Steve's Baaaaack!.....Re: Steve's Surgery Update

[Guest guest]

Steve! I'm glad you are home and sorry for your discomfort. They

tell me we will feel normal again soon. I am finding that I am very

tired at times and a 15 minute nap seems to revive me some. Im off

to work tomorrow and can't say I am looking forward to it. Hope all

goes well for you and that you are able to eat without seeing it for

a second time...

Hugs

[Guest guest]

Now, for a few notes: I was totally unprepared for all the pain that I endured. The first day post-op, I had extreme "incisional pain" that defied my pain meds.

Well first I am glad to hear you are home Steve, and doing fairly well.

I prayed for you throughout the week and was anxious to hear about your surgery.

In some ways I am glad to hear that not everyone has it a little rough, b/c if I do I don't want to sound like a baby. LOL

Wow that potassium thing sounds awful.

Did Dr. E do your leak test? I was a little confused about that from the email from Virginia.

How are you tolerating the pain now that you are home?

How are the liquids going down?

How is your wife holding up through it all?

Take care of yourself and don't push it a bit ok?

Kathy

June 7

[Guest guest]

Now, for a few notes: I was totally unprepared for all the pain that I endured. The first day post-op, I had extreme "incisional pain" that defied my pain meds.

Well first I am glad to hear you are home Steve, and doing fairly well.

I prayed for you throughout the week and was anxious to hear about your surgery.

In some ways I am glad to hear that not everyone has it a little rough, b/c if I do I don't want to sound like a baby. LOL

Wow that potassium thing sounds awful.

Did Dr. E do your leak test? I was a little confused about that from the email from Virginia.

How are you tolerating the pain now that you are home?

How are the liquids going down?

How is your wife holding up through it all?

Take care of yourself and don't push it a bit ok?

Kathy

June 7

[Guest guest]

Welcome back to us, Steve. Hope these infirmities

don't last long and you will be up *to the old Ned*

soon. I read your post thinking that I may have to go

through this again and said to myself..... YUP,

WHATEVER!! Sorry, you are having a bad time of it.

Lovingly,

Caroline

--- Steve Goldstein steve-goldstein@...>

wrote:

> Many thanks to DW, Isabelle and DD, Virginia, for

> getting this info

> to you all. I had no idea until I read the note

> below that the sleep

> apnea was affecting my blood oxygen levels in

> recovery. I was put on

> a biPAP machine (bi-level Positive Air Pressure)

> with oxygen and

> humidity added. Because of this, and in spite of

> Dr. Elariny's true

> wishes, I was sent to the Intermediary Care Center

> (IMC) instead of

> the surgical floor where Audra was. Two male and

> one female night

> nurses at the IMC were awesome and helped me no end.

> I was walking by

> day 2, and recall having asked one latina nurse who

> emerged from

> swinging doors at the end of my track down the hall,

> " ?Quisera

> bailar? " (wanna dance?).

>

> But, the day staff that attended me was a different

> story: organized

> mayhem, and a wonder that patients were not made

> much worse for it as

> a result. I could not wait to get off that unit,

> and I finally got a

> private room " on the 9th floor where the bathroom

> plumbing was

> gold, " I was told (it was--it was also a cancer

> ward). So, Friday

> afternoon through discharge late Saturday afternoon,

> I had relative

> calm in my life. But, the hospitalization was not a

> good experience.

> I was to be discharged in late morning, and just as

> things were

> winding up, the nurse's aide took my vitals, and my

> temp was 100.7ºF.

> So, I could not leave! I worked my incentive

> spirometer to the max

> and walked the halls of the 9th floor back and forth

> so that I could

> get out of jail, and finally was sprung at around

> 4:30PM.

>

> At home, an on-duty rep of a medical device supply

> house brought over

> a biPAP for me and set it up. I could not use it

> last night,

> however, because I kept coughing from a throat

> tickle. Turns out

> that I have picked up a head cold somewhere, and now

> I have a hard

> time sorting out post-op symptoms from the head cold

> ones. Mizzable,

> I am! But, alive.

>

> Now, for a few notes: I was totally unprepared for

> all the pain that

> I endured. The first day post-op, I had extreme

> " incisional pain "

> that defied my pain meds. Even sipping a

> teaspoonfull of liquid was

> thoroughly painful. By the second day, that had

> moderated somewhat,

> but my stomach had awakened, and seemed to be

> spewing acid into my

> esophagus. I went to my private stash of Prilosec

> and Isabelle got

> me some Tums, but they didn't help much for hours

> and hours. Also,

> everything that I managed to get down came back up,

> again and again.

