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