Day 37 & 38

*UPDATES*

5/3 @ 6PM

Day #38

HE'S COMING HOME TOMORROW!!!

We tied up a LOT of loose ends today to begin our way towards discharge. The feeding tube was removed today! (Even though Tony isn't quite where the caloric goal is, they're happy with his progress and believe he will continue to trend upwards with eating.) 

I got a crash course in home care and flushing/maintaining the drain. (I'm becoming a nurse after this. Not even kidding.) They are switching to an oral blood thinner (PRAISE HANDS), so I won't have to give him shots in the abdomen twice a day. A home health nurse will be coming to our house Monday or Tuesday to restock me and help as needed. (SUPER nervous about the drain itself, but confident in how to care for that portion.) 

His bloodwork is still wonk-a-doo, but they assure me it's expected based on what his body is doing right now. (And, I have peace knowing that we'll be closely monitored with outpatient appointments.) 

All his meds will be awaiting us here at the OHSU pharmacy so I don't have to drive all over The Shire. (MORE PRAISE HANDS) They are stopping the antibiotics tomorrow at discharge but will be keeping them in his PICC until then. Then, it's "Bye Bye PICC Line!"

I've got orange juice and REAL bone broth at the ready. (Thank you, Teresa!) Fresh linens on the bed. Shower grippers and chair installed. Costco size box of Popsicles. (He likes the orange ones)  EXTRA boxed bone broth. And all the comforts of home spic-n-spanned for his homecoming. 

We are "nervous-cited." (Nervous + Excited)

But, we are ready for this new chapter. We'll tackle it the same as this one... one day at a time. One foot in front of the other, literally. It'll be rest and rebuilding of strength. And we believe in complete healing.

We STILL don't know the cause of why ANY of this happened. We may never know. We HOPE for answers, but (as Tony's case has been likened to a case from the show "HOUSE"), we may not have answers for a while. What can I say? My little anomalies, Tony & Ezrah, are wonders. Fearfully made, wonders.  

Here's what we know:

*Becky's gonna need some of your prayers flown her way.  It's GAME-TIME, baby.

* Our kiddos. Will you pray for their hearts? Ezrah (the one who gets medically squeamish) is REALLY nervous about seeing Tony with the tube and drain. There IS a lot of blood. It will be tricky to hide. She's an empath through and through. This is hard for her.

*Tony still needs healing prayers. This fight is nowhere near over.

*Luna. Our sweet pup, whom we had to board when this started. Would you pray we bring her home at the right time? We need Tony to be a bit more stable, but our hearts ACHE for her to be home. We miss her DEARLY. And, we KNOW puppy snuggles bring great healing. But puppies are also a bit unpredictable, and we'd hate for her to jump on Tony and pull on anything that shouldn't be pulled on. 

I will continue blogging because it's therapeutic for me. And it helps keep a medical timeline. Tony's read none of it, but eventually, I'd like to find a way to print it for him and Ezrah. I'd like them to hear their stories of healing from my perspective. I'd love for him to see all the comments, also. (I did read a ton of them to him.) All of this has come from a raw place in my heart that came out through musings and ramblings in my "phone notes," often in very dark AND very joyful times. It's been the craziest "un-fun" rollercoaster I've ever been on... and I can't wait to get off.

Homeward bound.

*UPDATES*

5/3 @6:30

DAY #37

The day started with a chest x-ray followed by an ultrasound of Tony's liver and gall bladder. He DOES still have some fluid around his lungs, primarily the left lung. After doing another ultrasound of his lungs this afternoon, they don't feel the risks outweigh the benefits of doing a thoracentesis. (Needle into the lung to pull out fluid). Their hope is that Tony's body will eventually absorb the extra fluid on its own.

We also met with the surgery team. There is ZERO indication that this had ANYTHING to do with his gallbladder. According to the surgeon, Tony's gallbladder "is healthier than hers." We'll take it. She actually feels that it doesn't need to be removed at ALL. She said even IF the gallbladder was the main cause 37 days ago, they would see remnants of that, and it's 100% healthy. There is no sign that it EVER had any foul play involved in "pancreammegdon 2023." (™️ Doctor Nelson) 

So, that's good, but also, it doesn't give us any better answer as to WHY this happened in the first place.

The docs are hoping that if Tony can continue meeting his caloric goal by mouth, they will be able to remove the feeding tube. He's not quite there, as he gets full SOOOO quickly. But, he DESPERATELY wants it out, and he for SURE doesn't want to come home with it.

It's looking like HOME is on the horizon. But, we've requested he have a few solid days of "good" before giving us the boot. I have a LOT of fears about what home will look like for him, and let's be honest.... I will have my work cut out for me. I don't mind the blood, and yuck, I've dealt with that and MORE here. I'm worried about complications. Especially since this HAS been such a rollercoaster that often has felt like one step forward, 14 steps back.

He's going to be on a TON of meds at home.

I have to give him 2 shots in the stomach a day. 

I'm to flush and drain his tube 4 times a day. (That's 20 saline syringes PER day.)

Do we need a "sharps" box?

What about gloves?

How do I let the kids love on him without hurting him or getting him sick?

What do I cook that he can eat safely?

Clipping toenails? Twice now, I've done it. That is my "thing." I've had to remember and recite our vows BOTH times. Jesus be nigh.

What if I forget meds?

What size scrubs do I need?

Are the 10 vitamin D tablets once a week? Or daily?

Enzymes. How many? When?

When can we start healing his gut?

If you can't tell, I'm kinda kidding, kinda serious. There were some VERY dark days where I actually didn't think Tony would BE coming home. I will cheerfully (with a full face-shield) clip his toenails till the day I die. But, I do have some real fears about being mom, wife, and nurse, and exactly what that will look like and how we'll handle complications should they arise. 

Tony's going to have a LOT of appointments over the next few months as well. I know it will all work itself out. I'd just like to keep my sanity and lose the 25 pounds I've gained while sitting here eating my feelings. Too much to ask?

One day at a time...

My beloved is coming home.

And there's NO place like it.