Well, in case you haven't heard, we're back home safe and sound. Sorry to those I've kept in suspense. Things get really busy when you jump back into the swing of regular life.
Sara's been doing really well with her limited diet. She's been doing strictly no fat foods. Tomorrow she is super excited to enjoy 3 grams of fat. As a reference, that's about 3 oz of chicken. Also a normal "healthy" diet contains around 60 grams of fat. So this has actually been really great (relatively speaking) because we are shifting our diets and really learning about a healthy lifestyle. Maybe even lose a few pounds.
Thanks to all for your prayers. And though we are out of the scary times, we've still got a long road ahead of diets and testing out Sara's repaired system. Keep us in your prayers, and we'll update the blog as she progresses on her journey.
God bless
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Back at home (just Tim)
Well, I made the journey home last night. Leaving my beautiful bride up north in the care of her doctors (and her mom). It's back to work and business as usual for me. Hopefully, Sara will be joining me sometime later in the week.
I talked with her around lunch today. She said she's still getting food, and handling it well. No signs of a leak from where they glued her shut. We had a little battle with Nausea though, after the first go round with the carnation breakfast. So hopefully that will improve. Sara wondered why they couldn't start her on ice cream instead of the carnation. I'm sure they have their reasons, but I hear ya on that one.
Sara is using her "free time" away from the office to study for her CFP exams. Which is actually a blessing in disguise, because she usually can't find time to study for her continuing education classes. This is sort of a "forced" study session.
I talked with her around lunch today. She said she's still getting food, and handling it well. No signs of a leak from where they glued her shut. We had a little battle with Nausea though, after the first go round with the carnation breakfast. So hopefully that will improve. Sara wondered why they couldn't start her on ice cream instead of the carnation. I'm sure they have their reasons, but I hear ya on that one.
Sara is using her "free time" away from the office to study for her CFP exams. Which is actually a blessing in disguise, because she usually can't find time to study for her continuing education classes. This is sort of a "forced" study session.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunday Morning
Sara is continuing to progress towards full health. The doctor is letting her start her Carnation instant breakfast today. Hopefully, it will go through and not leak into her chest. She's been on the pigtail drain for 5 days now, and hasn't had much for drainage into it in about 3 days. So we're hoping it holds. We're taking it slow, but it looks really good so far for Sara's recovery.
Some other fun news for Sara is that her sister Jill was able to come up and see her. Jill is excited because she gets to see how they change the dressing on Sara's pigtail. (She's in school to become a physicians assistant).
Other than that, it's just been a fun family day with Sara and her family. We did some father's day festivities because Dan was here. And just had a relaxing day, which is nice after the past 2 weeks.
Some other fun news for Sara is that her sister Jill was able to come up and see her. Jill is excited because she gets to see how they change the dressing on Sara's pigtail. (She's in school to become a physicians assistant).
Other than that, it's just been a fun family day with Sara and her family. We did some father's day festivities because Dan was here. And just had a relaxing day, which is nice after the past 2 weeks.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Food is on the table
Great news!!
The doctor just stopped in and since Sara hasn't really lost much fluid in the past few days, she is cleared to start a clear liquid diet. Full of soup broths, juices, and even a popsicle if she feels daring. I think I miscalculated on her fluid loss in an earlier blog. They use this weird logarithmic scale for measuring the fluid. She's only lost around 300mLs since she has been here, not over a liter like I previously thought. That's pretty good since she got drained Monday morning, and glued shut on Wednesday. All Good signs.
It was a pretty great sight when they told Sara. Because when I arrived this morning she didn't look the best. She was up every few hours for pain meds and blood draws and bathroom visits last night. So I think it was just a lack of sleep face I saw when I got in. But as soon as they told her she could have some food (liquids) intake, she was ecstatic.
The doctor just stopped in and since Sara hasn't really lost much fluid in the past few days, she is cleared to start a clear liquid diet. Full of soup broths, juices, and even a popsicle if she feels daring. I think I miscalculated on her fluid loss in an earlier blog. They use this weird logarithmic scale for measuring the fluid. She's only lost around 300mLs since she has been here, not over a liter like I previously thought. That's pretty good since she got drained Monday morning, and glued shut on Wednesday. All Good signs.
