rheumatoid-arthritis-blog - KarensCubby.com

Published on: January 10, 2020

Released from Hospital today

Dr. Becker came in at 5 am to check my leg and to let me know that Dr. G will be in to release me today. Yay! Another Dr. (Dr. Fish) came in to check on me around 8:30. Ron made it to the hospital at 9:30, then Dr. G and Dr. Fish came in around 10:30 for one last consult, and to release me. Dr. G said I will need to schedule a followup appointment with him at his Port Huron location, and I will also need to schedule an appointment with a hematologist. Dr. G has got to be my favorite Dr. I've ever had, and I told him that I feel and believe he saved my life.
Ron and I left the hospital at 11:45. Aunt Joyce called me as we were leaving the hospital, and I talked with her pretty much the whole ride home. Ron dropped off my scripts at the pharmacy on our way home. We made it home just before 1:00 pm.
First thing I did was get a Long Hot Shower!
Mike and Kristen, and Taylor, Averie and Eli came over at 4. Mike and Kristen bought pizza. I feel So Lucky and Blessed to be home, and to be alive. An experience I will never forget.

Published on: January 9, 2020

2nd surgery

Results came back from a CT scan last night. A small blood clot had broke off and went to my Right lung. Not urgent the Dr. said, because I was already on the heprin drip, and it will take care of it. Ron came up to see me around 9:00. I told me about my night, and about the CT scan results, and being woke up every hour to have blood tests.
Ron followed me down at 10:15 for me 2nd surgery, which began at 10:30 am. Again, I had to roll over onto my stomach onto the operating bed. Alittle more difficult this time with all the things attached to me. And again, I was awake for the entire procedure. This time I really wish they would have put me out because the pain was worse. I felt like I was going to pass out...I lost feeling in my neck, shoulders, arms and hands, and I tried to tell the assistant who was sitting right by my head, but I couldn't talk. Ohhh....it sucked! The assistant, and another nurse were awesome, and helped me thru the pain. I believe they said that at a certain part when I felt so horrible, that some patients do experience what I was going through.
They sucked out the entire bloot clot, and inserted a balloon where 2 stents were put in place to open the left Iliac vein. Here is a picture of what happened:

Long story short, my right Iliac artery was laying over my left Iliac vein, and was cutting off circulation of blood flow back to my heart, which caused a massive blood clot from my abdomen (upper groin), down past the bottom of my left knee. The 2nd surgery was a success, and I was out of surgery by 12:30, and up to my room by 1:00 pm.
Kylie and Tony brought Logan with them, and they were at the hospital to see my by 1:30 pm. Kylie and Tony brought me some new slippers (which are the best slippers I've ever had), a 3 musketeers, and a fridge magnet. We all visited until 4:00, when they went down to the cafeteria, and I ate my lunch. No physical restrictions now. I can use the toilet! No More Bed Pan Thank God!
Ron, Logan, Kylie and Tony came back to my room at 4:30 and stayed a bit longer, the Logan and Kylie and tony headed back home. Ron stayed with me until 8:20 because the nurses said they are going to move me back up to the 3rd floor, and he was going to wait until he knew what room. I told him I would text him so he could get home at a good time and get a good night sleep. He got home at 9:10. They took me in my bed up to room 319 and I was all settled in by 10:45 pm. Was only woke up twice by nurses during the night.

