Hospital Horrors

If you can think of something to talk about that is not related to knives, discuss it here.
knife7knut
Posts: 10063
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:02 pm
Location: Tecumseh,Michigan

Hospital Horrors

Post by knife7knut »

It's 8am on Sunday morning and I have been up for a few hours listening to classic country music on the TV and doing my daily drawing in my diary. Finished that and decided I would try and relate what has transpired over the past couple weeks. Sleep has always come easily to me but never for very long(4 hours is about my limit)and laying in bed does my back no good either.
It all started about 4am on January 8th when we headed off to the hospital for pre-op at 5am and surgery about 7am. The light snowfall quickly turned heavy as we hit the main road(US-12)and the only thing that kept me on it was the rumble strips on the center and side;that and a few early rising 18 wheelers coming at us.
Got to the hospital and checked in and into pre-op. This is where the "FUN" begins.
In attempting to insert an IV port in my left forearm the nurse inadvertantly punctures the vein causing no small amount of blood to collect under the skin and swell considerably. They finally got one installed correctly in my other arm and that was the last I remember until I woke up on the operating table in excruciating agony.
A bit of a backup here. The original procedure called for a robotic machine called Nautilus to be inserted into my abdomen through five small incisions and used to pull down the stomach and esophagus back into position through the diaphragm and repair the damage there. This procedure was scheduled to take about 3-4 hours.
Unfortunately it was found that the machine could not perform it's duty and so the chest was opened from the base of the breastbone down past my navel and the procedure completed by hand. This took an additional 4 1/2 hours to accomplish.
When I awoke on the table the people were attempting to sit me up in order to install an epideural into my back to manage the pain. Unfortunately for me the anasthetic had worn off and it took them about 10 minutes to install the epideural.
The next thing I remember is waking up in a room and feeling very cold and shaking uncontrollably. I've been through this before in prior surgeries but never this bad.
The team of doctors came in the next morning to inspect the incision and ripped the tape off and in the process took half the skin surrounding it. That still hasn't properly healed.
The next few days were kind of a blur of trying to move my body to get comfortable(never happened)and trying to lift my arm to have a BP cuff put on.Even that was almost impossible. Supposedly some idiot nurse came in the room and said they were going to get me up and walking that day(12 hours after surgery)but my bride(God bless her)shot that idea down in a hurry.
For some reason I had an IV in each arm;oxygen up my nose;a drainage tube in my side;and fake nipples stuck all over me hooked to a heart monitor. Add to that they would inject me with all manner of other drugs either by the port or direct. I couldn't focus on anything and my speech was slurred.
One morning I awoke to this horrible smell that almost made me gag.I couldn't move in the bed and couldn't reach the signal button for the nurse.My heart started alternately racing and then slowing down and it was starting to get scary. Finally one came in and I tried to explain what was happening but they had no clue what was going on. It turned out that I was hyper-sensitive to the smell of the disinfectant they use to clean and wash their hands. I hadn't noticed it before because the oxygen had masked it.
I'm going to have to cut it off here for now as it is very uncomfortable sitting at the computer. I will continue this when I am able. Stay tuned;it gets a WHOLE lot worse.
Adventure BEFORE Dementia!
User avatar
bighomer
Posts: 8529
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 11:07 pm
Location: N.mid.Tn.

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by bighomer »

My goodness gracious sakes alive how can it get worse, bless your heart, you've been through the wringer as my ole mama used to say. Hope you get to feeling better l can't wait to here the rest of the story. God speed. ::tu::
User avatar
orvet
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 19336
Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 6:23 am
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by orvet »

Ouch Ray, that does not sound like an sort of fun!
Praying for you to have a quick recovery!
Dale
AAPK Administrator

Please visit my AAPK store: www.allaboutpocketknives.com/orvet

Job 13:15

"Buy more ammo!" - Johnnie Fain
“Evil is Powerless If The Good are Unafraid.” – Ronald Reagan
User avatar
jerryd6818
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 39165
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:23 am
Location: The middle of the top of a bastion of Liberalism.

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by jerryd6818 »

Ray, it's sounding like you need to find a different hospital with a more competent medical team. Are you sure you weren't being treated in a field hospital by a boot Corsman?
Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.

This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.

"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012
User avatar
carrmillus
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 6293
Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2010 9:22 pm
Location: tupelo, miss.

