November 5, 2009

Hi friends. I found out people really appreciated my last blog update so I thought I would try to keep this updated with what is happening. So…

I saw my GYN on Tuesday. He is convinced that it is a problem with my common bile duct. Normally the bile duct secretes histamines. However, my doctor thinks that mine may be secreting cytokines and leukotrienes. If this is the case then when I try to eat the bile duct may go crazy secreting these two things thus causing pain. So, he is putting me on Singulair, which is a med that blocks these two things from being produced. If this is the case then by these being blocked from being produced my pain should diminish and I should be able to eat again. Honestly he says it is a long-shot, but is worth the try. I am willing to try anything right now to get better so I started this medication this morning.

Wednesday(yesterday) I saw my pain specialist. He thinks the problem is the sphincter muscle in my stomach. He thinks it is contracting so much from the stomach acid. He says it is a huge problem that I am not eating because the same amount of acid is being produced but there is nothing for it to digest. I am currently on Prilosec, but he says he is not impressed with that drug, and instead or combined with, he wants me to take Zantac three times a day. After I take the Zantac he wants me to try to eat some yogurt. Right before I eat the yogurt I am supposed to take Reglan because that will help nausea and move the yogurt through my stomach faster. He is hoping this will be the start of me being able to process food again. Then I am to move on to mashed potatoes and other milk-based products. The reason for the milk-based products is because they are more of a base and not acidic foods.

As you can see, every doctor has their opinion of what is wrong and how to treat it. I appreciate all the help I can get, but it does get frustrating having no one on the same page. Right now my pain is still so bad I can hardly even describe. The last two nights I have slept very little because the pain is SO bad. I almost went to the ER again early this morning because I could not get relief from the pain. It is hard right now because I am not sure when to say enough is enough and give up at home and go back to the hospital. I also don’t know what the hospital will do since even S.F. did not have answers. At some point though, so doctor somewhere has got to have answers.

A friend of mine has been raising money for me to fly to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. He believes that is the only place I may get answers. It is scary to think of going across country for treatment, but that may be the only answer and it is incredibly overwhelming that a friend cares that much to work to get me there. So, we will see what happens with this.

Monday, November 9th I have an appointment with the GI doctor who saw me at Feather River and is the one who transferred me to S.F. I believe at this appointment the reality of putting a J-tube in will be discussed. Let’s hope God heals me by Monday and that I begin to get better. I will post on Monday and let everyone know what this doctor says.

Right now my days and nights are long. My brother flew in from Michigan last night to help care for me until Monday. My mom has surgery tomorrow as well, so he needed to be here to care for her and help me. It will be a crazy weekend. To top all of this off, my mom and I were in a car accident yesterday. We are pretty much okay, but my neck/shoulder is messed up. I went to the chiropractor yesterday and go Tuesday as well. I may go tomorrow, but it just depends how I feel. They told me to call them on Friday as the third day is the worse after an accident and they are expecting me to hurt pretty bad. As I sit here and type my neck is hurting. I may just call and make the appointment. Actually I just did. So I am going in tomorrow morning.

Anyway, okay I think you are updated now. Thanks for the continued prayers friends. You all are amazing and are keeping me going. Love you all.

Diane

November 2, 2009

Good evening friends. I have been out of the hospital since October 29, 2009. For those who don’t know, I was hospitalized on October 14, 2009. I spent one week in Feather River Hospital and then was ambulanced down to California Pacific Medical Center is S.F. for another nine days. A total of 16 days in the hospital, and still very few answers. The only thing the doctors came up with is that my stomach is “Hyper-sensitive” and the nerves do not want to allow anything on my stomach. I am still unable to eat as my stomach hurts insanely bad to put anything on it, or I puke everything I try to eat. I am drinking Ensure to try to keep up nutrition on some level.

