wen2tap
04-29-2007, 01:15 AM
Hi Ladies
I saw this and thought you would all like the update, sounds very postive for Bob's improvement....but Lindas facing other challenges.....
April 28.....Saturday
I lost my job this week.
It seems almost impossible to believe that I was so suddenly put into a position of choosing between work and staying with Bob. But the hospital CEO and director of pharmacy where I work would not give an inch. I had hoped to return to work in June....we're so close, but they demanded that I return this Tuesday May 1, or face disciplinary action and termination. I was forced to resign since there is no way I can leave Bob at this time.
We didn't make this decision lightly, but Bob and I both have a huge sense of
peace that we are doing the right thing. He's relieved that I will continue to
be with him and be able to take care of him when we do return home (soon, I
hope). And I'm relieved that I won't have the stress of work distracting me from
caring for Bob. He is my number one, first priority and I am blessed to be able
to take care of him and help him along in his recovery. I love him so much and
will do whatever it takes to get him well again....this is the most important
job I could ever do in my entire life.
We're both sure that somehow everything will work out. It could be very
frightening to lose such a significant part of our combined income since the
financial implications might be overwhelming if we weren't convinced that this
is part of God's plan for our life right now. We're taking this step forward in
faith. We don't know how yet, but somehow our needs will be met.
Meanwhile, Bob has been doing really well these past few days. We've problem
solved some issues causing nausea/vomiting and he's been able to eat about 50%
of each meal and keep it down. A nurse manager with background and interest in
long-term patient care (especially necrotizing pancreatitis) started working with
us a couple of days ago and we are helping her work out some prototype charting
that they hope to implement in the future. In return she is advocating for
anything that can be done to help facilitate Bob's recovery. For example....I
was not supposed to be taking him to the rehab gym. Liability and all that
stuff. But she understood how important those workouts are and that I could be trusted to keep Bob safe and use the equipment correctly even without a
therapist present. So she managed to obtain special permission for us to use the gym whenever we want....something they've never granted to anyone.
Bob's still on a couple of IV antibiotics so we time his visit to the gym in
between IV doses and also get him disconnected from his tube feeding at that time. It's so great to see him "free" and able to walk without attached
equipment, even for just an hour or so. And his biggest accomplishment yesterday was walking up a flight of steps...one step at a time with both hands holding on to the rail...but he did it!!!!! I was SOOOOO excitied!!!!
Today after lunch (and when his antibiotic is finished running) Christopher and I are going to take Bob out to the roof garden where we can sit and go through the mail and bills from the past week....ughhhh.
On Monday he's going to have another CT scan, especially to look at that area of infection where his gall bladder used to be. And then he'll have a "tube check" of the pancreatic drain. During that check they're going to inject contrast to better visualize the pancreatic area because during his recent ERCP procedure the gastroenterologist thought he could see the tip of the detached pancreatic tissue that hanging out all by itself (leaking fluids and enzymes into the area). IF the inflammation and infection have resolved enough and the area has truly shrunk down enough so that they can access that fragment of pancreas they might be able to get a stent across the space from that piece and connect it to the other remaining part (which drains into the duodenum).Eventually.
And eventually he wouldn't have to have those fluids draining externally.
Eventually they'll be re-routed back to where they're supposed to drain...into
the intestinal tract.
Each of you have had a significant impact on Bob's recovery through your
continued support and prayers. We are blessed to have such wonderful friends and family and love you all and appreciate you so much!
Love,
Linda
__________________
I saw this and thought you would all like the update, sounds very postive for Bob's improvement....but Lindas facing other challenges.....
April 28.....Saturday
I lost my job this week.
It seems almost impossible to believe that I was so suddenly put into a position of choosing between work and staying with Bob. But the hospital CEO and director of pharmacy where I work would not give an inch. I had hoped to return to work in June....we're so close, but they demanded that I return this Tuesday May 1, or face disciplinary action and termination. I was forced to resign since there is no way I can leave Bob at this time.
We didn't make this decision lightly, but Bob and I both have a huge sense of
peace that we are doing the right thing. He's relieved that I will continue to
be with him and be able to take care of him when we do return home (soon, I
hope). And I'm relieved that I won't have the stress of work distracting me from
caring for Bob. He is my number one, first priority and I am blessed to be able
to take care of him and help him along in his recovery. I love him so much and
will do whatever it takes to get him well again....this is the most important
job I could ever do in my entire life.
We're both sure that somehow everything will work out. It could be very
frightening to lose such a significant part of our combined income since the
financial implications might be overwhelming if we weren't convinced that this
is part of God's plan for our life right now. We're taking this step forward in
faith. We don't know how yet, but somehow our needs will be met.
Meanwhile, Bob has been doing really well these past few days. We've problem
solved some issues causing nausea/vomiting and he's been able to eat about 50%
of each meal and keep it down. A nurse manager with background and interest in
long-term patient care (especially necrotizing pancreatitis) started working with
us a couple of days ago and we are helping her work out some prototype charting
that they hope to implement in the future. In return she is advocating for
anything that can be done to help facilitate Bob's recovery. For example....I
was not supposed to be taking him to the rehab gym. Liability and all that
stuff. But she understood how important those workouts are and that I could be trusted to keep Bob safe and use the equipment correctly even without a
therapist present. So she managed to obtain special permission for us to use the gym whenever we want....something they've never granted to anyone.
Bob's still on a couple of IV antibiotics so we time his visit to the gym in
between IV doses and also get him disconnected from his tube feeding at that time. It's so great to see him "free" and able to walk without attached
equipment, even for just an hour or so. And his biggest accomplishment yesterday was walking up a flight of steps...one step at a time with both hands holding on to the rail...but he did it!!!!! I was SOOOOO excitied!!!!
Today after lunch (and when his antibiotic is finished running) Christopher and I are going to take Bob out to the roof garden where we can sit and go through the mail and bills from the past week....ughhhh.
On Monday he's going to have another CT scan, especially to look at that area of infection where his gall bladder used to be. And then he'll have a "tube check" of the pancreatic drain. During that check they're going to inject contrast to better visualize the pancreatic area because during his recent ERCP procedure the gastroenterologist thought he could see the tip of the detached pancreatic tissue that hanging out all by itself (leaking fluids and enzymes into the area). IF the inflammation and infection have resolved enough and the area has truly shrunk down enough so that they can access that fragment of pancreas they might be able to get a stent across the space from that piece and connect it to the other remaining part (which drains into the duodenum).Eventually.
And eventually he wouldn't have to have those fluids draining externally.
Eventually they'll be re-routed back to where they're supposed to drain...into
the intestinal tract.
Each of you have had a significant impact on Bob's recovery through your
continued support and prayers. We are blessed to have such wonderful friends and family and love you all and appreciate you so much!
Love,
Linda
__________________