Published on: January 8, 2020

First Surgery

I couldn't have anything to eat or drink since midnight, and nurses and aides were in and out all night checking on me. And, rather than a bed pan, they let me use a camode set up next to my bed since last night. They didn't trust me walking to the bathroom because they didn't want a piece of the blood clot breaking off and killing me.
Pre-op came to get me for my 1st surgery at 10 am. They wheeled me down to the 2nd floor where a "Hybrid" surgery room was. Ron followed me down. The nurse brought Ron to a waiting room, and I was wheeled into the operating room.
They had me roll from my bed onto the operating bed onto my stomach. I thought they were going to put me in a twlight sleep or something, but I was awake for the entire procedure. I felt the operating nurse cover my body with something. Someone was putting something cold on my feet and between my toes, and something cold behind my knee. Dr. G said they were going to numb the back of my knee, make a small incision there, and the procedure began.
Only a couple times did it hurt bad enough that I put my face in the pillow and cried. I think they gave me a couple doses of morphine. I'm not sure if it helped or not. I remember looking at a clock that said 12:00 when the procedure was over.
I rolled back onto a bed. My knee wrapped in an ace bandage, and a port attached in the back of my knee. They brought me to a new room (270) on the cardiac floor so they could keep a closer eye on me. They kept me on the heprin drip, put me on oxygen, and nurses and aides were in to see me all day. They took my blood about every hour.
LeeAnn came to sit and visit with Ron and I, they Mike anbd Kristen came, then brother-in-law Ron came to see me around 4:00. They all left at 6:30 to go have dinner, then Ron was heading home so he could get a good night sleep.
I had my dinner, and now had to use the bed pan because I was on strict bed rest. They were able to remove about a foot of the blood clot, so the chances of a piece breaking off were much higher. Do Not Like using Bed Pans.
Again, I couldn't have anything to eat or drink after midnight. I started having pain in my left side and shoulder blade area. The Dr. ordered that I have a CT scan, so at 1:00 am, they wheeled me down on my bed to have a CT scan.

Published on: January 7, 2020

Scan came back - being transferred

The CT scan results came in, and it showed that the blood clot was even larger. It was higher up into my abdomen. Dr. Capari came into see us at 3:47. He said he suspects my diagnosis is called "May Thurner Syndrom", and said Ii was going to be transferred to McLaren Macomb to have surgery because LHMC doesn't have the capability to do the surgery.
Ron went home to get the car instead of his truck so he could follow the ambulance to Macomb. He got back long before they came to get me. The two medics came to get me at 7:30 pm. Strapped me on the gurney, wheeled me down to the ambulance, and I took my first ambulance ride to Macomb. Ron left before us, but somehow we made it to the hospital first. The medics got me to my room (339), in my bed, and hooked up to my Heprin drip when Ron walked in. He stayed with me until 10:30, and got a motel room so he could be with me before my surgery tomorrow.
Nurses and Aides cam in for vitals and blood tests almost every hour.

Published on: January 6, 2020

DVT and May Thurner Syndrom

I got up at 7. I started calling Dr. Sach's office at 8:30 but couldn't get through, so I left a message. No one called me back, so I kept calling every 15 minutes until someone finally answered the phone at 9:30. I told the receptionist that my left leg was twice the size of my right, and she said "Can you be here by 10:15?" I said yes, then called Lori to let her know. She said "I'm taking you." She was in my driveway shortly before 10, and she dropped me off at the front door of LHMC by 10:12. I took the elevator. Waited about 10 minutes to get back to see the Dr. Long story short, Dr. Sach's saw my leg and said "You need to go to the ER right now." "Is Mercy ok? I'll call them and let them know you're on your way."
Lori got me to LHMC Hospital at 11:20. I had called Ron on our way. He was working at the GSC, and said he would meet me there. I was in an ER room by 11:30 am. They did an ultra sound of my left leg from my groin to my ankle. The ER Dr. can in and said they are admitting me because they found a blood clot (called DVT) in my femoral artery from my groin to must below my knee. They just had to wait for a room to open up. They transferred me to Room 338 at 4:00 pm. They put me on a heprin drip and put an IV Port in my right arm to help thin my blood. Dr. Daher came in to let us know that a fvascular surgeon would be in to see me.
Dr. Capari came into see me and ordered a CT scan, which I had later on that evening.

Published on: January 2, 2020

What a way to start 2020.

(Thursday - the 2nd) I had made an appointment with Dr. Sachs before Christmas because I was having problems breathing for 2 weeks. I wasn't stuffed up, but I was breathing through my mouth, and would wake up in the morning with my mouth feeling like a desert. By the time this appointment came around, my symptoms were not nearly as bad, but I kept the appointment to see if Dr. Sachs could prescribe something to help me stop smoking. He prescribed Nicoret gum.
(Friday-the 3rd) - I noticed my left knee was a bit swollen.
(Saturday - the 4th) - Went shopping with Ron, then stopped by mom and dads on the way home. I noticed my left leg was getting bigger. I chalked it up to being on my feet all day so wasn't really concerned.
(Sunday - the 5th) - Met my friend at the hall we were renting for her cancer benefit, then went out to lunch. I showed her my leg and knee, which was now about twice the size of my right. She said I should go to the ER, but I wanted to wait to see Dr. Sachs tomorrow.