Serk down! Another Update! Latest News!

[Oss]

Moving in a good direction  !

[Valkorado]

 

[da prez]

  PIC line feels weird going in and even weirder coming out.  Been there , done that.  GLAD you are on the right path. 

                                            da prez

[scooperhsd]

  PIC line feels weird going in and even weirder coming out.  Been there , done that.  GLAD you are on the right path. 

                                            da prez

+1

[Serk]

  PIC line feels weird going in and even weirder coming out.  Been there , done that.  GLAD you are on the right path. 

                                            da prez

It definitely hurt going in, I'd been very worried about it coming out, but the nurse just gave me a 1-2-3 and yanked it out with no pain.

Funny side story, being the slightly odd person I am, I wanted to keep it, they wouldn't let me 'cause medical waste blah blah... She let me look at it a bit then tossed is in the medical waste bin.

...then left the room. At which point my dear demure spousal unit opened the medical waste container, fished it out and tucked it in her purse (Still dribbling blood out of it and all).

...so I got to keep the PICC line to play with and study after all...

[Valkorado]

  PIC line feels weird going in and even weirder coming out.  Been there , done that.  GLAD you are on the right path. 

                                            da prez

It definitely hurt going in, I'd been very worried about it coming out, but the nurse just gave me a 1-2-3 and yanked it out with no pain.

Funny side story, being the slightly odd person I am, I wanted to keep it, they wouldn't let me 'cause medical waste blah blah... She let me look at it a bit then tossed is in the medical waste bin.

...then left the room. At which point my dear demure spousal unit opened the medical waste container, fished it out and tucked it in her purse (Still dribbling blood out of it and all).

...so I got to keep the PICC line to play with and study after all...

You paid dearly for the damn thing, it's yours!

[Willow]

...
...so I got to keep the PICC line to play with and study after all... 

LOL!  I hope you're not intending to reinsert that thing.  Keeping mine never occurred to me.

My medical folks were better than yours.  I felt no pain with it being placed in on its way to the heart vicinity and only slight discomfort on its removal.  Of course, my recognition of what pain is differs from some.   

[da prez]

When they replaced my shoulders and hip , I wanted to see what they removed. Haz-mat they said. But they are mine , I said.  Put them in a plastic bag and bring them to me.  Did not happen.  I guess i'm a hazzard.   I know , I opened the door for jabs.

                                           da prez

[Serk]

I looked up the cost of the things and tempted to ram it back in there, just the piece of plastic that is the PICC line is just under $1k each!

When they replaced my shoulders and hip , I wanted to see what they removed. Haz-mat they said. But they are mine , I said.  Put them in a plastic bag and bring them to me.  Did not happen.  I guess i'm a hazzard.   I know , I opened the door for jabs.

                                           da prez

I begged and pleaded for them to let me keep the gall stones they removed but they wouldn't budge on that one either.....

[RP#62]

I looked up the cost of the things and tempted to ram it back in there, just the piece of plastic that is the PICC line is just under $1k each!

When they replaced my shoulders and hip , I wanted to see what they removed. Haz-mat they said. But they are mine , I said.  Put them in a plastic bag and bring them to me.  Did not happen.  I guess i'm a hazzard.   I know , I opened the door for jabs.

                                           da prez

I begged and pleaded for them to let me keep the gall stones they removed but they wouldn't budge on that one either.....

I still have mine in a jar somewhere.  I don't know why - I don't really miss them.

-RP

[Jess from VA]

I still have mine in a jar somewhere.  I don't know why - I don't really miss them.

-RP

[da prez]

  Years ago , mom had gall stones removed.  Our youngest sister got them from the Dr.  They looked like yellow/red corn kernels.  She had them made into some kind of jewelry.  No idea where it endednup.

                                                        da prez

[Robert]

Glad you are doing better, 

[f6john]

Bump for latest update from Facebook. I redid my initial post. Serk admitted back into the hospital for infection related to his drain that's still in. What a bummer, I was hoping he was over the hump. Keep Brian and Tarynn in your prayers!

[The emperor has no clothes]

Bump for latest update from Facebook. I redid my initial post. Serk admitted back into the hospital for infection related to his drain that's still in. What a bummer, I was hoping he was over the hump. Keep Brian Ann Tarynn in your prayers!

Damn ! It seems this nightmare of his will never end. 

[carolinarider09]

Bump for latest update from Facebook. I redid my initial post. Serk admitted back into the hospital for infection related to his drain that's still in. What a bummer, I was hoping he was over the hump. Keep Brian Ann Tarynn in your prayers!

Darn, sorry to hear that.   Prayers for speedy resolution. 

[Valkorado]

Just seeing this.  Prayers up for Serk and Tarynn.      May God wrap them in His loving embrace, and bolster his family with great strength and perseverance until Brian is well again.