> One sip of cranberry juice, and five repeat

> performances, as it were.

> My potassium was low, and Dr. E. ordered I.V.

> potassium, and when

> injected, it made my arm bones feel on fire--some of

> the most intense

> pain that I have felt, ever. I yelled my objections

> and refused to

> take any more (four doses were ordered, and I was

> barely through the

> first). The mayhem team called Dr. E. and he

> insisted that I take

> the potassium, and suggested that maybe giving me

> Lidocaine first

> would ease the pain, but the message was delivered

> to me with a

> negative twist (like, " you really don't want to do

> that, do you? " ).

> Finally, the solution that worked was to decrease

> the administration

> rate, so that the pain was bearable.

>

> Saturday morning at 5:30 AM, the northwest passage

> through my gut was

> re-discovered: the stomach, and small intestines,

> and the colon were

> all awake, and as I sat down on the throne with its

> golden fixtures,

> I heard the gurgling in my gut that heralded the

> completed circuit!

> Poop at last, poop at last... And, since then there

> has been nothing

> but liquid poop--in all the earth tone shades.

> But, then again, I

> am ingesting nothing but liquids, so what else

> should I expect?

>

> I am indeed thankful that despite several

> significant discomforts, I

> experienced no major complications. So, no

> complaints. But, I was

> not one of you who glibly went from the hospital

> relating that they

> hardly knew that anything had been done to them

> inside. Believe me,

> I KNEW IT! And, I am uncomfortable and cantankerous

> right now, but I

> expect to get back to my old curmudgeonly self in

> about a week.

>

> At 7:55 PM -0700 5/2/01, Montgomery wrote:

> >

> >

> >Hello All,

> >

> >Isabelle called a short while ago to inform us that

> Steve came through his

> >surgery with flying colors. The surgery lasted 3.5

> hours, and according to

> >the doctor, all went very well. He is, however,

> spending a great deal more

> >time in recovery than average due to his severe

> sleep apnea. Apparently,

> >whenever he drifts off to sleep his oxygen in take

> dips below an acceptable

> >level. As a result, he is wearing an oxygen mask

> and is being monitored

> >closely. They expect to keep him in recovery

> another hour or so and then

> >will return him to his room. I will keep you

> posted of any further

> >developments. Also, for those of you who have

> heard of Steve's concerns

> >regarding the " leak test, " we have good news. The

> doctor, being well aware

> >of the problem with the technicians, had the test

> performed today. I'm not

> >clear whether the doctor did it himself; but, the

> end result is that Steve

> >won't have to deal with the test and the

> technicians tomorrow.

> >

> >Virginia

> >

>

> --

>

>

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

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome back to us, Steve. Hope these infirmities

don't last long and you will be up *to the old Ned*

soon. I read your post thinking that I may have to go

through this again and said to myself..... YUP,

WHATEVER!! Sorry, you are having a bad time of it.

Lovingly,

Caroline

--- Steve Goldstein steve-goldstein@...>

wrote:

> Many thanks to DW, Isabelle and DD, Virginia, for

> getting this info

> to you all. I had no idea until I read the note

> below that the sleep

> apnea was affecting my blood oxygen levels in

> recovery. I was put on

> a biPAP machine (bi-level Positive Air Pressure)

> with oxygen and

> humidity added. Because of this, and in spite of

> Dr. Elariny's true

> wishes, I was sent to the Intermediary Care Center

> (IMC) instead of

> the surgical floor where Audra was. Two male and

> one female night

> nurses at the IMC were awesome and helped me no end.

> I was walking by

> day 2, and recall having asked one latina nurse who

> emerged from

> swinging doors at the end of my track down the hall,

> " ?Quisera

> bailar? " (wanna dance?).

>

> But, the day staff that attended me was a different

> story: organized

> mayhem, and a wonder that patients were not made

> much worse for it as

> a result. I could not wait to get off that unit,

> and I finally got a

> private room " on the 9th floor where the bathroom

> plumbing was

> gold, " I was told (it was--it was also a cancer

> ward). So, Friday

> afternoon through discharge late Saturday afternoon,

> I had relative

> calm in my life. But, the hospitalization was not a

> good experience.

> I was to be discharged in late morning, and just as

> things were

> winding up, the nurse's aide took my vitals, and my

> temp was 100.7ºF.

> So, I could not leave! I worked my incentive

> spirometer to the max

> and walked the halls of the 9th floor back and forth

> so that I could

> get out of jail, and finally was sprung at around

> 4:30PM.