It was a pretty great sight when they told Sara. Because when I arrived this morning she didn't look the best. She was up every few hours for pain meds and blood draws and bathroom visits last night. So I think it was just a lack of sleep face I saw when I got in. But as soon as they told her she could have some food (liquids) intake, she was ecstatic.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Things are still progressing
I guess what they say is true. No news, is good news. We're hanging in there with Sara while she recovers. Basically everything is going really well. She's recovering as expected. And so now she is balancing pain meds and other meds just to keep her well while her body recoops from the operation and all the tubes in her. We haven't heard yet when they'll pull out the picline and pigtail. She's still draining some fluid, but since she go the pig tail put in on Tuesday, she's only drained a little over a liter. And most of that was before the operation. I think she's drained 200-300 mL's since then. So all good signs.
Going forward our plans are that I'll be returning home Sunday afternoon/evening so I can get a full week of work in next week. Sara will probably be here till Wednesday, give or take a day. Some combination of my folks and hers will be here with her till she gets released.
Going forward our plans are that I'll be returning home Sunday afternoon/evening so I can get a full week of work in next week. Sara will probably be here till Wednesday, give or take a day. Some combination of my folks and hers will be here with her till she gets released.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Success!!!
Sara is doing great, back in the room resting. We are watching "Cars" right now. The doc said her procedure went the best way they could have hoped for. They laid out all the best case scenarios for us before she went in, and each of them happend. Her duct is capped off, and hopefully not leaking anymore. They want to keep her here for a few more days, up to a week, to make sure everything is good. But all signs show a full recovery is on the horizon.
They'll pull the pic line and pig tail out of her at some point before she leaves to make sure that it is all good. So we should be on solid foods and a full diet by the end of the month, if not sooner. He did mention a diet of Carnation instant breakfast for a short while as a starter meal supplement.
I haven't mentioned it to Sara yet, but it sounds like she may be able to ski yet this summer. That's been the toughest thing for her in this whole process. We'll wait till the all clear from the doctor, but probably by early July (if not sooner), she'll be out on the water again.
They'll pull the pic line and pig tail out of her at some point before she leaves to make sure that it is all good. So we should be on solid foods and a full diet by the end of the month, if not sooner. He did mention a diet of Carnation instant breakfast for a short while as a starter meal supplement.
I haven't mentioned it to Sara yet, but it sounds like she may be able to ski yet this summer. That's been the toughest thing for her in this whole process. We'll wait till the all clear from the doctor, but probably by early July (if not sooner), she'll be out on the water again.
Great News
They found the tear!! Praise God!!
They are starting the second part of the procedure now to embolize (seal) the duct. If everything goes as planned, she should be out of their in under 2 hours and back up in the room. Not sure how "with it" she will be at that point. Lots of heavy sedation. Hopefully we'll get to finish the card came (Bonanza) we put on hold when they came to get her 4.5 hours ago. (we put it on hold because Sara was winning - her call).
Further updates coming when she gets out.
They are starting the second part of the procedure now to embolize (seal) the duct. If everything goes as planned, she should be out of their in under 2 hours and back up in the room. Not sure how "with it" she will be at that point. Lots of heavy sedation. Hopefully we'll get to finish the card came (Bonanza) we put on hold when they came to get her 4.5 hours ago. (we put it on hold because Sara was winning - her call).
Further updates coming when she gets out.
Today could be the day
We woke up to some pretty great news today. The doctor came in to see Sara so she called us to make sure we were here. Unfortunately we were both still sleeping at the hotel. (really comfy beds). Oops, but the sleep was nice :)
We came in when we could make it, me first, then Tammy. The doctor finished talking with Sara by the time I got in. So he re-told me what he told her. As he was finishing up with me, Tammy came in. So she got the reader's digest version.
So on to the news. We are going forward with the Lymphangiogram. It'll start sometime later this morning. It will be a 2-6 hour exam. They'll push dye in through her foot. It takes a while to move throughout the body.
Once they find the leak, they'll start to embolyze it (about a 1-2 hour procedure). Basically he said they'd use a combination of really expensive elmer's glue, and metal shavings to block the leak. If this is successful, they'll monitor her for a little while, but then she is basically released to do anything. Eat without restriction and become active again in physical activity. She is most excited about this because that means skiing!!! Let's all pray for a success because a summer without skiing is not an exciting prospect for Sara... or me ;)
Also, if this works, then we are done with hospitals for a while, no TPN, no gatorade bag of fluids through an IV, no pigtail drains in her back, nothing. And Sara would be back, as good as new. Please be praying for a successful exam and procedure today.
