Posts Tagged ‘IRP

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20
Jan
14

rough night

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family and Medical
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Yesterday, they began weaning IRP off the pain and anti-spasm meds. Unfortunately, she was not ready for this step. At about seven o’clock, she began having horrible stomach spasms. Tears were streaming down her face and she was trying hard not to yell. She was mostly losing the latter battle. TBF had been going to go home to get some studying done, but he would not leave while IRP was in pain. We did not get things sorted out until after ten. IRP is back on all the medications and we will speak to the doctor this morning about what we can do to control her pain better.

We got a little sleep, but I anticipate that IRP will spend most of the day resting. She wants to go walking now while she feels relatively well. We will do that as soon as she is given her antibiotic and the anti-coagulate.~TSG

19
Jan
14

rapid progress

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family and Medical
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This morning, the doctor took the bandage off the mid-line incision in IRP’s stomach. He had used the incision line that was already there and just had to lengthen it a bit. We appreciate very much that Dr.B has tried, wherever possible, to use existing scars to place incisions instead of making new ones. Since IRP is young (22), she is very worried about such things. Fortunately, TBF (the boyfriend) does not care about such things and has spent a lot of time up at the hospital helping IRP in any way he can.

IRP is also being allowed to eat soft foods. Considering the amount of time it took us to get to this stage after the last operation, this is really rapid progress. IRP has been up walking already this morning. The pain is also subsiding. This is really good since she has almost reached the end of the amount of Demoral (the pain medication that works best for her) that the hospital can give her. After six tonight, she will not be able to have anymore. Hopefully, the on-demand button and the anti-inflammatory will be able to keep her pain under control after that.

Thanks to everyone for their concern.~TSG

19
Jan
14

recovering

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family and Medical
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IRP is feeling much better. She has been walking several times today and has progressed to clear liquids. The doctor’s assistant was in and said things had gone so well that the ileostomy might be reversible in as little as eight weeks. As you might imagine, this cheered IRP up considerably. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and good thoughts.~TSG

18
Jan
14

The Result of the Most Recent Surgery

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family and Medical
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So, today IRP had yet another surgery. This was to reconnect her rectum to her large intestine after last year’s “blow-out”. It appears that the doctor who corrected her Hirschprung’s failed to get all of the affected area out. As a result, IRP suffered a ruptured bowel and spent three weeks in the hospital recovering from that and the resulting massive infection. A colostomy also had to be performed at the same time to give her time to recover so that we could decide what would need to be done next. I did not post about this and other events at the time they occurred because I was just so shocked and angry. We almost lost her!

The surgery today went well, but IRP has another temporary ileostomy. The doctor who reconnected her said that he had tested the repair and the reversal of the colostomy and no air came through either. He probably could have not done the ileostomy. However, due to what happened last time, he was not willing to risk a recurrence. He would rather take the conservative approach since another rupture might mean that IRP would have to have a permanent colostomy. Although many people live with this, we do not want IRP to have to do so if it can be avoided. Any prayers or good thoughts you care to send our way will be greatly appreciated.~TSG

16
Nov
13

time to party

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family, Friends, Fun, Parents, Siblings, Spouse and Thoughts on turning 50
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Tonight, my parents, siblings and a few friends are joining my family at Babbin’s, a local seafood restaurant. There will be fun, fellowship and alligator appetizers for the adventurous among us. No, it does not “taste just like chicken”. Afterwards, we will be going to my parent’s house for cake. The only ones missing will be RTA and MFA, who live too far away to come (insert frowny face here). I told FMP that this all sounded a bit expensive and he asked me if I intended to turn 50 again. Since I don’t, I had to concede his point. On with the festivities!!

26
Aug
13

a new chapter

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Categories: Children and Family
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This morning, for the first time in twenty-one years, I do not have a child going off to school. RTA is married and soon to be moving closer to Texas. IRP and CPI are going to the college with me this morning to start classes there. IRP has gone before, but this is CPI’s first time to attend class on campus. He has a solid backing of Dual Credit courses from high school to send him on his way.

