Thank you Pat for the update. (And Lynda for sending it on) What a merry-go-round the two of you have been on. I hope they manage to control all the bits and pieces of Dan's body...and he can ride that gorgeous recumbent trike soon...and lots. Prayers for his recovery and your strength and courage. Priscilla Wilson On Feb 13, 2013, at 9:06 PM, Lynda Cock wrote:
Pat asked that I post this on the list serves. Dan continues to need our care and support. Hope he'll get to ride his new bicycle soon. Lynda
From: Patricia Tuecke [mailto:ptuecke@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 7:00 PM To: 'Lynda Cock' Subject: RE: Just checkin' on you
Dear Lynda, Thanks for sending the good energy. We need it. We can barely get over one episode before another occurs. I’m way late in sending an update message for you to put on the Dialogue. I don’t know if Lee has continued his messages. I deeply appreciate your messages and care. Greetings to John. Pat
Please post on Dialogue/OE:
Dearly loved friends, family, and colleagues,
This message is rather detailed and lengthy. So warned, you can delete it or go to your next message.
After Dan’s back surgery in Oct he had 6 weeks of rehab physical therapy. He felt good and was anxious to get back on his new bike. He was home 2 days and went back to ER on Dec.6 with nausea, light headedness & chest pain. He was admitted with a serious infection which turned out to be his gallbladder and needed to have it removed. It took six days to get his blood thick so he could have surgery. During that time he was on IV but no food or water. Surgery was postponed 3 times until it was safe to operate. The surgeon told me the gallbladder was gangrenous. Then it took several days to get the blood thin again. After 20 days in hospital he made it home on Dec. 21. However, he had lost all the strength he had recovered after his back surgery rehab in Oct/Nov.
We cancelled our long-planned Christmas visit with son Eric, Tina and our two grand-daughters, Katy & Grace in Portland OR. We were so disappointed, then so excited when they packed up all their gifts & such and drove to Reno for our Christmas. We had a wonderful visit.
On Jan.19 Dan had severe pain on his right side; went to ER and was admitted with a blood clot/hematoma in the same spot of a previous one. They took him off blood thinner to let the hematoma heal. He had another CT scan Friday to see what’s going on inside. He was discharged home on Jan 23 – his mother’s 95th birthday. He was to stay off blood thinner for a week or so. He walks very slowly with two canes and has even driven a couple of times.
Then, (before I finished this letter), another trip to ER on Feb. 5. This time with hugely swollen legs. He was admitted and spent 4 days in hospital a blood clot in both legs. Docs trying to figure out what makes his body produce clots so often. I think they didn’t find the answer but put him on another blood thinner medicine which makes him a bit nauseous.
He gets weaker after each episode from such prolonged stay in bed. His goal is to get strong enough to ride his new Trike (a 3 wheeled recumbent bike we bought in September see attachment.) This exercise will help with moving his blood back up from his legs .
So goes the saga.. This may be the new normal. So he will live between blood clots and hematomas, a real rock and a hard place. Our spirits are good, at least not low. We are so grateful for Medicare and our ARRP supplemental insurance. I shudder to think what we’d do if we didn’t have that.
And also the support from this community of friends and colleagues. Dan was amazed at the outpouring of prayers and healing thoughts that come after his back surgery in October. And they do help. Many of you asked for updates then. With all the above going on, I haven’t done that until now. If you’re so inclined, a phone call would be great. And I take strength from all the care & concern about how I’m doing, too.
Pat Tuecke
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Priscilla H Wilson Pris@TeamTechPress.com 913-432-2107 www.teamtechpress.com