[Willow]

Bump for latest update from Facebook. I redid my initial post. Serk admitted back into the hospital for infection related to his drain that's still in. What a bummer, I was hoping he was over the hump. Keep Brian Ann Tarynn in your prayers!

Brian Ann?  I never did know the middle name but I will keep them both in my thoughts and prayers.

[Mooskee]

So sorry to hear this. Serk, you and your family are in my prayers. Also praying the doctors have wisdom to figure this out and fix it quickly too.

[f6john]

Limited details, but Brian just posted on Facebook that he has got his walking papers already! I imagine he may post some more on what his current situation may be.

[Serk]

Heh, Ann is indeed not my middle name, I'm named after a bad actor from the 60's (Although some will like him just because, unlike me, he was a Marine.) I've noted about a 50% rate of folks around my age with Brian (With an 'I' as is proper) as their first name having a middle name of Keith...

So... I'm home. Two nights in the hospital was quite enough, if they didn't discharge me I was already researching just how much an Uber home would cost me, I'm so over hospitals ($21 btw)...

Luckily, this was more of a mechanical issue than a biological one, at least initially. My abscess drain, even though it's HUGE (24 French for those who know such things) managed to get unfixably clogged internally.

This caused the funk that was draining out IN the drain to follow the drain to the surface of my body and ooze out around the drain instead, which made my body rather angry.

They pumped me full of top tier IV antibiotics to shut any of that silliness down STAT (I wasn't septic... yet...) and re-did the abscess drain (And the PTC Billiary... while I was awake, which is great fun), held me overnight to make sure I didn't get a fever again and make sure it was draining fine, then cut me loose...

On the plus side, we were treated to an absolutely gorgeous sunset on our drive to the ER:



...and the view from the hospital room wasn't half bad either...



But nothing beats being home!

P.S. Having a blood culture done is super ouchy, do not recommend.

[Willow]

Heh, Ann is indeed not my middle name, I'm named after a bad actor from the 60's (Although some will like him just because, unlike me, he was a Marine.) ...

So... I'm home. Two nights in the hospital was quite enough,...

I am so glad to hear you're back in the personal domicile.

Interesting revelation.  I was inspired to look up Brian Keith.  He was indeed a Marine serving throughout World War II.  Interestingly, his name wasn't Brian.

Serk, I really don't like hearing about sunsets on the way to the E.R.  I hope your sunset is still many years away.

Take good care of yourself.  You are a special person to so many of us, Ann.

[Rams]

Glad you are home, let's keep it that way until it's time to ride.

Your caregiver (at home) seems to be doing a good job.  You should keep her. 

Rams

[Serk]

Glad you are home, let's keep it that way until it's time to ride.

Heh... I wanted to ride yesterday. Spousal unit was "I won't tell you no, but I recommend strongly against."

I took that as a "Okay"... The 'Wing is easier to get out of the garage, so geared up and backed it out, put it in neutral, started it, clutch pulled in, put it in first and it lurched forward, had to hold the brake to keep it from going on its own...

So... I think her spirit infected the bike and told me no that way...

Maybe I'll try the Valk later...

[Valkorado]

Glad you are home, let's keep it that way until it's time to ride.

Heh... I wanted to ride yesterday. Spousal unit was "I won't tell you no, but I recommend strongly against."

I took that as a "Okay"... The 'Wing is easier to get out of the garage, so geared up and backed it out, put it in neutral, started it, clutch pulled in, put it in first and it lurched forward, had to hold the brake to keep it from going on its own...

So... I think her spirit infected the bike and told me no that way...

Maybe I'll try the Valk later...

Glad you're feeling well enough to be thinking about riding.  Just try not to get beckoned into an aimless coddiewomple and call the wife from points unknown.  That may not go over very well.

[Serk]

Glad you're feeling well enough to be thinking about riding.  Just try not to get beckoned into an aimless coddiewomple and call the wife from points unknown.  That may not go over very well.

Oh how I dream of a good old coddiewomple but alas, too many doctor appointments, meds, etc right now. The extent I could get away with might be a few hours, need to empty and do unspeakable things to my drain every 8 hours or so...

But one can dream!

I did start the Valk and let her warm up at least today. Fired right up and was all "Come on boss, I'm right here, ready to go why you messing with Mrs. Plastic Fantastic over there?!?!?!"

[Chrisj CMA]

Yep!  I know that feeling well. Broken back, broken arm and other "things". I cleaned and cleaned the Valkyrie even though I couldn't ride. When I could ride she was sparkling clean.

[turtle254]

Update ?

[Serk]

Update ?

With the spousal unit's assistance (And approval) bled the clutch on the Gold Wing, then went for about 100 miles of riding split over two days. It was glorious, food for the soul, to get out in the wind again.