I am happy that my children have turned out so well, but will miss their younger selves. Well, at least until they begin to gift me with tiny replicas of themselves to spoil rotten.–TSG

03
Aug
13

the return of irp

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family, Gratitude and Medical
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Hurrah! The blockage in IRP’s intestine has resolved itself and she is back home. We are truly grateful for the prayers and well-wishes of everyone. Next week, IRP and FMP will be going to consult with a surgeon about the reversal of IRP’s temporary colostomy. If it pleases God, this will be the end of IRP’s struggles. Oh, how we hope and pray it is!

In other news, my brother is marrying again. He has been married to this woman before and we are very happy to have her and her children back in our lives. As a bonus, she will be gifting us with a baby girl in December. Oh, how we love adding children to our family! The rottenness in our family is unbelievable. And, it all starts before we even see the child’s ultrasound. The moment a child is conceived, we know that s/he is a person with a unique and special purpose. My brother and his fiancée have already refused the test for Down’s Syndrome because it carries a small risk of harming the child. Since nothing will change their intent to have Little Miss HM (of course she has a name), they see no point in risking her life to find out. Other tests that may reveal challenges but carry no risk of harm will be performed so that we may better care for her when she makes her grand entry. We are, of course, praying for an uneventful pregnancy and delivery, but God has a plan no matter what happens. Just because we are not in on all of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

IRP’s suffering also has a purpose. We are totally in the dark as to what it is. In time, perhaps He will show us. If not, we will trust until we stand before Him and learn all.

Hoping your weekend has started on such a good note,
TSG

30
Jul
13

this is a bad day

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family and Medical
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Once more, one of RTA’s brothers-in-arms has killed himself. I often joke about “RTA’s ‘little friends'”, but in reality, their association with my child has made them my sons. And now, another of my children is dead. I often hear of programs designed to prevent such things, but they don’t seem to be helping much from my point of view. I can no longer count (although I am sure RTA can remind me) how many he and I have lost. RTA and one of my other sons have an idea that I think will probably be more effective since they have been there. My prayer is now that they will find the funds, the will and the help to succeed. I am willing to do anything to help them. Anything to save my boys. If I hurt this much at this remove, I cannot imagine how RTA and AVB (Andrew of the Volleyball), his business partner, feel.

At the same time, IRP is in the hospital with the doctors trying one more thing to clear the blockage in her intestines before they must operate. She is barely speaking to me because I lost it and yelled at her because she was not following instructions or doing anything to help herself. Since scar tissue is the main cause of her on-going problems, every surgery seems like just a set-up for more trouble. I am praying fervently that it doesn’t come to that.

I thought about starting this post with a question as to how one can sleep all night and wake up feeling as if they hadn’t been to bed at all. I think, though, that I have answered my own question.

All prayers and good thoughts gratefully received,

TSG

26
Jul
13

down and then up

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Categories: Children, Family and Medical
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Yesterday, the doctors took another set of scans of IRP’s abdomen to see how things were progressing. There is still some distension of the area of intestine where the blockage was. They were also concerned that she had not passed anything but gas into the temporary colostomy bag. So, they had the tube put six inches further down so that it is now draining from the small intestine instead of the stomach.

For a bit, this made things worse for IRP. The new position of the tube puts pressure on her right eye socket. It was rather painful. Also, her abdomen began to swell again and was very tender to the touch. Finally, we were having trouble controlling her pain in general.

The nurse brought an ice pack for IRP’s eye. Then, she put IRP’s pain medication on an every-four-hour schedule. The result of these two actions is that IRP is now so comfortable that she is sleeping and moving about in her sleep normally. The tube has also done its work and her abdomen is flat once more. Now, we just need her to pass something and we can begin to look forward to her discharge.

Thanks for all your prayers and well-wishes!

TSG

21
Jul
13

the prodigal returns

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children and Family
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Good news! IRP has returned home. In her words, the friend’s house she was staying at had “too much drama”. She first called to ask me what the conditions were for her return. I told her that the only condition was that she let her father and me make her medical decisions for the rest of this year. I told IRP that we would not seek to have her hospitalized again unless she refused to go to the doctor or the doctor told us that IRP needed to be hospitalized.

IRP agreed to these conditions and moved everything back in Thursday night. Thanks to everyone for their prayers. And, thank You to God for His mercy.

TSG

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