Still Alive

July 27th, 2008
Good news! The obstruction has gone away on its own! That means no surgery. It does mean, however, that the painful part is about to begin. Still, I may be allowed clear liquids tomorrow, which will be nice. I'll continue to stay in the hospital to be monitored and to keep my pain controlled.
Becca

July 29th,2008
Sorry I haven't been getting the updates out very often. Please don't freak out if you don't hear from me for a day or two. I'm just tired and in pain. It hurts to sit up for too long and I type really slow since I'm on drugs and there are medical devices all over my hands and fingers.
Yesterday I was moved to a clear liquid diet but had a bad day pain-wise.
Today I'm on soft foods which is going okay,but it's rather uncomfortable since they make me feel so full and they get things moving in my tummy. I had the brillant idea today of taking a shower during the half hour I couldn't have morphine. By the time I could have it again Iwas just about crying and it took me all day to reach a tolerable pain level again. I've also been itching myself so much due to the morphine that I've given myself a horrible scratch. They've been giving me benedryl for it, which totally knocks me out.
Tomorrow I'll get my tummy x-rayed to check up on things. My blood tests have been looking good.
Been getting very irritable with the hospital, but I suppose I've been in one hospital or another for almost 2 now.
Becca

July 30th, 2008
Mollie here. Becca is two weeks out on this project that was supposed to be outpatient surgery. Her belly is less like the sixth month of pregnancy and more like the ill-advised guys who mow shirtless. Instead of tattoos, she has purple blotches and peeling skin. These are all actually good things.
Stuff is moving through her system, and causing the same excruciating pain that brought us here. It's hard to believe that this is called progress, but she is bravely holding on and trying to go with oral pain meds and the occasional saving shot. This is part of the reason why I never watch movies that aren't G rated, and I don't go on carnival rides. Watching this is enough.
Her jaundice is contrasting ever so subtly with the fuschia and violet streaks in her black and brown hair, and is not really enhanced favorably by the hospital gowns which she sports in that oh-so-ghetto baggy fashion, but it's a look. The best part about taking little walks is when she can step outside and scratch her feet on the rough concrete.
The GI surgeon who has been following Becca says his job is done, since the partail bowel obstruction has marched off the xray radar screen, and the abdominal adhesions might also go their merry way while still in their formative stages. Pain is not his department, only tracking gas.
Dr. Cada, her gynecologist, is trying different potions to work with the pain issues. Now we know what lab rats feel like, or the proverbial guinea pig. It doesn't help that the food people ask her what she wants to eat, and then they give her exactly what she has requested to NOT have instead. The nurses are sometimes very helpful, and sometimes very invisible, and in the wee hours are downright wacky.
The incision sites are all healing nicely, but there is this strange spot on her stomach where she scratched an itch and it has been leaking blood.
If she were Julie Andrews, she would sing about these favorite things: cream of wheat, Boost drinks, foot rubs, narcotics, brushing hair, her comfy hospital bed, her afghan, her heating pad, ice chips, photos of her cats, silly balloons. little emails, and distracting visitors.
So maybe tonight will be a better night, and someday we will all party and sing hey nonny nonny again. Thank you for keeping us all in your thoughts. Mollie