Momma Bear

[kimysbug]

My Mom "Momma Bear" Has had a bad year or so ta say the least.
I thought I would share.
We could always use extra prayers and Pixie dust

1. February ’05 had a colostomy from complications from diverticulitis
2. June ’05 she was supposed to have her reversal when she went to pre-surgical testing and found she needed 5 stints in the arteries around her heart (North Shore)
3. They put her on blood thinners and told her in 3-6 months they would do her reversal.
4. October ’05 she started hemorrhaging into her bag, she was rushed to the hospital (Stony Brook) and a few days later she had her large intestine removed and she was reconnected.
5. November ’05 she left the hospital went to rehab and within 2 weeks she went back to the hospital (Stony Brook) with a MSRA infection in her wound
6. December ’05 they kept her wound open and they did wet to dry dressings and sent her home. She went to stay with my aunt who is a LPN and the she started bleeding into her wound so the took her to another hospital (Good Samaritan) and they put in drains, she picked up a VRSA infection
7. January ‘06 sent her to a rehab at rehab her drains fell out so we took her back to the original hospital (Stony Brook)
8. January '06 went to Aunts house for two weeks
9. February ’06 the wound seemed to get worse Dr Smithy sent her back to the hospital (Stony Brook)
10. She remained in Stony Brook Hospital and they found out she has a fistulas during this period.
11. March '06 Heart Attack
12. April ’06 Large Hematoma developed- surgery was required to drain and clean the wound
13. May ’06 Continued in hospital
14. June ’06 Dr. put a vac into her wound to help close wound.
15. July ’06 went to rehab that “specializes” in wound vacs- 2 weeks later she returned to Hospital vac was removed and returned to wet to dry dressing
16. August ’06 Continued in rehab
17. September ’06 suffered a heart attack- angiogram determined a stint failed and was replaced
18. October ’06 Taken off food put on TPN sent home
19. November Return to hospital
20. November’06 Surgery End Illiostomy –repaired/bypassed fistulas
21. Early Dec ’06 returned home for 3 days had issues with Stoma
22. Returned to hospital- worked with ET nurse’s & Surgical team
23. Mid Dec ’06- New wound infection- surgery to clean wound- wet to dry dressing changes
She is still in the hospital.

We sold her house last year and she has a brand new apartment. She has been in 3 weeks and 3 days.

Thank you for listening

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I am at a loss for words.... your poor Mom....I was reading it and thinking I just want to scream....

How much can one person go through and yet still keep on going... God Love her and you and your family. You would think that in this day and age they could stop the infection, get her mended and send her to her new apartment and let her live her life.

I am just shaking my head here. How is she doing?? I hope they are helping her cope with all this, I would be very depressed if this was me...

 

[kimysbug]

Thank you so much

She is an amazing woman.

 

[zalansky]

kimysbug - I can relate to you, here's what I have going on....

Lost my mom at 62 years old to pancretic cancer, in 1998.

My father suffered a massive stroke in 2002 at age 68 that left him completely paralyzed on his right side and unable to walk. He went to rehab and recovered as much as he could and went home to live alone, though his girlfriend (whom he met after mom died) stayed with him, luckily.

Early 2005 he started having round the clock diahrea (sp) and showed other signs of colon cancer but refused to go to the doctor. Long story short, he got so bad throughout last year that my sisters and I went to his home early November to intervene because he was literally on the verge of death. We had him admitted to the hospital where they found advanced colorectal cancer. A large blockage which had been growing for many years they said. (Dad was never a fan of going to the doctor) His girlfriend left him mid-2005 after not wanting to deal with the thought of serious illness.

Since he was admitted to the hospital, he has had surgery to give him 1)colostomy 2) urostomy 3) permanent catheter. So I know all about stomas. He went to rehab with a plan to gain strength to withstand chemo and radiation, not to save him, but to prevent the tumor from growing and becoming more painful. That hs not happened because his condition is getting worse daily and its not looking good. No one can or will give us a timeframe on how long he has. I suppose I am thankful he made it through the holidays. Currently. they are adjusting pain meds daily to make him comfortable. It is such a sad situation and I find myself terrified at times that soon I will have no parents. Dad is 73.

I don't mean to try and hijack your thread. Just wanted to purge my story i guess...and let you know you're not alone. Goodl luck to you and your Mom.