All our best,
Tim and Sara
The procedure is usually 2/3 successful. But the doctor said the success rate should be higher for her because she is skinny. Most people that get this procedure are 70 year old overweight males that have an accompanying major surgery or cancer. She doesn't fit any of those categories.
Needle count:43
We came in when we could make it, me first, then Tammy. The doctor finished talking with Sara by the time I got in. So he re-told me what he told her. As he was finishing up with me, Tammy came in. So she got the reader's digest version.
So on to the news. We are going forward with the Lymphangiogram. It'll start sometime later this morning. It will be a 2-6 hour exam. They'll push dye in through her foot. It takes a while to move throughout the body.
Once they find the leak, they'll start to embolyze it (about a 1-2 hour procedure). Basically he said they'd use a combination of really expensive elmer's glue, and metal shavings to block the leak. If this is successful, they'll monitor her for a little while, but then she is basically released to do anything. Eat without restriction and become active again in physical activity. She is most excited about this because that means skiing!!! Let's all pray for a success because a summer without skiing is not an exciting prospect for Sara... or me ;)
Also, if this works, then we are done with hospitals for a while, no TPN, no gatorade bag of fluids through an IV, no pigtail drains in her back, nothing. And Sara would be back, as good as new. Please be praying for a successful exam and procedure today.
All our best,
Tim and Sara
The procedure is usually 2/3 successful. But the doctor said the success rate should be higher for her because she is skinny. Most people that get this procedure are 70 year old overweight males that have an accompanying major surgery or cancer. She doesn't fit any of those categories.
Needle count:43
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
I've been slacking
Hey guys,
It's been 3 days since I last posted. Sorry about that. It's actually been because the news is good. No, she's not out of the hospital yet. But she is doing much better. Sara had a great Sunday with lots of visitors. I can't remember the exact count, but she had between 20 and 30 people come visit her for her birthday. She received a variety of well wishes. From homemade cards from a 4 year old, to jokes told by grade schoolers, to her favorite desert in the world. Chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard, which unfortunately she couldn't eat because of her diet restrictions. But I sure enjoyed it :).
Monday was filled with paperwork for transfering. Followed by an ambulance ride up to Mayo Clinic. She arrived in Rochester at aroun 9 Monday night. I worked all day, got a full nights sleep, and then left in the morning. I arrived at 3. I've been trying to balance my work with being available for Sara. I was able to work a few extra hours on Monday and then a couple hours today after I arrived.
Here is an update that Tammy emailed to a few relatives earlier with all that the doctors have been working on since Sara arrived at Mayo:
Sara arrived last night about 9 in good spirits & looking & feeling great. We took a long walk & she had a quick pace & didn't get winded.
She got checked in & vitals by nurse. Dr was in right away & asked questions about her history & the last week. Dr was going to study all the tests from Chicago last night to determine where to begin today. Lab checked her pic line & it is good. About midnight they picked her up for a chest xray and blood draw after.
Nurses let her sleep later this morning. She has a nurse & student nurse. 2 teams of 5 doctors came in this morning. The dr she saw last night was in the 1st group. After studying her case, they have decided to do a nuclear test today to determine the integrity of the thorasec duct and see if they can determine if and where there is a leak. Its like an MRI and the dyes they put in her system will "light up" and they can see what's happening. The fluid is continuing to fill although slower. After the results the thorasec surgeon will come in and discuss the next step with us. A nutrition team is working to coordinate the process begun at Chicago and with the specialists and surgeon when their action plan develops.
They feel continuing to tap her & drain fluids is not a solution.
Ok...change of plans...dr Nichols who is the sr thorasec surgeon & head of the dept here & written on this subject...just collaborated with the other 10 drs & has come up with a different approach. Because of his many yrs of experience, they have agreed on his order of events.
First concern is that they just don't have good enough pictures to see the lung and make decisions. So step 1 is now to put pigtail catheters in to drain al the fluid from around the lungs. The tubes will stay in 2-3 days to keep all the fluid off. Right away when the fluid is drawn off they will do a ct scan (yet today). Pigtails just will stay to make sure the fluid can easily be drained again. So then with step 2 being an immediate scan, they can get a good look at the lungs & texture of the lungs. They want to determine that there is no underlying condition. The assumption is still trauma caused, but will check for all sorts of things we don't want to have.
