Update on Mom

Friday afternoon was such a glad time for us as we came home from the doctor’s office. We thought having the G-tube removed would hasten Linda’s road to recovery and we were looking forward to a better weekend. Little did we know when I sent the good report of her doctor’s visit what the week end really held for us.

The doctor (gastroenterologist who removed the tube) told us we would notice some drainage, even food, in the area of the skin where the tube was located. After all, there was a hole in her skin through to her stomach lining about the size of a nickel, at least the size of a dime. Linda was still a little “fuzzy” from the medicine given to her during the procedure, but she was hungry having not eaten in almost 24 hours. So I prepared her a scrambled egg and she drank a small glass of V-8 juice. About an hour later, our nightmare began!! The contents of her stomach began to GUSH OUT through the hole in her stomach. It was GROSS – we panicked. We called the doctor but he didn’t help. He only told us it would take a few days to “heal itself and if the hole didn’t close it may require surgery to patch the hole.” We spent most all night Friday catching gastric juices, fluids and food coming out of Linda’s stomach.

Saturday morning around 8:00 AM the same gastro doctor called asking how Linda did during the night. I gave him an hour by hour of our “mop up duty” and he said he thought she should go to the hospital to be admitted and treated by a surgeon. Linda panicked again!! Another hospital; more doctors; more torture to her body!! NO!! We talked, prayed and considered several matters of her health and decided to go on to the hospital here in Goldsboro expecting her to be admitted.

To not bore you, I’ll give the short version of the day. Since it was the week-end we had to go through the emergency room. We arrived at 11 AM and finally seen by a doctor around 2:00 PM. He ordered a Cat Scan of Linda’s stomach area and concluded that everything looked alright and that it was going to take 2-3 days for the hole to heal. She was discharged shortly after 5:00 PM and instructed to make an appointment with her primary doctor on Monday. I think we followed this procedure last Monday.

The week-end has been pretty miserable for Linda. Her stomach continues to drain and a 3-4 inch area of the skin around the opening has become very irritated. The liquids from her stomach contain acids which are very painful on the irritated skin. I have become pretty good at changing dressings for wounds and I’m thinking about getting a part time job in the medical field. (Just kidding)

There are several neat side line notes to all that went on during the past three days. One of the nurses that attended to Linda on Friday is the wife of an NCO stationed at Seymour Johnson. She could see Linda was terribly nervous (actually scared to death) about the tube being removed. As soon as Linda was taken to the room for the procedure, this nurse asked Linda if she could have prayer with her before the doctor came in. This was the ONLY time that has happened since she first entered the hospital one month ago. Also, this military couple will transfer next year to Sheppard AFB in Texas where Brian and Jennifer are stationed. Who knows what lies ahead for this couple and connections in Wichita Falls? We were also blessed by those who ministered to us during the past three days. Ray cut the grass; Keren (his wife) attended to Oma (Linda’s mom) on Saturday; Betty sat with us most of the afternoon in the ER; Pastor and wife, Martha, came to visit during the ER stay; Diane and Heather brought a meal to us Saturday night; Roy brought 3 plates full of food from the church ‘dinner on the ground’ this afternoon. We are so thankful for those who step up to help in time of need.

Continue to pray. We go back to the doctor Monday to find out more about this stomach issue. We pray surgery won’t be necessary. I’m sorry this is so long and I’ll try to send updates more often. We need you to PRAY!!

Keep Looking Up,

Joe