That was too close!

I was just released from the hospital yesterday (11/8). I went into the emergency room on Wednesday because I wasn't able to keep anything down again. They found a blockage in my small intestine so no food and nearly no liquid was making it into my system. I was severely dehydrated and pretty malnourished. All that weight I had talked about gaining in the previous post was long gone. I was down to 170 lbs. They had to put a tube down my nose into my stomach to drain it off. This is done for two reasons: one is to take the pressure of my stomach so I wouldn't throw up again, the other is to prep for possible surgery.

After multiple X-rays and a CT or two, they really couldn't figure out why there was no throughput. They decided, after looking through all of the radiology results that there really wasn't anything (from a surgical standpoint) that they could do. They were talking about sending me home with Hospice at that point! In the meantime, I was just on a saline bag for hydration, and I was allowed to eat ice chips to keep my mouth moist. Keep in mind, I have a tube down my nose sucking any liquid in my stomach right back out. After the second or third day I decided that crunching ice wasn't enough, and despite the rules I drank two huge glasses of ice water.

You've never tasted something so delicious!

Of course, it was no secret that I did this because the stomach drain was very suddenly, very full. I tried to logic my way out of it by pointing out that the suction was doing what it was supposed to do. I didn't get in trouble... When you are that ill, you get a lot of leeway!

That night, somehow, the blockage passed and my ileostomy bag was full of liquid! I was able to get put on clear liquids. After another day, all liquids. Then, soft foods. I had scrambled eggs and toast my last day there. They sent me home on a special diet of only soft solids. Meaning PB&J, tuna sandwiches, stuff you can eat without any teeth, for the most part. Now the battle to put weight back on has begun.

I'm posting this several weeks after the actual events, and I will be posting another entry almost immediately.