THEN they may do the nuclear test and/or a lymph angiogram. If there is a leak in that duct, he thinks they can find it. If the big surgery is needed he is the guy. However, there is another possible surgery that they can do that could basically seal it up through the vessels by an interventionalist radiologist.
But that is part of the "ifs". He thinks it may take a day or two to get to the bottom of the problem, and get a diagnosis & a solution. But he is very confident that we are going to get there soon. He does say that it is very rare but that many experts are working together for an answer. So on top of the 14 that have all ready stopped by, even more are part of the process.
Tim:
Everything went well with those tests and Sara is now slated to have the Lymphangiogram in the morning. This is a 3-6 hour test where they push dye in through her foot to see where it travels through the Lymph system, eventually spotting where the tear is. So hopefully, by end of day tomorrow, we should have a game plan on at home treatment.
It's been 3 days since I last posted. Sorry about that. It's actually been because the news is good. No, she's not out of the hospital yet. But she is doing much better. Sara had a great Sunday with lots of visitors. I can't remember the exact count, but she had between 20 and 30 people come visit her for her birthday. She received a variety of well wishes. From homemade cards from a 4 year old, to jokes told by grade schoolers, to her favorite desert in the world. Chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard, which unfortunately she couldn't eat because of her diet restrictions. But I sure enjoyed it :).
Monday was filled with paperwork for transfering. Followed by an ambulance ride up to Mayo Clinic. She arrived in Rochester at aroun 9 Monday night. I worked all day, got a full nights sleep, and then left in the morning. I arrived at 3. I've been trying to balance my work with being available for Sara. I was able to work a few extra hours on Monday and then a couple hours today after I arrived.
Here is an update that Tammy emailed to a few relatives earlier with all that the doctors have been working on since Sara arrived at Mayo:
Sara arrived last night about 9 in good spirits & looking & feeling great. We took a long walk & she had a quick pace & didn't get winded.
She got checked in & vitals by nurse. Dr was in right away & asked questions about her history & the last week. Dr was going to study all the tests from Chicago last night to determine where to begin today. Lab checked her pic line & it is good. About midnight they picked her up for a chest xray and blood draw after.
Nurses let her sleep later this morning. She has a nurse & student nurse. 2 teams of 5 doctors came in this morning. The dr she saw last night was in the 1st group. After studying her case, they have decided to do a nuclear test today to determine the integrity of the thorasec duct and see if they can determine if and where there is a leak. Its like an MRI and the dyes they put in her system will "light up" and they can see what's happening. The fluid is continuing to fill although slower. After the results the thorasec surgeon will come in and discuss the next step with us. A nutrition team is working to coordinate the process begun at Chicago and with the specialists and surgeon when their action plan develops.
They feel continuing to tap her & drain fluids is not a solution.
Ok...change of plans...dr Nichols who is the sr thorasec surgeon & head of the dept here & written on this subject...just collaborated with the other 10 drs & has come up with a different approach. Because of his many yrs of experience, they have agreed on his order of events.
First concern is that they just don't have good enough pictures to see the lung and make decisions. So step 1 is now to put pigtail catheters in to drain al the fluid from around the lungs. The tubes will stay in 2-3 days to keep all the fluid off. Right away when the fluid is drawn off they will do a ct scan (yet today). Pigtails just will stay to make sure the fluid can easily be drained again. So then with step 2 being an immediate scan, they can get a good look at the lungs & texture of the lungs. They want to determine that there is no underlying condition. The assumption is still trauma caused, but will check for all sorts of things we don't want to have.
THEN they may do the nuclear test and/or a lymph angiogram. If there is a leak in that duct, he thinks they can find it. If the big surgery is needed he is the guy. However, there is another possible surgery that they can do that could basically seal it up through the vessels by an interventionalist radiologist.
But that is part of the "ifs". He thinks it may take a day or two to get to the bottom of the problem, and get a diagnosis & a solution. But he is very confident that we are going to get there soon. He does say that it is very rare but that many experts are working together for an answer. So on top of the 14 that have all ready stopped by, even more are part of the process.