While at Cal Pacific in S.F., the had inserted a PIC line and had me on I.V. nutrition. Then when they decided they didn’t know how to help me, the chose to send me home and take the PIC line out. I’m not sure why they think it is not a big deal for me to not be able to eat at home, but yet they had me on nutrition in the hospital. It is crazy that I still can not eat and am basically wasting away in pain at home. The hospital in S.F. put me on two nerve meds to try to get the nerves in my stomach to calm down and allow me to eat again, but they could take 4-6 weeks to work, if they even work. So I am struggling to get by each day and make it through.

I saw my family practitioner today and he is running more lab work and getting in contact with the GI doctor who saw me locally. They are considering putting a “J tube” in directly to my small intestine for nutrition. I am fine with that as long as the continue to try to figure out the problem as well. Putting a feeding tube in me is not “the answer.”

The docs at S.F. also said this could be related to my endometriosis and interstitial cystitis and the chronic pain I live in. I see my GYN tomorrow and will probably be having a laporoscopy in the next two weeks to see if there is anything gynecologically going on. It will at least be one more thing to rule out. Then Wednesday I see my pain specialist to talk about “managing” the pain.

I am on some heavy pain killers. One long-acting and one for breatkthrough pain. I will not even discuss what these drugs are – so I do not alarm anyone.

Please continue to pray friends for my health and that God would heal my body. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors if God is going to use the doctors to heal my body. I am incredibly weak and growing weary as I try to deal with this. I can’t even begin to describe the physical pain I am in and what that pain does to me emotionally as well.

Thank you to so many of you for praying for me, supporting me at home in the hospital. Many of you drove miles and miles to visit me in the hospitals and I can’t say thank you enough or even begin to express my gratitude. One day when I am better I hope to thank each one of you in person. You are all my lifelines right now and I am forever grateful for you all being in my life.

For now,

Diane

October 11, 2009

Sunset before surgery

Hello friends. Thanks to all of you who have been faithful in checking my site for updates to know how I am and how to pray. I am longing for the day when I feel up to posting fun stuff again. Oh to write of my goings-on of having fun and what I am up to.

For now I am still recovering and hoping to feel better one day at a time. I am definitely better than the first few days after surgery, just still struggling to make it to that 100% mark, or even 90% for that matter. The surgery pain is almost completely gone. I still have some crampy-pulling feelings, like it is just still raw inside and healing. The “attacks” from the gallbladder are gone, but now it is a struggle of what to eat. Ironically the doctor and all the paperwork I was given say to eat a regular diet with no restrictions. I think that is silly, so I have done my research online and have followed closely a “post gallbladder surgery” diet. However, even with that I am struggling. Everything makes me sick and I have to be close to a bathroom at all times. I may end up calling the doctor this week to ask what I can do about this.

I have still been having some pretty bad pelvic pain and am not sure what to think of this, nor what doctor to talk to about it. I have been in physical therapy for it since May, been to a pain-specialist with two surgeries in the past year for it, and been to my family doctor who sent me to the physical therapy. My orginal GYN that has dealt with it for years is the one who sent me to the pain specialist and had basically washed his hands of it. So I don’t know if I should try getting back into him or what. He though, is the one who caught my gallbladder problems and got me sent to the surgeon for that. So I just don’t quite know where to go from here for that.

I have not been sleeping well for the last few nights and that is really frustrating. Even with sleeping meds I am still not falling asleep for hours and then only sleeping for three hours at a time after that. This is frustrating in itself.

For those of you who have called and have not heard back from me, I am sorry. I am honestly overwhelmed right now and not much in the mood to talk. I love all of you and appreciate your concern. I am just quiet right now and not really up for much conversation. It is one of those odd things in life. I want support and want love and encouragement, but it is hard to talk about what is going on and feels better sometimes to shut myself off. If you are on facebook, you can find me on there and at least most always get a “status update” to know how things are going. I tend to update that once a day atleast, even if just from my phone.

In other things, the weather here has turned to fall and I love it. Though these next few days it is actually going to rain and be winter-like, then back to Fall weather again. It is my goal this week after the rain goes to get out and enjoy a walk through the park with the fall leaves. Perhaps some of you locals would like to join me? I am making that my goal I guess for the end of the week. My good friend says I have to have goals to work towards, so I am setting them even if they may seem small to some.

