December 2011=hospitals
It's been so long since I have gotten to blog or really like the last blog I just haven't felt good enough to write one. So lets see if I can catch you up on what's happened since the last time I wrote. I had the first stint taken out 12/16/11. But when they were trying to take it out my ureter started to collapse and the doctors has to immediately put another one in. This one is smaller around but it's still 13 inches long. My body doesn't like this one either but it's adjusting better to it then the first. The reason they had to put another one in is because if your ureter collapses then you go into kidney failure, and I can't have that! My doctors told me after this second one was in that it doesn't really matter weather my body likes it or not this stint has to stay in for at least a month to try to heal the ureter. I was discharged from the hospital in Maryland on 12/17/11 and got to come home. I think that when everyone found out that I got to come home that they all thought I was better, but that was so far from the truth. My doctors had basically told me; you can either lay in the bed here or you can go home and lay in the bed there. I had already been up there so long I was ready to come home. Mom and I got home that Saturday night and were greeted at the airport by my dad, sister and brother in law. Then we meet up with my aunt, cousin and grandmother. Sunday was a rough day, we thought it was because of the traveling the day before. Traveling is hard on your body and especially from all that I had gone through. Monday I was even sicker. I still wasn't eating or drinking, but my mom kept trying to get me to drink (we knew I had to) but even when I would try a little it couldn't stay down. Monday night had gotten a little better but then 5:30am Tuesday morning I woke up VERY sick. That's when mom told me to load in the car (with my trash can in hand) we were heading to the hospital. We both knew I needed fluids. We went to our local hospital. I can envision myself right now like it's an outer body experience and I was sooo sick. They took me back started an iv, drew blood, started getting my medical history (yeah that's like an hour discussion) then I was taken to CT to make sure that the stint was in place. Within 30 mins having that done my doctors in Maryland called (they had been talking to the local doctors) and I had a horrible infection at the bottom of my ureter and it had to be taken out immediately. I was admitted in to the hospital and had the procedure done to take the abscess out. And for the next 4 days I laid in the hospital on iv's. I was placed on two very strong antibiotics to try to kill the infection.
Honestly being here in the hospital makes me nervous. If something is going on I want to be in Maryland. They know me and my body and how it works. And if I'm going to be here I'd rather be at say Emory. We have had a couple of not so pleasant experiences at our local hospital but I have to say that they were on top of their game this time. They were great! I believe that God totally had his hand all over the thing but they did a great job. Plus it was kind of nice being so close to home. Friends were able to come and visit which I've never really been able to have in the past. My sister got to come on her lunch breaks and after work which was nice.
I had already prepared myself that I was going to be in the hospital (weather that be here or in Maryland) on Christmas. As upset as the thought made me at the beginning of that week I was completely fine with it the closer Christmas came. I came to the realization that it wasn't the end of the world if I spent one Christmas in the hospital. I have spent many of birthdays there, and while I have come very close I've never had to spend Christmas there. Luckily Christmas Eve morning my doctor came in to tell us that the medicine that the infection was responding to was a drug that could come in pill form and that I could come home. So Christmas Eve afternoon I was discharged and was able to come home and spend Christmas with my family. It was better than wonderful...it was glorious. I didn't feel great but I was spending Christmas with my family at home. One of my best guy friends even showed up at my house Christmas morning dressed as Santa
That following week I stayed at home in bed. I rang in the New Year sitting on my couch with my parents plus my aunt and grandparents from NC. This week I started trying to go back to work. Taking a shower still just about wipes me out but I'm TRYING to get back to normal it's just not moving so fast. Out of the 4 day work week I worked one full day (which was not so smart of me) and worked 3 half days. I'm trying to get back to my normal schedule but my body isn't okay with that so I've still gotta take it easy.
I have to check back in with my doctor this week to have my levels checked out to make sure I'm still looking good. I will go back to Maryland on the 17th (as long as everything is okay this week, if not I'll go back this week). I'll have a CT done on the 18th to check on the stint. My hopes for this trip is that if the stint looks good and healed then I'll have it taken out while I'm there but if it's not looking good then I'll have to keep it in. But there is still the worry that if they do end up trying to take it out and my ureter starts to collapse again then they will have to put another stint back in and I'll be back at square one.
So that's pretty much my last 3 weeks. I would love for y'all to keep the prayers going (I'd love your prayers every day). If you'd like to know specific things you can pray for....the healing of the stint and removal, a safe trip to MD, sleep (I'm not sleeping well at all, even taking meds), back pain and for me to get my "Mandy-ness" back. Thank you all for your prayers, emails, texts, and everything else.