On the health front, I've still got two drains hanging out of me (Which I'll admit does make riding interesting, have to tuck 'em in very carefully!), take way too many pills every day as well.

This coming week should be telling, and hurty. On Wednesday I get a CT scan with contrast (Requires an IV, which has become a challenge to get on me, my veins are "scarred" I'm told from all the IVs and blood draws during my hospital stay), Thursday I see the surgeons who tell me what they see in the CT scan, and at which appointment I'm gonna do everything short of demand the capped off biliary drain (Which is only there as an insurance policy, basically, runs through my liver and can be hooked to a drain bag to remove the bile my body produces before it gets to a leak, if I start leaking again, which I *knock on wood* haven't done since August) be removed, and get me a back to work letter, as my company has switched me to COBRA, which eats most of the short term disability money I've been receiving.

Barring a miracle on Thursday where the surgeons tell me I'm all better and take the tubes out, I go for my 14th (I think?) surgery with interventional radiology on Friday for them to "study" and/or replace (REMOVE!) the drains.

So..... That's all the news that's fit to print. I hate the fuzzy headed state it puts me in but at the spousal unit's insistence I've started taking the powerful pain killers they've prescribed for me more often (Not when riding, of course!). Hate being fuzzy headed, but hate hurting more, so...

[Skinhead]

Serk,

Is all this side effects related to your by-pass surgery?

[Jess from VA]

Brian.... (all of) that is a real sh!t sandwich.  

If you need anything, advice or assistance or just listening, just ask.  

[Serk]

Serk,

Is all this side effects related to your by-pass surgery?

Sorta, but not directly...

Would it have happened if I'd never had RNY Gastric Bypass? No.
But did my RNY Gastric Bypass cause it? No.

I had gallstones, which dropped into my bile ducts and clogged them up (Totally unrelated to my gastric bypass).

In someone who hadn't had RNY (Specifically RNY Gastric Bypass) they'd knock you out and send a probe through your mouth, get to the bile ducts, and pluck the gallstones out that way.

Since my mouth doesn't connect to the same places anymore, they can't do that procedure on someone with RNY Gastric Bypass, so instead they surgically first removed my gall bladder, then poked a trocar into my remnant stomach (Which has atrophied from not being used the last decade) and let the GI surgeons get to the bile ducts that way. While doing so, they nicked my duodenum (Bottom part of the stomach) and caused a leak.

So, lot of words to explain it, it's far more complicated then even that... Wasn't caused by the gastric bypass but I wouldn't be here if I hadn't had it.

Having said all that, I 100% do NOT regret the gastric bypass, and am still a big proponent of it, just warn anyone having it get your gall bladder removed at the same time. If you've already had RNY Gastric Bypass and still have your gall bladder keep a close eye on gall bladder health and at the first sign of anything remiss with it get it checked out or removed... Would have been SOOOOO much simpler if I'd just had my gall bladder removed before the stones dropped to my bile ducts.

[Skinhead]

Thanks for the explanation.

[Serk]

...went into my work office last night, noted my VRCC calendar.... still on July, when all this started....

Life..... interrupted.....

[Serk]

Update post relayed from FB:



Tears of joy!!! Went to URSA (My surgeons, Urgent Surgery Associates) office this morning, they said the CT scan from yesterday showed my Retroperitoneal abscess was gone ("No drainable fluid") so no need for the big drain to remain, so the big (HURTY!) drain is GONE! They removed it in their office. Strangest feeling I've ever experienced having that big thing come out. If anyone wants to see video of it coming out PM me but I won't post it.

I still have my biliary drain, at least for now. I go to Interventional Radiology tomorrow where they'll have a look see and see if it's safe to remove that one too.

We're not out of the woods yet, but I can see a little sunshine peeking through the branches finally! And, without the huge (24 French) drain hanging out of my gut my pain moving, walking, etc has gone WAY down.

Still not 100% done with this, but this was about the best early birthday present I could wish for!
I've said it before, I can't say it enough, thank you Tarynn for your help, support, making me do the things I don't wanna do through this, I literally wouldn't be here now without your help. Love you!

[Valkorado]

Great news Brian.  I think I'll pass on the video, I'm squeamish!  Really glad things are improving for you, and they're taking the foreign objects out!

[carolinarider09]

Yes Great News!    Continued prayers up for you and Tarynn.  The woods is thinning out. 

[Jess from VA]

Thanks for the good news.   

A good wife is hard to beat.    

[bassman]

Most excellent news.  Great wife/partner also!

[Serk]

Well, they wouldn't take the last drain out, but they put a smaller version in, leaving it just a little longer just in case, currently scheduled, if all goes well, to be removed on my birthday (12/11)...