spur of the moment decision. We had problems getting the door installed. The whole middle of the house leans to the north, about an 1" from top to bottom. It was that way all along and the other sections were built on to it that way so there was no way to pull the house back to level without pulling it apart. This was one of the first things we did with the house and silly us didn't think to make sure the wall was plumb before we started. We placed the door and in trying to get it plumb realized what the problem was. We either had to have the bottom sticking into the house about an inch or the top sticking out from the outside wall about an inch, or put it in matching the wall and hope for the best. We matched the wall and though we had some problems early on with water, DH did get it all sealed up and it had been fine for three years. It turned out to be one of those things that just didn't work out like one hoped. For one it eat up a big chunk of the end of the kitchen because you needed walking space. It also seemed silly from the outside because the patio door was right next to the front door. We also discovered after fixing the landscaping and leaking incoming water pipes that the front patio is sloped towards the house and in the spring and during rains it channels water under the house and it ends up in the cellar in the opposite north corner. The only way to fix this problem would be to bust out the existing cement and re-slope the ground. This fall we finally settled on putting tile in the kitchen and when we pulled up the OSB, DH saw evidence of the prior water damage, and he looked at me and said "we should just take out this door and that way we would never have water problems here again" and I looked at him and said "don't say that unless you are dead serious" and then we realized neither one of us were real happy with the door so out it came (it is in the shop right now). This is November 7th 2004 and November 7th, 2009 Now that we've had it gone for a while we both like the kitchen so much better. The windows let in more light than the door and now I can have a bigger island. The heater is now under the window and that freed up along side the window for a nice hutch or tall storage of some sort. So now the two choices for the MW are left of the windows on the south wall or left of the fridge on the north wall. One thing I have discovered through all this is that I really do not like upper cabinets. I think if I could get away with it I'd have none. However DH wants uppers all the way to the ceiling. I think he would love a "wall to wall" built in cabinet look and I would love a totally unfitted kitchen. He wants lots and lots of storage, I keep thinking I could throw out half of what is stored and never miss it. Since he is making the cabinets I have to let him have some say in the design. Cathy
...See More
timmy didn't fall into the well... but....
Q
Comments (9)
Kim, your story made me remember when I shattered my ankle. I was cleaning the stalls int he barn, both dogs were off leash in those days, but with me ... I stepped up to the manure pile to empty the wheelbarrow, when I came down, my ankle shattered ... no one ever determined why. I obviously went down with a cry ... both dogs came running over to me and were frantic about what happened to me. I called to the kids across the street to get their Mom and for her to call 911 ... they had just thought I was playing with the dogs on the ground. LOL ... I can laugh now. I spent a couple of days in the hospital, it took a while to find a surgeon and then I had to get my strength back enough to walk with cructhes, which was new to me. I ended up going to my sisters house for a couple of days before heading home, my Mom had gone to my house to bring my dogs to me, and only my female (Brandi) would come. Dakota was still feaked out and wouldn't get into the car with my Mom. When Brandi came in the door at my sisters house, she started barking madly and I could hear her nails scrabbling on the floor as she tried to find me. She basically launched herself into my lap when she saw me ... and then wouldn't leave unless I went too. So, if you were really hurt, and hopefully never are ... I bet they will surprise you!
...See More
Beef Tenderloin - Well that didn't go well.
Q
Comments (27)
Stunning table!! I thought of you when I came across this Cooks Illustrated recipe in my email today. Roast Beef Tenderloin Serves 4 to 6. Published March 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated. If using table salt, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon. Ask your butcher to prepare a trimmed, center-cut ChÃ¢teaubriand from the whole tenderloin, as this cut is not usually available without special ordering. If you are cooking for a crowd, this recipe can be doubled to make two roasts. Sear the roasts one after the other, wiping out the pan and adding new oil after searing the first roast. Both pieces of meat can be roasted on the same rack. Ingredients 1 beef tenderloin center-cut ChÃ¢teaubriand (about 2 pounds), trimmed of fat and silver skin (see note) 2 teaspoons kosher salt (see note) 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 recipe flavored butter (see related recipes) Instructions 1. Using 12-inch lengths of twine, tie roast crosswise at 11/2-inch intervals. Sprinkle roast evenly with salt, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. 2. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle roast evenly with pepper and spread unsalted butter evenly over surface. Transfer roast to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 40 to 55 minutes, or 135 degrees for medium, 55 to 70 minutes, flipping roast halfway through cooking. 3. Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place roast in skillet and sear until well browned on four sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side (total of 4 to 8 minutes). Transfer roast to carving board and spread 2 tablespoons flavored butter evenly over top of roast; let rest 15 minutes. Remove twine and cut meat crosswise into Â½-inch-thick slices. Serve, passing remaining flavored butter separately.
...See More
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
10 years ago
Wow he is very lucky he didn't die. That can be a fatal situation. In large dogs it's bloat, where the intestines get a twist or fold over themselves. It will kill a large dog in a very short amount of time. I always worried about it with my Great Danes.

