Tuesday, November 30, 2010

No more complications - back on the recovery track!

Today's surgeon's visit showed that all complications are gone. Yippee!
What a relief...
Now big thanks to Dr. Dariusz Zawierucha (Dr. Z.)  and PA Marvin McAllister at the Radiology Associates for working with me and getting rid of this persistent problem. Also big thanks to Dr. Movassaghi and his wonderful staff. I always felt their concern, encouragement, and relentless desire to help.
I believe that my year-and-a-half  trip is coming to a very happy end.
I feel the energy coming back, and the desire to do things instead of going to bed is a welcome change. Looking forward to bicycling, walking, and may be even jogging, to the stomach muscles exercises...
Back into shape, loose additional 15 lbs.
Easy!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Drains Removed

Today I hope is the beginning of the last chapter of my recovery. The drains were removed.
I am also realistic knowing that in the last three months the drains were removed 5 times before, only to be inserted again week later. Let's hope that this is not a repeat...
But it feels great not to have them.

Friday, November 19, 2010

More progress

Today's radiology report:
The seroma cavities are closed and healing is almost complete but the drains will stay inserted until Monday.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

188 lbs!

Today I dropped another few pounds - down to 188lbs.
I have a lot of pain in the morning - I think one of the drain tubes is touching the nerve... 
But feeling better overall, hoping for the removal of both drains tomorrow. Swelling is almost completely gone, and the drain output is minimal...

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Yes - the progress is here!

When I am healing - I sleep a lot. Last two days 13 hours each night. That is a good sign. The swelling is 80% gone. I feel much, much better. Friday I hope that they will take the drains out, but I was there before. But I see the end. I am upbeat again.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Finally Progress! (again...)

Today I felt some improvement in the morning.
At the radiology new X-rays showed that the seroma cavity got significantly smaller.
By the evening the swelling is much smaller and much more bearable than yesterday.
I did the Betadyne flush again tonight. Now I will wait and see if I will be set back with new reaction... May be it was Betadyne....
It might be that the corner is turned... Keep fingers crossed.
Morning update: Slept all night without pain/sleeping pills. There is definitely a progress.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

It is NOT Betadyne, stupid!

Tonight the swelling is exceeding 2 inches. Pressure and pain as before. It is not betadyne. At least not for now.
Fever at 100.4F

It's Batadyne, stupid

By about 6 AM I definitely see the improvement. Swelling is down, I was able to sleep without any chemical 'help'. Yes, I woke up few times, but that is OK.
I feel stupid that I did not make the connection before. I was suspecting it, but also discounted as something that should not be happening - according to Dr. Z. that is not usually the case. I will skip the betadyne flushing until Friday when they will x-ray all this using high contrast dye. So this is another good news - bad news. If betadyne is the cause for my reaction, than another, more invasive options will have to be considered, like flushing the cavity with alcohol, which hast to be done in the hospital under anesthesia. There is always surgical option. Betadyne flush would have been the simplest solution. I am also afraid that having drains which are NOT regularly flushed with something as sterilizing as betadyne would expose me again to the possible infection just as I had before. BlogBooster-The most productive way for mobile blogging. BlogBooster is a multi-service blog editor for iPhone, Android, WebOs and your desktop 

Noon update: 
Noon is not looking as rosy as morning. The swelling and pain is very uncomfortable...
I wish I could just stay at home for few days, but I can't.

Monday, November 8, 2010

No progress

I can only function for few hours. After that the swelling and pain becomes intolerable. I contacted my doctors again and decided that I will stop injecting myself with betadyne. At least I will eliminate one variable. The swelling is over 2" high. I also begin to worry about my rapid weight loss. Normally that would have been great news. But that is not "normally"...

I saw the end, but it was just a mirage.

I am waiting for phone call from the Radiology about fixing my drains. Have to go over there ASAP.
The night was OK - but heavily induced by pain pills. I need to find a better alternative.
The swelling is still there, not as big, but bigger than it was yesterday morning.
In 4 days it will be three months since the surgery and I did not expect to be in such shape. Sometimes I see the end, and sometimes the end is a moving target.
I lost another two pounds, I'm down to 193lbs.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Relief is not long lasting

The fever came back to 99.8 and swelling returned. I am off to bed and sleep.

I am still in the woods...

But at least I spent 6 hours at work. BlogBooster-The most productive way for mobile blogging. BlogBooster is a multi-service blog editor for iPhone, Android, WebOs and your desktop

Alien Encounter

I feel that there was a major battle inside my system yesterday, and I won!
I slept 12 hours, woke up with no fever, swelling significantly down, and feeling MUCH, MUCH better. Energy is back.
I still have no clue what was all this, I will call it an alien encounter. Some invasion of a body snatcher... You get the picture. But I see that I am getting over it. I will have to go to school today to catch up with a lot of work, but otherwise will take it easy.
I lost more weight, and I am down to 195 lbs!!!
That latest weigh loss has more to do with me being sick than anything else.
I have some technical issues with one of the drains which leaks when I inject the betadyne. No big problem, but it will be more wasted time by going to the hospital - and nothing there takes less than 2 hours...
I will have to go there Monday.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Fever - and reduced swelling

I feel really shitty today - fever at 99.7-100F, etc. At the same time this morning the swelling went down. Is it my system fighting it? I wish I knew what is happening, but the reduction of swelling is a welcoming sight. I will see where I will be tomorrow.

