mdlbear | River: State of the FlowerCat

Note: This is copied more-or-less verbatim from my log, hence the rather disjointed style and mish-mash of tenses.

Wednesday Colleen went in to the ER -- she'd been nauseous and unable to keep anything at all down since Sunday. She's now in the hospital -- WhidbeyHealth Medical Center -- with a diagnosis of gastric outlet obstruction. (Which can any of several different root causes; which is the actual one is unknown at this point.) She had a CAT scan and ultrasound yesterday, and an EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) this morning.

When I got in this morning she'd had her EGD, and had a tube through her nose sucking somewhat disgusting-looking fluid from her stomach. Her red-cell count and K were low; she'll be getting a transfusion soon. She slept most of the time I was there. Pretty severe edema in left arm (which is the one I can see). So I'm more worried than I was yesterday.

From (hospitalist)Dean Wang (who we've met before, of course): They weren't able to reach the blockage with the endoscope, so there are just 2 possibilities. It may resolve if she can walk and otherwise move around -- that's what happens in most cases. But of course that's extremely hard for Colleen. If that doesn't work the only other option is surgery, and that's very risky due to her fragility.

2:30ish the Shayla and (aid)Michaela got her sitting up, Shayla brushed out her hair and I braided it and gave her a back-scratch. So she was sitting for ~15 minutes.

(Surgeon)Dr. Graves (who did the EGD and who I also have an appointment with on Monday to discuss my colonoscopy) - her duodenum is swolen shut; he couldn't get the edoscope past that point. Took biopsies. Probably get the results from those Monday or so; meanwhile I think they'll give her TPN to keep her strength up. He didn't sound very optimistic. If she needs surgery, she'll be transfered to a larger hospital on the mainland; they can't do something that major up here on the Island.

We're both well aware of the fact that major abdominal surgery is risky as heck for someone with her rather fragile health. But this is Mama Colleen we're talking about -- she's one of the three strongest women I know. Two, now that Mom's gone. I've learned not to underestimate what she's capable of.