>

> At home, an on-duty rep of a medical device supply

> house brought over

> a biPAP for me and set it up. I could not use it

> last night,

> however, because I kept coughing from a throat

> tickle. Turns out

> that I have picked up a head cold somewhere, and now

> I have a hard

> time sorting out post-op symptoms from the head cold

> ones. Mizzable,

> I am! But, alive.

>

> Now, for a few notes: I was totally unprepared for

> all the pain that

> I endured. The first day post-op, I had extreme

> " incisional pain "

> that defied my pain meds. Even sipping a

> teaspoonfull of liquid was

> thoroughly painful. By the second day, that had

> moderated somewhat,

> but my stomach had awakened, and seemed to be

> spewing acid into my

> esophagus. I went to my private stash of Prilosec

> and Isabelle got

> me some Tums, but they didn't help much for hours

> and hours. Also,

> everything that I managed to get down came back up,

> again and again.

> One sip of cranberry juice, and five repeat

> performances, as it were.

> My potassium was low, and Dr. E. ordered I.V.

> potassium, and when

> injected, it made my arm bones feel on fire--some of

> the most intense

> pain that I have felt, ever. I yelled my objections

> and refused to

> take any more (four doses were ordered, and I was

> barely through the

> first). The mayhem team called Dr. E. and he

> insisted that I take

> the potassium, and suggested that maybe giving me

> Lidocaine first

> would ease the pain, but the message was delivered

> to me with a

> negative twist (like, " you really don't want to do

> that, do you? " ).

> Finally, the solution that worked was to decrease

> the administration

> rate, so that the pain was bearable.

>

> Saturday morning at 5:30 AM, the northwest passage

> through my gut was

> re-discovered: the stomach, and small intestines,

> and the colon were

> all awake, and as I sat down on the throne with its

> golden fixtures,

> I heard the gurgling in my gut that heralded the

> completed circuit!

> Poop at last, poop at last... And, since then there

> has been nothing

> but liquid poop--in all the earth tone shades.

> But, then again, I

> am ingesting nothing but liquids, so what else

> should I expect?

>

> I am indeed thankful that despite several

> significant discomforts, I

> experienced no major complications. So, no

> complaints. But, I was

> not one of you who glibly went from the hospital

> relating that they

> hardly knew that anything had been done to them

> inside. Believe me,

> I KNEW IT! And, I am uncomfortable and cantankerous

> right now, but I

> expect to get back to my old curmudgeonly self in

> about a week.

>

> At 7:55 PM -0700 5/2/01, Montgomery wrote:

> >

> >

> >Hello All,

> >

> >Isabelle called a short while ago to inform us that

> Steve came through his

> >surgery with flying colors. The surgery lasted 3.5

> hours, and according to

> >the doctor, all went very well. He is, however,

> spending a great deal more

> >time in recovery than average due to his severe

> sleep apnea. Apparently,

> >whenever he drifts off to sleep his oxygen in take

> dips below an acceptable

> >level. As a result, he is wearing an oxygen mask

> and is being monitored

> >closely. They expect to keep him in recovery

> another hour or so and then

> >will return him to his room. I will keep you

> posted of any further

> >developments. Also, for those of you who have

> heard of Steve's concerns

> >regarding the " leak test, " we have good news. The

> doctor, being well aware

> >of the problem with the technicians, had the test

> performed today. I'm not

> >clear whether the doctor did it himself; but, the

> end result is that Steve

> >won't have to deal with the test and the

> technicians tomorrow.

> >

> >Virginia

> >

>

> --

>

>

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

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome back to us, Steve. Hope these infirmities

don't last long and you will be up *to the old Ned*

soon. I read your post thinking that I may have to go

through this again and said to myself..... YUP,

WHATEVER!! Sorry, you are having a bad time of it.

Lovingly,

Caroline

--- Steve Goldstein steve-goldstein@...>

wrote:

> Many thanks to DW, Isabelle and DD, Virginia, for

> getting this info

> to you all. I had no idea until I read the note

> below that the sleep

> apnea was affecting my blood oxygen levels in

> recovery. I was put on

> a biPAP machine (bi-level Positive Air Pressure)

> with oxygen and

> humidity added. Because of this, and in spite of

> Dr. Elariny's true

> wishes, I was sent to the Intermediary Care Center

> (IMC) instead of

> the surgical floor where Audra was. Two male and

> one female night

> nurses at the IMC were awesome and helped me no end.

