J/G-tube in wrong place, Eating & Hearing OK
In 1980, a one-hit-wonder band called The Vapors put out a catchy little song called "Turning Japanese." Denise & I love that song, and today it has newfound meaning for me. A portion of the lyrics:
"I got your picture, I got your picture.
I'd like a million of you over myself.
I want a doctor to take a picture
So I can look at you from inside as well."
Wish granted...
The GI doctor provided a procedure report and some pictures, like this one of the inside of Denise's stomach. The business end of the feeding tube came out of place and was between the stomach and the ab lining. Bad news, as that placement would leak food into that space, causing infection and malnutrition. The doctor indicated that we're fortunate that this was caught in time. The "migration" of the feeding tube and the infection at the insertion site that I mentioned last night was addressed in the procedure report:
"A small sliding hiatal hernia was seen. The GT (gastrostomy tube) stump was not identified. At its site, a stoma was seen oozing a white material that appears to be pus (picture above). It was obvious that the GT stump was unfortunately in the subcutaneous space. The GT was pulled by traction."
Good news in the eating department! She's eating well and holding all her food down. They have a calorie counting chart on her door and the nurses are supposed to keep track of what she's eating. If we give her snacks, we have to jot those down, too. If, if, *if* she can get enough calories from eating, they won't bother putting a feeding tube back in. Her Bard Jejunal Feeding/Gastric Decompression Tube is sitting in the package on her sink, though, just in case she needs it. There's also intravenous nutrition as an option. But she won't need either, right? RIGHT?!?
Hearing: There was some concern that the meningitis had damaged her hearing, but that possibility seems a little less... possible. We've got some indicators that her hearing will be OK. She's been getting Debrox eardrops for the last few days and she feels that her hearing has improved. Yay! Keep in your mind that her vision is still worse due to all she's been through. We're waiting for the opthomology people to check her again to find out the extent of the damage and what, if anything, can be done about it.
Other tidbits: The ID doctor and the hospitalist both think that Denise may be shipped back to the rehab side of the hospital soon. There have been no seizures (she's on Depakote), no fevers (voriconazole & ampicillin are knocking out the germs), blood pressure is workable (110-120 systolic), heart rate's fast (110... it's going to take a while to slow down after this four-month marathon), she hasn't done the technicolor yawn since before breakfast yesterday, and Denise certainly wants to eat, work out, and go home.
"I got your picture, I got your picture.
I'd like a million of you over myself.
I want a doctor to take a picture
So I can look at you from inside as well."
Wish granted...
The GI doctor provided a procedure report and some pictures, like this one of the inside of Denise's stomach. The business end of the feeding tube came out of place and was between the stomach and the ab lining. Bad news, as that placement would leak food into that space, causing infection and malnutrition. The doctor indicated that we're fortunate that this was caught in time. The "migration" of the feeding tube and the infection at the insertion site that I mentioned last night was addressed in the procedure report:"A small sliding hiatal hernia was seen. The GT (gastrostomy tube) stump was not identified. At its site, a stoma was seen oozing a white material that appears to be pus (picture above). It was obvious that the GT stump was unfortunately in the subcutaneous space. The GT was pulled by traction."
Good news in the eating department! She's eating well and holding all her food down. They have a calorie counting chart on her door and the nurses are supposed to keep track of what she's eating. If we give her snacks, we have to jot those down, too. If, if, *if* she can get enough calories from eating, they won't bother putting a feeding tube back in. Her Bard Jejunal Feeding/Gastric Decompression Tube is sitting in the package on her sink, though, just in case she needs it. There's also intravenous nutrition as an option. But she won't need either, right? RIGHT?!?
Hearing: There was some concern that the meningitis had damaged her hearing, but that possibility seems a little less... possible. We've got some indicators that her hearing will be OK. She's been getting Debrox eardrops for the last few days and she feels that her hearing has improved. Yay! Keep in your mind that her vision is still worse due to all she's been through. We're waiting for the opthomology people to check her again to find out the extent of the damage and what, if anything, can be done about it.
Other tidbits: The ID doctor and the hospitalist both think that Denise may be shipped back to the rehab side of the hospital soon. There have been no seizures (she's on Depakote), no fevers (voriconazole & ampicillin are knocking out the germs), blood pressure is workable (110-120 systolic), heart rate's fast (110... it's going to take a while to slow down after this four-month marathon), she hasn't done the technicolor yawn since before breakfast yesterday, and Denise certainly wants to eat, work out, and go home.
posted by Phil and Denise Williams at 10:02 PM
2 Comments:
This is good news Mr. Williams. The Lord has given you and your wife endurance through all this hardship and I praise God for that. I'm a PCS mom and have been following your blog to keep praying for your family. I also make some killer tamales for Christmas with mole (chocolate spicy sauce) and maybe a dozen will make their way to you both...just an incentive. I will definetly email you about this! Jesus loves you :c)
Each day there's more good news! I'm here in Coalinga praying for Denise and family.
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