Evening update: fever at 101F (38.3C)

Friday, November 5, 2010

Chills

I got out of bed as I could not sleep only to have the attack of the incredible chills. My temperature is at 99.9F (37.7C), not too bad, but elevated. As before, the thermostat at 76F and electric blanket at full blast had restored normalcy. The shaking was very violent.
I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING!!!
So far nobody knows. BlogBooster-The most productive way for mobile blogging. BlogBooster is a multi-service blog editor for iPhone, Android, WebOs and your desktop

Good news, bad news, same news

The good doctor ordered CAT scan when he saw the swelling.
But...

CAT scan showed nothing abnormal. Good news.
CAT scan showed nothing abnormal. Bad news.
We all are puzzled. I feel sorry for my doctors. BlogBooster-The most productive way for mobile blogging. BlogBooster is a multi-service blog editor for iPhone, Android, WebOs and your desktop

Swelling, pain, and nobody knows why


This swelling is very pronounced and "should not be there" - all tests and x-rays did not show anything wrong. But it is there, very painful, shown here with my new two drains...
Two weeks ago that area of the bulge was totally flat.
I am back to pain pills, otherwise the night would be absolutely sleepless

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Betadyne Flush Skipped

Yesterday I knocked myself up with pain pills. I was really hurt. I decided not to make the situation worse and did not flush the the cavity with Betadyne. I also skipped it this morning. After my last lecture I will try to do it. But I was afraid that if I would have same reaction, I would not be functional...

I will see what happens tonight and tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Radiology

I went to the hospital again and they x-rayed me injecting some high contrast dyes. They did not find anything as root cause but of course the swelling is very visible (and very painful). They think it is a reaction to betadyne injection. I cancelled my office hours and took some pain pills - they knocked me out. I will see Dr. Movassaghi and Radiologist on Friday. We'll see which direction I am going. Now back to the drug induced sleep. BlogBooster-The most productive way for mobile blogging. BlogBooster is a multi-service blog editor for iPhone, Android, WebOs and your desktop

And I thought about downhill

Just as yesterday I was pumped out, this morning I woke up significantly swollen on left side and in a LOT of pain. Could not put my motorcycle pants on, even regular jeans seem like too much. I am waiting for the radiology doctor to call me back, but something is happening that was not suppose to happen.
I am hurting a lot, not sure if that is the reaction to the betadyne, or something else. The swelling on the left side is very pronounced, and I cannot touch it, it is so sensitive.
BUMMER!!!!
Cannot wait to go home and knock myself out.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Progress (at least mental kind)...

Doing something is so much more invigorating than waiting for something to happen...
Today I have seen the whole team working on me at the Radiology Associates inside the Sacred Heart. I am impressed about the involvement of Dr. Z (Zawierucha, but nobody other than me can pronounce his name), his PA, and  4-5 other people assisting. I am impressed. I feel they are on my side. Dr. Z. is experienced in fighting persistent seromas  and I feel good about it.
He inserted two drains, and flushed the insides with 100cc providone-iodine. I was expecting some burning discomfort, however that is totally painless. I am suppose to inject myself twice daily, keep it for one hour, and drain it. They also did not find anything deep, at the radiology they used X-Rays as well as ultrasound.
I also seen the very concerned Dr. Movassaghi. That is another team that is on my side. I feel blessed to have so much support. He informed me that all my lab results are just great, I am as healthy as teenager 8^) (his words). So may be the very rapid and voluminous seroma build up created all that pressure making me sick, and there is nothing more. I know that this recovery is a real challange, but I could not have a better support than from Dr. M. and his staff, and now from Dr. Z, and his staff. They all have my gratitude.
Dr. Z will be in charge for the next few weeks until it heals - which he promised it will! That will spare the otherwise necessary surgery.
Tonight I am wiped out, but I have new dose of optimism.

Monday, November 1, 2010

I have to cancel my classes

They just called me from the radiology and they bumped me to 9:30 AM. I canceled my classes.
I feel energized that something is being done!

Tomorow: Sclerosis

I am going to the Sacred Heart tomorrow for the Sclerotheraphy. To my understanding that will involve inserting most probably two drains and injecting the insides with some irritating agent. I will suppose to do the injection and draining few time myself, I will know more tomorrow. Since I am suppose to be at the hospital at 7AM, I worry how well would I last lecturing until pass 7PM...

We will see, worse case - I will cancel the class