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by carrmillus »

....so sorry to hear about your problems, ray!!,will ::tu:: ::tu:: ....remember you in my prayers!!...if you ever read anything about me being in a hospital, you'll know they carried me in unconscuous and hid my clothes!!!..... ::td:: ..........
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by kootenay joe »

Ray you had major surgery. Anything in the upper abdomen is challenging surgically and the body reacts more negatively than with lower abdominal surgery. Did your surgeon discuss the possibility of having to go from Nautilus to an open procedure ? And you should have been told that hiatus hernia surgery has a long recovery period with pain ++ if the epidural is not correctly placed, which is tricky for the area involved (upper abdomen).
Good thing is, we know you survived to at least today. Hope installment 2 comes soon.
kj
knife7knut
Posts: 10063
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:02 pm
Location: Tecumseh,Michigan

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by knife7knut »

kootenay joe wrote:Ray you had major surgery. Anything in the upper abdomen is challenging surgically and the body reacts more negatively than with lower abdominal surgery. Did your surgeon discuss the possibility of having to go from Nautilus to an open procedure ? And you should have been told that hiatus hernia surgery has a long recovery period with pain ++ if the epidural is not correctly placed, which is tricky for the area involved (upper abdomen).
Good thing is, we know you survived to at least today. Hope installment 2 comes soon.
kj
Thanks to all who responded.
Yes Roland I had been told that there was a possibility that the Nautilus would not work and that a more invasive process would be needed but was also told it wasn't likely. The surgeon was very up front with me and I bear her no ill will ; I would trust her to operate on me again but maybe with a different team.
What happened next was something that I do not recall but my wife does vividly and will never forget. Apparently I woke up not knowing where I was or who anyone around me was including my wife!
They considered that I might have had a TIA episode(mini-stroke) and ordered up more tests including two EEG's and ultra sounds of the arterial area.Fortunately all proved negative. The hard part of the tests was I was still not able to stand on my feet without severe abdominal pain which ruled out the vertical table. It was used several days later when I was able to stand.
The memory loss episode was likely due to a reaction with the morphine;possibly an over-use of it. They switched to Dilaudid(sp?) and some other one I never heard of and that worked for a few days. For some reason the pain had gone away in my abdomen but the memory loss was returning so they finally wound up using just Tylenol 3 and that seemed to work fine.
The day I was supposed to be discharged the doctor came in and checked the incision and where my follow up visit was going to be a couple weeks away opted to have the staples removed at this time. She said it was a bit early but shouldn't present a problem. A member of her team removed them as I jokingly told him to save them as I was going to make a bracelet out of them. And this is where the final horror show started.
As he left the room I went to pull the gown down over my chest and watched in horror as the incision proceeded to open up from top to bottom right before my eyes!It looked big enough to put my thumb into and was about 8 inches long. Strangely enough it didn't hurt but kind of freaked me out a bit. I put pressure on both sides and told my wife to get a nurse in on the double!
She came in and immediately rang for the doctor. She assured me that it wouldn't be a problem(more ASSurances?)and that it is not uncommon for it to happen.
They wound up putting a gauze dressing on it and I was informed that we would have to change it twice a day when we got home until it healed.
Now I know that a couple guys here have medical experience and that is all well and good but I DON'T! I am not squeamish unless I happen to be the "bleedee". But I guess I was going to learn.
Anyway after we got home and settled back in we did our first change and it worked remarkably well. The second one was of a little concern when after I had pulled a little too zealously on the gauze it started pulsing blood out of the edge but my bride came to the rescue. Her cure:She tells me to put pressure on it for a bit. Worked great! Thank you hon!
Anyhow that is essentially what has been going on in my life for the past couple weeks. I am going to post a picture of the incision and if it isn't deemed proper then tell me and I will delete it.
Thanks for listening to an old fogey rant;I can't wait to get back to work and searching for more knives.
Attachments
Surgery1 002.jpg
Adventure BEFORE Dementia!
User avatar
philco
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 14949
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:32 pm
Location: Kentucky (Wildcat Country)

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by philco »

Ray I sure hate knowing you've been through all that, but I'm also glad you've made it through. It does not make sense to me that they would remove the staples from your incision ahead of schedule. It takes time to heal and it's my understanding that the older we are the more time the healing process requires. I just hope when it's all said and done, what you've endured will be worth it. Take care of yourself and I'll do a little praying for you my friend.
Phil
AAPK Administrator

Jesus died for you. Are you living for Him?

"Buy More Ammo!"
Johnnie Fain 1949-2009
User avatar
Paladin
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 11411
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2007 12:20 am
Location: Near Austin, Texas, between a Rock and a Weird Place
Contact:

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by Paladin »

Holy shirt, Ray! What an absolute nightmare. Please take it easy until you get better and let's get back to the craziness that we all love. My best you!

Ray
Paladin

God Bless the USA
Please visit my store SWEETWATER KNIVES
"Buy more ammo" - Johnnie Fain
"I'm glad I ain't scared to be lazy." Augustus McCrae
User avatar
Quick Steel
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 16953
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2010 5:39 pm
Location: Lebanon, KY

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by Quick Steel »

Ray you have my prayers for sure. Not long ago I went thru my own hospital horrors so I completely empathize with you even though my experience was considerably less painful than yours. You were very fortunate in that your wife was looking out for you. I believe it is essential to have someone "on your side" keeping an eye on the activities of the hospital staff. Peace and health my friend.
User avatar
jerryd6818
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 39165
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:23 am
Location: The middle of the top of a bastion of Liberalism.