Tim:
Everything went well with those tests and Sara is now slated to have the Lymphangiogram in the morning. This is a 3-6 hour test where they push dye in through her foot to see where it travels through the Lymph system, eventually spotting where the tear is. So hopefully, by end of day tomorrow, we should have a game plan on at home treatment.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Monday is Sara's Birthday
Hey guys. Well when we came in to the ER last Sunday, we had every intention of being out there that night. Maybe overnight till Monday. Never did we think we'd be in here a week. Sara kept asking if she'd be out for her birthday. Well it's official, she'll be in here and/or on our way up to Mayo. So, if you'd like to send her some birthday wishes, please write them here.
She's loved all the prayers and comments from you all the past week. Keep 'em coming. Let us know what's going on with you so she can keep up on how her friends are doing too.
She's loved all the prayers and comments from you all the past week. Keep 'em coming. Let us know what's going on with you so she can keep up on how her friends are doing too.
Saturday's events
I'm writing you with a well rested body. Sara's Mom came in yesterday, and so I was able to take the day off from being at the hospital with Sara. I missed being there with her, but did enjoy the 11 hours of sleep I got. My body needed it after spending Thursday night at the hospital. I also was able to take some time to put some things in order at home. It was kind of falling apart after a party memorial day weekend and being out of town last weekend. Now when we are all done with the hospitals, Sara will have a nice clean house to come home to.
But enough about my day. Here's the scoop with Sara. She got awoken this morning for her latest test, but got a surprise. Apparently, she told them to put the pic line in. She didn't recall this though, so was surprised. Since they were already at the X-ray machine, they did it at the same time. We were pretty sure that we were going to go that course, but Sara was bummed that she didn't get a last meal. She's on the just water diet now, while getting all her nutrients from the pic line. The big bummer is that now that her nausea is down, and she is able to think about food, she again can't have any :(
Well, the other big news is that we've decided that on Monday we'll be transporting her up to Mayo Clinic in Rochester. So if you are in the area and would love to visit her up there, come on out. Also, if you'd like to come in and see her before we go, Sunday is your best bet.
Also, if you know Sara at all, you know that she is deathly afraid of needles. Well, she's had her fair share of those this week. She wanted me to share with you her needle count. I believe we are up to 27 now. And, to Sara's dis-liking, they informed her today that she'll be getting blood sugar readings 3 times a day. So, not a full needle, but it's still 3 pricks a day. So she's counting them with the needles ;).
But enough about my day. Here's the scoop with Sara. She got awoken this morning for her latest test, but got a surprise. Apparently, she told them to put the pic line in. She didn't recall this though, so was surprised. Since they were already at the X-ray machine, they did it at the same time. We were pretty sure that we were going to go that course, but Sara was bummed that she didn't get a last meal. She's on the just water diet now, while getting all her nutrients from the pic line. The big bummer is that now that her nausea is down, and she is able to think about food, she again can't have any :(
Well, the other big news is that we've decided that on Monday we'll be transporting her up to Mayo Clinic in Rochester. So if you are in the area and would love to visit her up there, come on out. Also, if you'd like to come in and see her before we go, Sunday is your best bet.
Also, if you know Sara at all, you know that she is deathly afraid of needles. Well, she's had her fair share of those this week. She wanted me to share with you her needle count. I believe we are up to 27 now. And, to Sara's dis-liking, they informed her today that she'll be getting blood sugar readings 3 times a day. So, not a full needle, but it's still 3 pricks a day. So she's counting them with the needles ;).
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday night
Well, we've had a busy day. Sara got her fluid drained again today, and again it helped her quite a bit. What the doctors have told us is that this is a bandaid and not a final solution. It's to help her to breathe, but not to stop her chest from filling up.
So here's where we are at. We'll be doing a vascular system check (can't remember which machine) to check for blood clots. They don't think they'll find anything, but just wanted to rule out other potentials.
Tammy, Sara's Mom, came in today, and with her hospital prowess has gotten some good answers and direction to go from here. We are going to run the vascular test tomorrow. If we don't get a definitive answer from that, then we'll most likely try to transport her up to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. It seems she has a very rare condition, that the local doctors are having trouble diagnosing. In fact, they seem to be looking up info from one previous case of this being recorded. It was, handled up at Mayo. They may give us the same course of action for treatment, but we want to try to have the researchers up there at least have a look. Since they seem to be the only ones that have seen something like this.