For you prayer warriors out there, please pray for continued healing. Please pray for strength mentally and emotionally. It is a real struggle these days to make it through. Please pray that God would reveal his will to me as I seek His direction in these next few months. Where do I go from here?

Again friends, thank you SO MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, for all you have done. Your love does mean so much to me.

Blessings to you and yours.

October 8, 2009

Well friends it has been one week since surgery and I am finally getting around to post a report. I had my follow-up appointment with the doctor today so I thought it’d be a good time to report how I am doing. It has been a rough recovery, but I am certainly better than I was day one and two. I am still sore and tired, fighting some nausea still and have a low-grade fever that seems to linger. Overall though I am moving better, not hunched over like right after surgery!

Today the doctor said that the pathology showed Chronic Cholecystitis. You can click the link to read the medical definition for it, but basically it means that the gallbladder has been sick for awhile and my symptoms match up to what has been wrong with me and why I ended up in the emergency room last month. The doctor is confident that I will feel better, even though I still don’t feel great at the moment. He says it is taking me longer than “normal” to feel better but that some patients just don’t bounce back as quickly. I reminded him that this was my fifteenth surgery that I wouldn’t expect my body to react as well as some other patients. It has been a trend the last few surgeries to take a few weeks to really feel up to par.

The surgeon did say that I don’t have adhesions within the abdomen area which is a big “PRAISE JESUS” because with as many surgeries as I have had my tummy area should be filled with adhesions. I have always done as the doctors have said and walked a lot after surgery to keep scarring minimal, so that has helped. But basically I am sure that God is the great physician and has kept the adhesions from forming. The doctor also took an extensive look at the liver and said it looks absoulutely fine and that there is nothing to worry about. At the same time he said that whatever was showing up had to have been so far inside the liver it wasn’t a problem. So honestly I am still a little confused as to whether or not I need to push someone to investigate further. If there is a problem I certainly don’t want to let it go, but I also don’t want to freak out over nothing.

As for how I am feeling now with the soreness and nausea the doctor and I disagree on pain management. He thinks I am possibly nauseated from the Narcotics. Doctors always say this to me after surgery and it is never the issue. Anyway, he says I should get off the pain medication and try just tylenol (because I can’t take Motrin). For some reason I think he forgot that I deal with Chronic Pelvic Pain as well and have always been on heavy pain meds for this, so to just quit the Narcotics isn’t exactly a choice, not do I think that is why I am nauseous. Anyway, basically I am hoping that another week of recovery will end the surgery pain and soreness and nausea and then we will see how I feel.

If I think back to all my other surgeries it has always taken two-three weeks before I feel completely better. It is always around this week one follow-up doctor time that I am stressing not understand and not having the doctors understand why I feel the way I do and wondering if surgery was worth it and if I am ever going to feel better. But it has always been after two extra weeks recovery time it seems my body makes the difference and starts to perk up. I am hoping and praying this will be the case with this surgery as well.

Something I have not been wanting to admit or talk about because it scares me is the fact that two nights ago my Pelvic Pain came back in full force. This is has hit me hard and made me extremely emotional because I was so hoping and praying that this surgery would be the key to a healthy future. I was really hoping these gallbladder problems were completely connected to my pelvic pain and that I would feel better and finally be pain free, able to get back to life, or start a new life as the case may be. But at least for now, it seems that the pelvic pain is still there and I have had to take the pain meds to control that as well. I am at a loss for words and am emotionally and physically weak to deal with all of this. I just want to feel better and be able to go back to school or work whereever God leads me; but at this point I still don’t know if God is choosing to make me well enough to get back on feet or what. So, I just ask that you pray for the surgery pain to continue to heal and get better and that God is would continue to heal my other chronic pain and take these ailments from me. I do want the Lord’s will to be done, whatever that is. I am just growing weary, or have been weary. Ugh. Trying to stay strong and press on.

Thank you to everyone that has called, prayed, sent flowers, ran errands and come and visited. Your friendship and love means so much.