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by jerryd6818 »

DANG!! You're going to have one hellacious scar there but it don't matter at your age cause you ain't going to get any better lookin' anyway. :mrgreen: ::poke::
Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.

This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.

"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012
User avatar
treefarmer
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 12847
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:53 am
Location: Florida Panhandle(LA-Lower Alabama)

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by treefarmer »

We are glad to hear you are on the mend! God bless you to continue to heal.
Treefarmer

A GUN IN THE HAND IS BETTER THAN A COP ON THE PHONE.
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by kootenay joe »

Early staple removal was a bad call. I bet the surgeon never does that again.
kj
sam eib
Posts: 214
Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2017 8:52 pm

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by sam eib »

That looks bad! Take care of yourself cause it doesn't look like the hospital will.
User avatar
bighomer
Posts: 8529
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 11:07 pm
Location: N.mid.Tn.

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by bighomer »

Hopefully you are on the road to recovery, you've been through a terrible ordeal, Godspeed. ::tu::
User avatar
QTCut5
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 5761
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:59 am
Location: Napo'opo'o, HI

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by QTCut5 »

Wow, what an ordeal both physically as well as mentally. The fact that you survived and are are able to tell your experience is inspiring to others who suffer physical infirmities of one kind or another and struggle to endure.

Although I have seen many photos of your vast knife collection, there are still far too many out there waiting to be added; they're not going to collect themselves, so you can't bow out just yet. It ain't over 'til it's over.

Keep up the good fight...

~Q~
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


~Q~
User avatar
glennbad
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 7353
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 11:13 am
Location: NH

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by glennbad »

Oh my, Ray, what an ordeal. That you are able to even be willing to recount it to us is remarkable. We put our trust in medical professionals to make the right decisions for us, sometimes it is a scary prospect.

Glad to hear you are on the other side of things.
sam eib
Posts: 214
Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2017 8:52 pm

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by sam eib »

I'm kinda surprised you haven't contacted an attorney.
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by kootenay joe »

Hey Ray, you have not posted here for a few days. You doing o.k. ? Is the wound beginning to close in from the bottom up ? (meaning skin edges are last to get closed up).
kj
knife7knut
Posts: 10063
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:02 pm
Location: Tecumseh,Michigan

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by knife7knut »

kootenay joe wrote:Hey Ray, you have not posted here for a few days. You doing o.k. ? Is the wound beginning to close in from the bottom up ? (meaning skin edges are last to get closed up).
kj
Doing fine Roland;thanks for asking. It's a bit difficult to sit at the computer for any length of time due to some issues with fluid retention in my feet.I've had that problem for several years and the hospital stay only exacerbated it. Gained ten lbs. and it was ALL fluid. I'm not going to say where a lot of the fluid settled but let's just say it was uncomfortable and leave it at that. They didn't want to start me on diuretics because of possible kidney issues.
The incision seems to be healing as you describe and except for a couple times it started to bleed due to the gauze adhering. Went back to the doctor yesterday and she thinks all is progressing well. What amazes me is the almost absence of pain involved. Strangely the only real pain I experience is around where the robot was inserted(5 small incisions).
Adventure BEFORE Dementia!
sam eib
Posts: 214
Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2017 8:52 pm

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by sam eib »

No pain is a good thing!!!!!
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by kootenay joe »

Thanks for the update Ray. Your wound is healing by what is called "secondary intention", it has to close from the bottom up, leaving no spaces (no swiss cheese look) and this takes weeks. Once healed up it will be the strongest toughest tissue in your belly.
kj
User avatar
RobesonsRme.com
Posts: 9887
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:44 pm
Location: The Heart of Dixie.
Contact:

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

Like Roland, I do not understand why an experienced surgeon would remove the skin staples in a man of your age, medical history and body habitus before you left the hospital, unless you had been there at least two weeks postoperatively.

That was just plain stupid, in my opinion.

Charlie Noyes
DE OPPRESSO LIBER

"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "

Sidlow Baxter
knife7knut
Posts: 10063
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:02 pm
Location: Tecumseh,Michigan

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by knife7knut »

kootenay joe wrote:Thanks for the update Ray. Your wound is healing by what is called "secondary intention", it has to close from the bottom up, leaving no spaces (no swiss cheese look) and this takes weeks. Once healed up it will be the strongest toughest tissue in your belly.
kj
Thanks for that info Roland! It has been just over three weeks since I was discharged from the hospital and the incision is almost completely closed now! Just a couple of raw spots on it but those should be healed in another week or so. Strangely enough the only real pain is where the small incisions were made to insert the Nautilus;they are still a bit tender. The large incision has experienced no pain at all around it. Here is what it looked like yesterday.
Attachments
IncisionFebruary10 2018.jpg
Adventure BEFORE Dementia!
sam eib
Posts: 214
Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2017 8:52 pm

Re: Hospital Horrors

Post by sam eib »

Man, that looks bad bit I'm sure it looked worse two weeks ago. Glad your recovering!
Post Reply

Return to “General Off Topic Discussion”