Iknow that had to be a horrible thing for all of you to go through. So glad he got the attention needed quickly. Wishing him a full and quick recovery.
User
10 years ago
That's one heck of a childhood accident come back to haunt him. I'm so sorry to hear he had to go through that. So glad to hear he's recovering nicely! Hope it's smooth sailing and no more bumps....wishing you both well...
gmatx zone 6
10 years ago
Debby, wishes for quick healing for your husband! Please take care of yourself, also.

DH had about 10" of large bowel resected in 2005 at the junction of the large and small intestines. The one thing that he ate the most of was mashed potatoes. I used vegetable broth in them sometimes, other times beef or chicken broth. Seemed to be easy on both his stomach and intestines, and with the broths, butter and milk he was getting a good supply of protein and carbs to assist with quick healing.
sweet_betsy No AL Z7
10 years ago
Isn't it great when the medical profession comes through for us? Sometimes we don't give them the credit that they deserve. They really came through for you and your hubby as they have for me and mine. Wishing both of you a complete and uneventful recovery.
rob333 (zone 7b)
10 years ago
Glad it was treated seriously. And he's on the downhill side of this. Whew. Keep on healing guy!
gadgets
10 years ago
That's a truly amazing story that it took 58 years to show that he had a problem. I'm glad to hear that he is now on the mend. Keep us updated.
glenda_al
10 years ago
So glad he is on the mend.
sjerin
10 years ago
Oh, my!! Yes, I'll add my thank goodness too that the medical staff took him fairly quickly, figured it out and didn't pooh-pooh his words, for the most part. Both parts of his story are humdingers, Debby! Rest up while your dh is still in the hospital and my best wishes for his speedy recovery.
Alisande
10 years ago
That's a remarkable story, and thank goodness it had a good outcome. Poor little kid with the milk bottle....

PS: It's spelled dying. Glad we can smile about it.
User
10 years ago
Horrible story with a good ending. I'm happy to hear the problem was found and your husband is on the mend.

Not to sure if this is something your Dh would find appetizing. I had some stomach problems several years ago. I found rice and gravy or rice and cream of mushroom soup to be something I could easily handle. Just throwing it out there as an option.
linda_6
10 years ago
OMG - I'm so very glad you had a happy ending. Wow, what a little fall can do to ya. After all those years.
lindaohnowga
10 years ago
Thanks given that the problem was found, corrected, and your hubby is now on the mend. That had to be so scary for him and for you too.
Fun2BHere
10 years ago
What an amazing story! I hope your husband's recovery is quick and trouble-free.
stacey_mb
10 years ago
What a dreadful event for you and your husband! It's so good to hear that he was treated promptly and is getting better. I hope the rest of your Thanksgiving weekend is more enjoyable.
mare_wbpa
10 years ago
That was really scary. Glad they found his problem quickly and that he's on the mend.
chisue
10 years ago
Lucky man, not to have died of the obstruction, home remedies, or infection when they operated.

Maybe the triage nurse learned something. It's not always 'business as usual'.

I'm so glad your DH is going to be all right. You must have been terrified. Give yourself a little extra 'space' to recover while he's in hospital.
nanny98
10 years ago
Oh My.....What an amazing event. And, your DH must have a busy guardian angel to have survived two such near fatal events. Sending best wishes and prayers that he continues to heal and return to his lucky life!
Jasdip
10 years ago
Debby how horrific! Thank heavens they took his pain seriously and started doing tests right away.

My first thought when you said remove part of his intestine is that he'd have to have a colostomy bag. He will probably have to have a diet similar to Crohn's disease and avoid nuts and hard things which can cause diverticulitis.

All that aside prayers and good thoughts coming your and your hubby's way. Keep us posted.
bossyvossy
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Wow glad your story has a bright ending. Am I understanding correctly that scar tissue on exterior side of small intestine grew and strangled a portion of intestine? No symptoms for 58 years? No abdominal pain ever? I think scariest thing is no warning signs. At first I thought you were going to say a piece of glass from childhood snuck into intestine. Tell DH he's tough as nails for having endured this nightmare
pkramer60
10 years ago
So glad you took him into the ER and that he is doing better now. I would think that foods like broth, cream soups, cream of wheat. Ask if he can have meats and vegetables that have been run through the food processor, a bit like baby food but with some herbs added for flavor.

Just last night Trump, during the debate, said that Canadian health care was a disaster. Just another thing he is wrong about!
sjerin
10 years ago
My husband had a bit of intestine removed some years ago and I remember on the second day someone brought him some chicken to eat. He went ahead and ate it but felt very sick afterward--it was too soon!! Eggs were our friends, for awhile anyway.
Elmer J Fudd
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Before I go further with something of much less importance, debby, I'm glad your husband was seen in time and is on the mend.

-------------------------------------

"Just last night Trump, during the debate, said that Canadian health care was a disaster. Just another thing he is wrong about!"

