I will try to keep this post short....
My boyfriend, Mike, is very sick. He is a liver transplant patient, his transplant took place 4 years ago. After his transplant, he had a blood clot in his small intestines, which led to him having emergency surgery to remove 4 feet of his intestines. I can't remember the name of the surgery, but, he wore a "bag" on his side until the Drs were sure he was out of danger from more blood clots.
He takes medications to suppress his immune system to keep his liver from being rejected. He has to be very careful if he gets any type of virus that can progress into pneumonia. He has been extremely healthy until the first week in March.
The first week in March, Mike ended up in the emergency room with a gastrointestinal problem, was admitted to the Medical ward. He spent a week in the hospital so the Drs could get him straightened out.
The first week in April, he became ill literally overnight with a respiratory infection. Back to the ER, he was deteriorating rapidly. He nearly died before they got him straightened out. While in the hospital, he began complaining about severe abdominal pain. The Drs ordered all kinds of tests from Xrays to CT scans. Nothing was found. One Dr did make a comment several times about some test variations that made him think there was a problem with the spleen. More tests were done, transplant specialists in Pittsburg were consulted, test results were faxed, more tests were ordered for more consultations. Nothing specific was found wrong with his spleen. Mike seemed to recover fully and was sent home.
The first week in May, he began complaining about abdominal pain again. Back to the ER, more tests, more consultations, more examinations, it was determined that the hernia that we have known about for a while was causing the pain. The hernia needed to be repaired.
After 3 trips to the surgeon, the surgery was set up for Thursday 25th. Mike came out for dinner last Friday night, stayed the night, got up the next morning, he was not feeling well. He spent most of the day in bed sleeping, he did not eat, he did drink fluids most of the day.
Sunday, he didn't eat much, but continued drinking fluid and sleeping all the time. Sunday night, he ate some chicken, a green salad and potatoe chips. We were up ALL night, he was in pain and couldn't sleep. He didn't get any relief by walking, sitting up, using the restroom, or from any position while trying to lay down.
Monday morning he went to the DR. The DR took one look at him and sent him to the ER in an ambulance for admission to the hospital. The first test they ran on him was a CT Scan.
Diagnosis: Blood clots, one large one in an artery going to the liver, another large one near his spleen (note comment from Dr from other tests) and "Many" blood clots in the veins in his intestines.
Mike is now on Cumadin orally and Heparin through an IV. He has no appetite to speak of, he is drinking lots of fluids. He is still sleeping most of the time. His blood work is showing that there is some breaking down going on with the blood clots, but not nearly at the rate the Drs were hoping for.
His hernia surgery has been postponed indefinitely.... One doctor told him it will be MONTHS before they will even consider hernia surgery again.
The Drs still have not decided what caused the blood clots. All of his blood work is as normal as can be expected we have been told. He cannot even think about coming home until the Heparin IV can be removed.
He is in good spirits, even just a little grouchy last night, mostly from boredom. He did finally admit to his mother, over the phone, that he is a little scared.
All of his friends from the church and school are praying for his recovery. All of our friends from Wal~Mart are praying for him, also.
I pray nightly, I have promised God all sorts of things, I am really worried for him, for us, for his family. Mike is a very special, loving, kind of person. The world needs more people like him. He has been going to college to be a drug/alcohol/family abuse counselor. He is so close to attaining his goal, he starts an internship this fall in the county shelter for abused women/families.
If you have any extra prayers, we would really appreciate your prayers and thoughts. This has been a very rough time in our life.
Mike doesn't know I have put all of this on the site for the whole world to see, but, I have to talk to someone, and you guys are simply the best !
My boyfriend, Mike, is very sick. He is a liver transplant patient, his transplant took place 4 years ago. After his transplant, he had a blood clot in his small intestines, which led to him having emergency surgery to remove 4 feet of his intestines. I can't remember the name of the surgery, but, he wore a "bag" on his side until the Drs were sure he was out of danger from more blood clots.
He takes medications to suppress his immune system to keep his liver from being rejected. He has to be very careful if he gets any type of virus that can progress into pneumonia. He has been extremely healthy until the first week in March.
The first week in March, Mike ended up in the emergency room with a gastrointestinal problem, was admitted to the Medical ward. He spent a week in the hospital so the Drs could get him straightened out.
The first week in April, he became ill literally overnight with a respiratory infection. Back to the ER, he was deteriorating rapidly. He nearly died before they got him straightened out. While in the hospital, he began complaining about severe abdominal pain. The Drs ordered all kinds of tests from Xrays to CT scans. Nothing was found. One Dr did make a comment several times about some test variations that made him think there was a problem with the spleen. More tests were done, transplant specialists in Pittsburg were consulted, test results were faxed, more tests were ordered for more consultations. Nothing specific was found wrong with his spleen. Mike seemed to recover fully and was sent home.
The first week in May, he began complaining about abdominal pain again. Back to the ER, more tests, more consultations, more examinations, it was determined that the hernia that we have known about for a while was causing the pain. The hernia needed to be repaired.
After 3 trips to the surgeon, the surgery was set up for Thursday 25th. Mike came out for dinner last Friday night, stayed the night, got up the next morning, he was not feeling well. He spent most of the day in bed sleeping, he did not eat, he did drink fluids most of the day.
Sunday, he didn't eat much, but continued drinking fluid and sleeping all the time. Sunday night, he ate some chicken, a green salad and potatoe chips. We were up ALL night, he was in pain and couldn't sleep. He didn't get any relief by walking, sitting up, using the restroom, or from any position while trying to lay down.
Monday morning he went to the DR. The DR took one look at him and sent him to the ER in an ambulance for admission to the hospital. The first test they ran on him was a CT Scan.
Diagnosis: Blood clots, one large one in an artery going to the liver, another large one near his spleen (note comment from Dr from other tests) and "Many" blood clots in the veins in his intestines.
Mike is now on Cumadin orally and Heparin through an IV. He has no appetite to speak of, he is drinking lots of fluids. He is still sleeping most of the time. His blood work is showing that there is some breaking down going on with the blood clots, but not nearly at the rate the Drs were hoping for.
His hernia surgery has been postponed indefinitely.... One doctor told him it will be MONTHS before they will even consider hernia surgery again.
The Drs still have not decided what caused the blood clots. All of his blood work is as normal as can be expected we have been told. He cannot even think about coming home until the Heparin IV can be removed.
He is in good spirits, even just a little grouchy last night, mostly from boredom. He did finally admit to his mother, over the phone, that he is a little scared.
All of his friends from the church and school are praying for his recovery. All of our friends from Wal~Mart are praying for him, also.
I pray nightly, I have promised God all sorts of things, I am really worried for him, for us, for his family. Mike is a very special, loving, kind of person. The world needs more people like him. He has been going to college to be a drug/alcohol/family abuse counselor. He is so close to attaining his goal, he starts an internship this fall in the county shelter for abused women/families.
If you have any extra prayers, we would really appreciate your prayers and thoughts. This has been a very rough time in our life.
Mike doesn't know I have put all of this on the site for the whole world to see, but, I have to talk to someone, and you guys are simply the best !