October 2, 2009

Hi friends. It is just past midnight and I am now scheduled to have surgery (gallbladder removal) in the morning. So, the issue with the liver has become less of an issue now. Praise the Lord. My surgeon consulted with the radiologist and they decided that the liver mass is far enough away from the gallbladder that it will not cause an issue. They also believe that it could just be the bigger veins in the liver angled funny, thus showing up something funny on the cat scan. So for now, it is nothing to stress about.

I got really ill Wednesday night into Thursday morning and decided to call my surgeon Thursday morning. Since he found it was safe to operate he decided to immediately send me in for lab work and come into his office and schedule surgery. During my examination in his office he discovered a small hernia to the right of my belly button. So he is going to attempt to fix that during the surgery as well.

Right now the surgery is planned to be laporoscopic and I should be home Friday night. If any complications arise then they would need to open me completely up and I would then be in the hospital for 4-5 days. I am trusting Jesus things will go smoothly and I will be back home this evening. I should be out of surgery in the early afternoon.

Obviously I will probably not be able to update my blog for awhile. Those of you who know my mom can contact her for updates. Otherwise, just keep me in your prayers and I will update this as I can. Thanks for all your love and support and prayers. It is all very much appreciated.

Monday my bestie Sarah and her family came to town for a visit. We had lunch together and then they came over to my house to hang out for awhile. When my dinner guests canceled at the last minute, we decided they would stay for dinner too. So, we spent all day Monday together. It was such a needed time for me. I’ve been missing my bestie and her family a ton lately. She has three girls, my nieces, who just warm up my heart. They gave me a pick-me-up that I needed. Thanks for spending the day with me Patino’s! I love you.

Here is a pic of me and the girls at lunch:

Me and My Girls!

September 29, 2009

Hello friends. Now that I’ve had a few hours to process this info. and calm myself down a bit, I am able to write about my appointment. Being presented with news I was completely not expecting to hear through me for a loop and into a tailspin. Ugh.

It appears there is more going on than just a problem with my gallbladder. There is a blood blister tumor type thing growing in my liver. The doctor has to consult with a radiologist at Enloe, as he saw this on the films and read the radiologist’s dictation but can’t quite make sense of exactly what the radiologist is saying. It is possible that this issue with the liver is going to have to be addressed first before we can do surgery for the gallbladder because I could bleed to death in surgery if this blood blister thing ruptures in surgery. They would not be able to control the bleeding. It is about an inch in diameter. The doctor isn’t exactly sure what is happening or what will need done. My gallbldder does need to come out and all my symptoms I am having are because my gallbladder is not functioning properly, but we have to wait and deal with the liver first.

My doctor is supposed to call me by the end of the week and let me know what he has heard from the radiologist and I see this doctor again on October 13th, where we will discuss my options and what I am looking at. I am extremely overwhelmed right now, not knowing exactly what is going on in my body and feeling miserable. I know that God is in control, but to be honest, I am struggling to trust right now. I need His strength, and I need to be strong in my faith. I am just feeling weak.

Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to lift me up. I know that God is bigger than all this and I also know I am extremely blessed with what I do have in life right now. I am just a little discouraged and overwhelmed. I will keep this blog updated as I know more.

Blessings to each of you.

Me with Food and a hurt wrist!

As promised I am writing about the yummy little diner mom and I went to in Paradise after my Hida Scan. After the test I was hungry because I had been fasting for the test. The IV they put in my arm hurt extremely bad and my wrist was all swollen from it. I went to the store to see about getting an instant ice pack, but they didn’t have one. So I settled for heat from a Therma Care wrap. That made it feel decent, though ice would have been better. Anyway…

The food was SO good. Perfectly made, very afforadble and the staff was so friendly, I felt like I was in a southern town or something. You know, where they are actually friendly and genuinely care about you? I had the most delicious Apple Walnut Pancakes and it also came with two sides. I got ham and eggs.

Apple-walnut pancakes

They brought me warm maple syrup too!

Ham and eggs

Mom got hashbrowns and soup. The hashbrowns were cooked to perfection! They were very yummy. Mom shared some with me too, cause I like to mix my egg with hashbrowns!