Sure. But I have heard many gripes about the Canadian system. I don't know which are valid and which aren't. Excessively long wait lists for some docs and procedures, too many foreign trained doctors, gaps in coverage (some things not covered at all), and no coverage of some expenses incurred in other provinces when traveling outside of one's home province while still in Canada, are among the criticisms I've heard.

They have broader coverage than we have in the US. Our system is great for those with adequate insurance coverage, not so great for others, but overall it's full of problems. It's easy to pick out any one country's approach and throw rocks, all have soft spots and problems.
hounds_x_two
10 years ago
Sorry for a scary time, and so glad to know he is on the road to recovery.
sleeperblues
10 years ago
Oh man, that was a scary story to read. I'm sure it was much worse to live it. I'm glad he's on the mend, sounds like he had a top-notch team!
Rusty
10 years ago
What a frightening experience for both of you! So glad you were able to get prompt attention in the ER, they found the problem and were able to fix it! Sending up prayers that his recovery will be fast and complete. Take care of yourself, too. That's of utmost importance!

Rusty
justlinda
10 years ago
From a fellow Canadian may I wish both of you a Happy Thanksgiving, not only for food, family, etc. but also that your husband is going to be just fine. So to you especially I wish a HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
Georgysmom
10 years ago
Glad to be reading about this AFTER the final outcome and glad to hear he survived a terrible ordeal. I know you must be very grateful for competent doctors, nurses and medical care. Wishing your hubby a speedy recovery
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
10 years ago
Just want to say, in reference to a comment upstream, that the triage nurse was the one responsible for getting him in quickly.

I'm glad that things are turning out well. Don't rush it on the food and drinks, but do make sure that he does drink enough water once he is home, and make sure that he gets up and moves around regularly.
boops2012
10 years ago
Glad to know it turned out well and that he is on the way to good health.
chisue
10 years ago
I suspect your DH (and I) will be 'enjoying' Low Fiber Diet for some weeks to come. Blech!
User
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Thank you everyone for the kind words. Our health care can have long wait times for non emergency surgery but when it's life threatening, it's quick. His pain meds were lowered today and he's looking much better. His pain is down to a 7 since surgery from an 8-9. He is still NPO. And can only wet his mouth with a small sponge on a stick. He is not allowed to swallow yet. He can get in and out of bed by himself to use the washroom. He keeps dozing off but can't stay sleeping. He only nods off for a few minutes st a time.
Jasdip
10 years ago
Elmer/Snidely is right. Each province has it's own coverage, and no one can assume that things are covered when they travel.

Hubby has a floater in one of his eyes and it's a quick (3 sec) zap with laser to fix it, at the hospital where he had his cataract surgery done. He called mid-Sept and he can't get in to get it done till Nov. 27.
lucillle
10 years ago
So glad this had a good ending, what an ordeal.
PKponder TX Z7B
10 years ago
That must have been terrifying for both of you! Thank goodness the medical staff was able to take care of him and correct the issue before something more dire occurred!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
moonie_57 (8 NC)
10 years ago
Good gosh!
User
10 years ago
How absolutely terrifying, and what a relief everything turned out well. Best wishes for a fast, complete recovery for him.
blfenton
10 years ago
Oh I'm so glad he's going to be ok. You must have been so scared. ((((hugs))))

I guess turkey dinner is still to come sometime in the future.
kathyg_in_mi
10 years ago
Sending up thankful prayers. Glad everything is looking up.
cynic
10 years ago
Glad to hear things are progressing. My best for a speedy recovery. Glad you both knew to go in when you need to go in. I'm always annoyed when I see people in the ER who "just don't feel good" and taking up time when someone who really needs attention has to wait. I was concerned while reading your report that it might be needlessly delayed. Glad to see they gave priority where it was needed. Yes, Canadian healthcare isn't a shambles, quite obviously.
OklaMoni
10 years ago
Oh my! I was out of computer range over the weekend, and most of yesterday. What an ordeal. I hope, the road to recovery goes without incidents.
amicus
10 years ago
So glad to hear your hubby is now on the mend! Yes, we (Canadians) can't get immediate surgery for elective procedures, but I can't say I know anyone who had to wait if it was an emergency. DH's friend was out for a walk with his wife when he complained (with slurred speech) of a sudden excruciating headache.

She called an ambulance from her cell, he was taken to the local hospital where they diagnosed a bleeding aneurysm. He was airlifted to a nearby Toronto hospital that specializes in neurology and had emergency brain surgery. He was extremely lucky to survive, let alone be fully functional and able to resume golfing several weeks later, with no bill to worry about.
sleeperblues
10 years ago
That's an amazing story, Pickyshopper. Glad to hear of the good outcome. I guess Trump's declaration that the Canadian health care system is a DISASTER is just more of his BS

Our Weekend didn't start very well

Comments (44)

Related Discussions

UserOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

User
Original Author