Sara is doing well tonight, and enjoyed having guests come visit her. If you'd like to come visit her this weekend, she'd appreciate it. For now, have a good night, and we are praying for guidance going forward. Please know, that we have had a rough week, but the news of a possible solution coming soon has really lifted Sara's spirits, and is very encouraging to all of us.
Oh, and one other thing. When we were getting Sara's fluids drained, the nurse was moving linens around and accidentally hit Sara in the head with a pillow. She couldn't stop laughing for a good 10 minutes. "She hit me with a pillow. Who does that?" was her response. It's good to see her laughing through this tough time. :)
So here's where we are at. We'll be doing a vascular system check (can't remember which machine) to check for blood clots. They don't think they'll find anything, but just wanted to rule out other potentials.
Tammy, Sara's Mom, came in today, and with her hospital prowess has gotten some good answers and direction to go from here. We are going to run the vascular test tomorrow. If we don't get a definitive answer from that, then we'll most likely try to transport her up to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. It seems she has a very rare condition, that the local doctors are having trouble diagnosing. In fact, they seem to be looking up info from one previous case of this being recorded. It was, handled up at Mayo. They may give us the same course of action for treatment, but we want to try to have the researchers up there at least have a look. Since they seem to be the only ones that have seen something like this.
Sara is doing well tonight, and enjoyed having guests come visit her. If you'd like to come visit her this weekend, she'd appreciate it. For now, have a good night, and we are praying for guidance going forward. Please know, that we have had a rough week, but the news of a possible solution coming soon has really lifted Sara's spirits, and is very encouraging to all of us.
Oh, and one other thing. When we were getting Sara's fluids drained, the nurse was moving linens around and accidentally hit Sara in the head with a pillow. She couldn't stop laughing for a good 10 minutes. "She hit me with a pillow. Who does that?" was her response. It's good to see her laughing through this tough time. :)
Sara has decided to self diagnose
She just told me she's caught Blackhawk fever. Watch out, it's contagious!!
I thought I'd share her funny joke with you all.
I thought I'd share her funny joke with you all.
Rough night
Well, we had a bit of a rough night last night. Sara couldn't get her fluid drained last night, and so they gave her some relaxers and she tried to get comfortable enough to sleep. I stayed the night in her room to help her if she needed it. Laying across a couple chairs (not the most comfortable).
Right now we are waiting for the doctor to come in and drain her fluids. After that, if they still don't have a diagnosis, then we'll start the process of looking at transferring her to another hospital or something for a second opinion. Please pray for her in this time for comfort and mostly just to get some answers. I think the hardest part right now is just not knowing what to do next.
We thank you all for your support and prayers. We love you guys.
Right now we are waiting for the doctor to come in and drain her fluids. After that, if they still don't have a diagnosis, then we'll start the process of looking at transferring her to another hospital or something for a second opinion. Please pray for her in this time for comfort and mostly just to get some answers. I think the hardest part right now is just not knowing what to do next.
We thank you all for your support and prayers. We love you guys.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Update from the doctor
Well, we heard from the doctor earlier today. The scope they did this morning looked good (non-cancerous), which is awesome. They will have a full diagnosis in the morning, but he said the initial looks were good.
Basically they've diagnosed Sara with a torn thorasic duct. The problem with this is that it is very difficult to find and repair. The outlook we are currently looking at is that if we can eliminate the fatty food intake, there won't be anything traveling through the duct. It will then, hopefully, heal with time making her able to use it again. Then Sara can slowly add in fatty foods.
The options for that are to try a fat free diet. (Very hard to do, while still getting enough calories to give her body enough fuel to operate her day to day activities.) The other option is to insert a pic line to feed her with a TPN. Basically it is a way to feed her through a tube for about 3-4 weeks. It'd be a minor surgery to install it. Then she just hooks up a bag at night to get her nutrients.
She'll have to get tapped again, to get most of the fluid out of her chest/abdomen. They said that they cannot fully remove all the fatty fluid through this, but they did say the body is an amazing thing, and the remaining fluid will re-absorb into her system over time. Pretty cool how the physiology that God gave us will help self repair us. I wish my house would self repair :)
Basically they've diagnosed Sara with a torn thorasic duct. The problem with this is that it is very difficult to find and repair. The outlook we are currently looking at is that if we can eliminate the fatty food intake, there won't be anything traveling through the duct. It will then, hopefully, heal with time making her able to use it again. Then Sara can slowly add in fatty foods.
