I finally got clearance to get to the one computer Wesley provides for patients and got the password to my blog worked out. Logging in to the blog is not automatic here like it is at home.
The Sunday of the Labor Day weekend I was feeling pretty bad and had a 102 degree fever. That was enough for a trip to the ER. The diagnosis was bronchitis and pneumonia.
Then there was the bad news. They ran some swallow tests and found that when I ate, some food didn't get swallowed and then trickled down my throat and into my lungs. I had pneumonia from stuff I was trying to swallow getting into my lungs.
That resulted in an immediate order that I take nothing by mouth. No food, no water, no medication, nothing. That would not have been a real big deal if I still had the feeding tube, but it's gone. Within a week of removing the feeding tube because I could eat without it, I needed it because of a swallowing problem.
That led to a nice little hospital stay. A week later, the pneumonia is gone. I'm not on any antibiotics, but I'm on an IV feeding method. I had to wait for the pneumonia to clear up and to get off of the pneumonia-related antibiotics before any doctors would put the feeding tube back in.
Now I'm the long-term patient on my floor, and I'm not sick. Replacing the feeding tube is scheduled for Wednesday (9-16) morning. If everything goes as expected, I should be home by mid-afternoon.
I'm anticipating it will be a long time until I eat anything resembling a meal. I need another surgery on my throat and then I'm going to have my swallowing checked pretty vigorously before the doctors let me put anything back in my mouth.
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1 comment:
Hmmmm. Sounds like a bit of a setback, but not the worst hurdle you've jumped so far. I suppose you've lost weight with this pneumonia and will have to gain it back when you can eat again.
What is the problem with swallowing? The epaglotis is leaking food into the lungs? Has the trouble been repaired?
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