8yrs ago I developed a 13 cm esophageal ulcer. Unable to eat anything, I lost over half my body weight. My team of doctors decided against surgery because the risks outweighed the benefit. I was hospitalized for a month in ICU then discharged to hospice because they said there was nothing left to do. Id be dead in 6 months. The team of Hospice Professionals came to my mothers house, asked if I wanted to die at home or in the hospital, etc. It was all bad. I informed a doctor in Durham I saw once about the ulcer and he was shocked. He said I wouldnt die from this, but Id have to be hospitalized for several weeks to maybe months. I ended up in the hospital for 2 months and got down to 72lbs. In those 2 long months, I only had 5 visits. I became depressed because Id see all the get well cards and flowers that other patients received from family and friends, and I had nothing. The doctors decided to place a feeding tube because I needed to receive nutrients for my body somehow. They beefed me up to 83 whole pounds with TPN (its like an IV full of milk, except it was fats and sugars and carbs to get me to a weight for my body to handle anesthesia). They did the procedure placing the feeding tube and all goes well...or so they thought. A few days later, Im to be discharged home on Thanksgiving morning. Family flew in from TX and everything. The night before, I had this excruciating pain in my abdomen. Doc comes, beams me up with Morphine, and Im good. The pain comes back just minutes later. Doc beams me up with a higher dose of Morphine. Boom! Pain goes away. Not 60 seconds later, this excruciating pain comes right back. So they get me to radiology for a CT to see what the hell is going on in my abdomen. The next thing I know, Im being RUSHED to the OR. The next thing I know, its daylight and tubes are down my throat, and 2 doctors tell me what happened. When they put the feeding tube in, they went too far passed my stomach and perforated my large bowel. So all the shit that goes through there, was leaking out all over my organs and that I flat lined twice on the operating table. They placed an ileostomy. Kind of like colostomy bag. I was in the hospital an additional 2 weeks before being discharged home, weighing 85lbs. The next 6 months were horrible. Trying to walk again on my frail bones, trying to eat, using a walker, etc. I thought I lost my faith a few times. I had help from someone I never thought in a million years that Id fall in love with. I slowly began to gain my weight back, started eating normally again, and getting back to life. I still cough a lot because the ulcer left some strictures in my throat, I process food faster because they removed a good portion of my intestine, and I eat slower than most because I have to break down food more. I tell my story because I know Im here for a reason. God showed me favor. Hes not done with me yet. I have a purpose in this life I have been given. What I make of myself will be my gift to God. I want to hear him say, well done. Thank you Tina Jenkins and Cha Cherry for flying all the way from Atlanta just to spend a day with me. I love you both.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 22:59:00 +0000
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