The options for that are to try a fat free diet. (Very hard to do, while still getting enough calories to give her body enough fuel to operate her day to day activities.) The other option is to insert a pic line to feed her with a TPN. Basically it is a way to feed her through a tube for about 3-4 weeks. It'd be a minor surgery to install it. Then she just hooks up a bag at night to get her nutrients.
She'll have to get tapped again, to get most of the fluid out of her chest/abdomen. They said that they cannot fully remove all the fatty fluid through this, but they did say the body is an amazing thing, and the remaining fluid will re-absorb into her system over time. Pretty cool how the physiology that God gave us will help self repair us. I wish my house would self repair :)
Some funny dreams last night
I forgot to mention something funny that Sara mentioned this morning. The drugs they gave her last night had some interesting side effects, to say the least. She said she had a party in her room with her pillow and blanket. Was talking and laughing with the bedding. Her roommate said she didn't hear Sara and was out cold. So we aren't sure if it was an out loud dream, or a sleeping conversation.
Sara giggles everytime I bring up the party. So I try to bring it up at least 3 times an hour, j/k.
Sara giggles everytime I bring up the party. So I try to bring it up at least 3 times an hour, j/k.
Thursday Morning
Sara is hanging in this morning. She's struggling somewhat to breathe. We think the fluids are filling in around her lungs again. She may get another draining this morning before she goes in for a scope around 12:15. Hopefully that'll put her back in a bubbly mood again :).
Her scope today is a camera attached to a tube to check for anything in her stomach. Just a check to make sure they didn't miss anything. They aren't looking to see if there is anything there, but rather looking to make sure they don't find anything.
I'll update after we talk with the doctor.
Her scope today is a camera attached to a tube to check for anything in her stomach. Just a check to make sure they didn't miss anything. They aren't looking to see if there is anything there, but rather looking to make sure they don't find anything.
I'll update after we talk with the doctor.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Hey guys,
I've probably rattled off hundreds of texts the past few days, and so I thought I'd put this blog together to relay info to anyone who wants to know how Sara is doing. Please check here daily for updates on her journey. I'll try to post something at least once a day, when the doctors come in to give us any news.
If you'd like to talk to me or Sara directly, feel free to call or email. You can even post on the blog if you'd like to offer up some encouragement. She loves hearing from people, but unfortunately she can have trouble talking do to the fluid around her lungs. She just has some trouble breathing, so we try to limit her talking. It is Sara though, so sometimes that isn't the easiest thing ;).
I've probably rattled off hundreds of texts the past few days, and so I thought I'd put this blog together to relay info to anyone who wants to know how Sara is doing. Please check here daily for updates on her journey. I'll try to post something at least once a day, when the doctors come in to give us any news.
If you'd like to talk to me or Sara directly, feel free to call or email. You can even post on the blog if you'd like to offer up some encouragement. She loves hearing from people, but unfortunately she can have trouble talking do to the fluid around her lungs. She just has some trouble breathing, so we try to limit her talking. It is Sara though, so sometimes that isn't the easiest thing ;).
The dish so far
Hey guys,
This is Tim sending out an update for Sara on Wednesday night. Some of you are fully up to date, and for other's this is the first you've heard of what's going on. So here's the deal:
Sara started feeling some pains in her central abdomen on Saturday (6/5) morning. It progressively got worse throughout the day. We hoped it'd get better with sleep, but she woke up with some more pains Sunday morning. We were in Iowa visiting Sara's family and decided we better get going to get home in case we needed to hospitalize her.
When we arrived home, we went immediately to the ER at Condell in Libertyville. The last hour of the trip was pretty rough. They ran some tests (Chest X-ray and ultrasound). They decided to admit Sara because of some fluid they found on the X-ray.
She stayed the night for observation. They initially thought it was Pneumonia. This is because she had a lot of fluid in and around her lungs. Monday morning she got a chest CT Scan and an EKG (The heart is doing great!! No problems their. Praise God!!) Then they removed about 1.5L of fluid from around her lungs. This allowed Sara to breathe much easier. She was experiencing some shortness of breathe starting Sunday morning. So this was a great relief afterwards. A bit of a pain going through it for her, and lots of needles. (Needless to say, I think Sara's fear of needles is much lower now :)
They've taken Pneumonia off the table, and think it is something with her lymph glands or system. They think there is a tear on one of her lymphatic vessels that move lymphs around her body. (Please excuse my poor medical knowledge if any of this is not proper medical terminology.)