Yummy Hashbrowns!

Mom and I had a really nice morning together, despite the circumstances. It was such a nice atmosphere and great food. I would totally drive up there again just for something different. Good food and good people. So, Shelley…if you and Gene want to go, let us know! We’d love to go with you. 

September 23, 2009

Me at breakfast

Wow. For some reason I’ve been very quiet on the blog about updating anything about my health. Ugh. I’ve been pretty sick friends, with more than my “normal” pain issues. About two weeks ago I ended up in the emergency room with severe abdominal pain and chest pain. They ran lab work, did a CT Scan, abdominal ultrasound, and still came up with nothing. At first they thought it was my appendix, and then thought gallbladder, but when the ultrasound showed no gallstones they ruled out the gallbladder. Fast forward a few days and I saw my general practitioner who said “with no gallstones, the likelyhood of it being my gallbladder are slim” and decided it was just my tummy issues (that I’ve had since fourteen years ago when I fought for my life) and put me on some meds to help with the acid in my tummy.

I was a bit skeptical because I have every symptom of it being a gallbladder issue and was still not feeling better. It just so happens that my mom goes to the same specialist I see for my other pain issues and had an appt. with him the same day I had my appointment with my GP. In the course of them asking my mom how she was she explained to them she was worn out cause she’d been up all night in the ER with me. So, he questioned what was wrong and she told him. So, being the amazing doctor that he is, he got on the phone to the hospital and got the report from me being in there and the tests that were ran. Upon his review he said that he still thinks it is my gallbladder and set me up for a Hida Scan.

I went in for the scan on Friday and my doctor called me yesterday. The results…it’s my gallbladder! It is not functioning properly. So, my doctor sent everything to a surgeon and I see the surgeon for a consultation on September 29th and will be scheduled for surgery from there. While it is no fun to have surgery again, I am actually very glad to have an answer. This could actually be connected to many of the other ongoing pain issues I have had. It is my prayer that this may lead to me being healthy and feeling better!

After having the scan on Friday, mom and I went to breakfast at this cute little diner. The food was great and I plan to post a seperate little fun blog about that. Anyway, that is where the picture of me came from. Just thought I’d post a pic since it went along with my day.

In the mean time, I’ve still been going to physical therapy for my “normal” pain. It does help alleviate the pain some days but certainly has not been a cure for whatever is actually wrong with me. Both me and my physical therapist are very curious to see how I feel after surgery and how many of these other symptoms I have had for so long will go away.

Please pray for complete healing of my body. Wouldn’t it be amazing if this were the answer and I could begin a new life, feeling better? I will write next week after I meet with the surgeon and know more. Thanks for all the love and concern you all have shown. I love you all!

Two weeks ago my mom and I went to the Gold Cup Sprint Car Race. As I mentioned in a previous post, this is the biggest Sprint Car race of the Year. It just so happens to be held in my hometown. So, though it is not cheap to go, mom treated me as this is our thing we like to do together.

Mom and I

We arrived early to get our tickets and seats and spent some time goofing around with our cameras.

Excited for the Race!

On the phone...

If you know me well, you know that I am kinda obsessed with my phone at times. I gets lots of phone calls some days and I text a lot.

See?

Then mom and I took some pics of the track.

And I took a pic of the speaker…

Cause I thought it was cool

And then took some pics of cars as the hot laps started.

And this car won!

I had randomly taken pics of the above car and then he ended up winning the race! Too funny.

4 wide salute to fans

The 4-wide salute to fans is the prettiest formation in sprint car racing. This is the drivers salute to thank the fans for their support.

Later in the race. I have hat hair!

Coke time!

Camera time! lol

Finally at the end of the race, we took some pics with the sprint cars on display.

#1!!!!!!!!!

Sweet!

Just Me!

So, that is our night at the races. We had SO much fun. I was not feeling too hot, but was glad to make it anyway. There are actually two more races next month for some championships. We should be able to make one of them, but the second one we will be at my nephew’s birthday party! Hope you enjoyed the pics. Mom and I love our racing nights!