> I was walking by

> day 2, and recall having asked one latina nurse who

> emerged from

> swinging doors at the end of my track down the hall,

> " ?Quisera

> bailar? " (wanna dance?).

>

> But, the day staff that attended me was a different

> story: organized

> mayhem, and a wonder that patients were not made

> much worse for it as

> a result. I could not wait to get off that unit,

> and I finally got a

> private room " on the 9th floor where the bathroom

> plumbing was

> gold, " I was told (it was--it was also a cancer

> ward). So, Friday

> afternoon through discharge late Saturday afternoon,

> I had relative

> calm in my life. But, the hospitalization was not a

> good experience.

> I was to be discharged in late morning, and just as

> things were

> winding up, the nurse's aide took my vitals, and my

> temp was 100.7ºF.

> So, I could not leave! I worked my incentive

> spirometer to the max

> and walked the halls of the 9th floor back and forth

> so that I could

> get out of jail, and finally was sprung at around

> 4:30PM.

>

> At home, an on-duty rep of a medical device supply

> house brought over

> a biPAP for me and set it up. I could not use it

> last night,

> however, because I kept coughing from a throat

> tickle. Turns out

> that I have picked up a head cold somewhere, and now

> I have a hard

> time sorting out post-op symptoms from the head cold

> ones. Mizzable,

> I am! But, alive.

>

> Now, for a few notes: I was totally unprepared for

> all the pain that

> I endured. The first day post-op, I had extreme

> " incisional pain "

> that defied my pain meds. Even sipping a

> teaspoonfull of liquid was

> thoroughly painful. By the second day, that had

> moderated somewhat,

> but my stomach had awakened, and seemed to be

> spewing acid into my

> esophagus. I went to my private stash of Prilosec

> and Isabelle got

> me some Tums, but they didn't help much for hours

> and hours. Also,

> everything that I managed to get down came back up,

> again and again.

> One sip of cranberry juice, and five repeat

> performances, as it were.

> My potassium was low, and Dr. E. ordered I.V.

> potassium, and when

> injected, it made my arm bones feel on fire--some of

> the most intense

> pain that I have felt, ever. I yelled my objections

> and refused to

> take any more (four doses were ordered, and I was

> barely through the

> first). The mayhem team called Dr. E. and he

> insisted that I take

> the potassium, and suggested that maybe giving me

> Lidocaine first

> would ease the pain, but the message was delivered

> to me with a

> negative twist (like, " you really don't want to do

> that, do you? " ).

> Finally, the solution that worked was to decrease

> the administration

> rate, so that the pain was bearable.

>

> Saturday morning at 5:30 AM, the northwest passage

> through my gut was

> re-discovered: the stomach, and small intestines,

> and the colon were

> all awake, and as I sat down on the throne with its

> golden fixtures,

> I heard the gurgling in my gut that heralded the

> completed circuit!

> Poop at last, poop at last... And, since then there

> has been nothing

> but liquid poop--in all the earth tone shades.

> But, then again, I

> am ingesting nothing but liquids, so what else

> should I expect?

>

> I am indeed thankful that despite several

> significant discomforts, I

> experienced no major complications. So, no

> complaints. But, I was

> not one of you who glibly went from the hospital

> relating that they

> hardly knew that anything had been done to them

> inside. Believe me,

> I KNEW IT! And, I am uncomfortable and cantankerous

> right now, but I

> expect to get back to my old curmudgeonly self in

> about a week.

>

> At 7:55 PM -0700 5/2/01, Montgomery wrote:

> >

> >

> >Hello All,

> >

> >Isabelle called a short while ago to inform us that

> Steve came through his

> >surgery with flying colors. The surgery lasted 3.5

> hours, and according to

> >the doctor, all went very well. He is, however,

> spending a great deal more

> >time in recovery than average due to his severe

> sleep apnea. Apparently,

> >whenever he drifts off to sleep his oxygen in take

> dips below an acceptable

> >level. As a result, he is wearing an oxygen mask

> and is being monitored

> >closely. They expect to keep him in recovery

> another hour or so and then

> >will return him to his room. I will keep you

> posted of any further

> >developments. Also, for those of you who have

> heard of Steve's concerns

> >regarding the " leak test, " we have good news. The

> doctor, being well aware

> >of the problem with the technicians, had the test

> performed today. I'm not

> >clear whether the doctor did it himself; but, the

> end result is that Steve

> >won't have to deal with the test and the

> technicians tomorrow.

> >

> >Virginia

> >

>

> --

>

>

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

>