Tuesday was a much rougher day for Sara :( . The pain meds made her very nauseous and so she was in quite a bit of agony all day. The fluid filled around her lungs again and made it impossible for her to lay back on the bed and get rest. Her only position that allowed her to breate was sitting upright. This was great for breathing, but unfortunately it didn't do much to eliminate her nausea. And also, she couldn't sleep sitting up. Eventually she had an abdominal CT Scan. Which, unfortunately the fluid she drank for that procedure caused more nausea. When that test was complete, the doctor drained her fluids again, and made it much easier to breathe. She was able to get a full night's rest (the first one in quite a few days). Once again, Praise God!!
Also, one great bit of news that we received was the they've basically eliminated Lymphoma from the diagnosis. It was a little bit of a scare earlier that they thought it could be that. Once they have a final diagnosis, they will eliminate this from the list, but basically they are 99% confident this isn't the problem.
Today was a much better day for Sara. She had lots of visitors, which made her feel a whole lot better :). I talked with her in the morning, and she had a perky voice about her. Always a good sign. 3 doctors came in today to talk with her. They've laid out a few options for us, but we have one more test in the morning that'll scope her stomach area. Once that is complete, we should have an action plan for treatment. The best option, if it works, will be to limit her to a no fat diet for about 3 weeks to hopefully clear out and let the body repair the tear in her tubes. We're hoping for this one, as it is probably the best one without doing surgery.
This is Tim sending out an update for Sara on Wednesday night. Some of you are fully up to date, and for other's this is the first you've heard of what's going on. So here's the deal:
Sara started feeling some pains in her central abdomen on Saturday (6/5) morning. It progressively got worse throughout the day. We hoped it'd get better with sleep, but she woke up with some more pains Sunday morning. We were in Iowa visiting Sara's family and decided we better get going to get home in case we needed to hospitalize her.
When we arrived home, we went immediately to the ER at Condell in Libertyville. The last hour of the trip was pretty rough. They ran some tests (Chest X-ray and ultrasound). They decided to admit Sara because of some fluid they found on the X-ray.
She stayed the night for observation. They initially thought it was Pneumonia. This is because she had a lot of fluid in and around her lungs. Monday morning she got a chest CT Scan and an EKG (The heart is doing great!! No problems their. Praise God!!) Then they removed about 1.5L of fluid from around her lungs. This allowed Sara to breathe much easier. She was experiencing some shortness of breathe starting Sunday morning. So this was a great relief afterwards. A bit of a pain going through it for her, and lots of needles. (Needless to say, I think Sara's fear of needles is much lower now :)
They've taken Pneumonia off the table, and think it is something with her lymph glands or system. They think there is a tear on one of her lymphatic vessels that move lymphs around her body. (Please excuse my poor medical knowledge if any of this is not proper medical terminology.)
Tuesday was a much rougher day for Sara :( . The pain meds made her very nauseous and so she was in quite a bit of agony all day. The fluid filled around her lungs again and made it impossible for her to lay back on the bed and get rest. Her only position that allowed her to breate was sitting upright. This was great for breathing, but unfortunately it didn't do much to eliminate her nausea. And also, she couldn't sleep sitting up. Eventually she had an abdominal CT Scan. Which, unfortunately the fluid she drank for that procedure caused more nausea. When that test was complete, the doctor drained her fluids again, and made it much easier to breathe. She was able to get a full night's rest (the first one in quite a few days). Once again, Praise God!!
Also, one great bit of news that we received was the they've basically eliminated Lymphoma from the diagnosis. It was a little bit of a scare earlier that they thought it could be that. Once they have a final diagnosis, they will eliminate this from the list, but basically they are 99% confident this isn't the problem.
Today was a much better day for Sara. She had lots of visitors, which made her feel a whole lot better :). I talked with her in the morning, and she had a perky voice about her. Always a good sign. 3 doctors came in today to talk with her. They've laid out a few options for us, but we have one more test in the morning that'll scope her stomach area. Once that is complete, we should have an action plan for treatment. The best option, if it works, will be to limit her to a no fat diet for about 3 weeks to hopefully clear out and let the body repair the tear in her tubes. We're hoping for this one, as it is probably the best one without doing surgery.
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