This summer has gone by so quickly. It is hard to believe that it is already August. Jacob and I have been talking this past week. This coming Sunday, August 10th, we will have been married for one year. This past year has gone by so quickly. It honestly seems like we just had our wedding, like it was yesterday so to speak.
Since that time, I lost my sweet boy Duke. Duke was an amazing dog. He grew up with my brother and I. He was always right there along side of us. We pretty much did everything together. He was a very protective dog. I always felt safe when Duke was around. After I was diagnosed and eventually had to leave my job, I grew even closer to Duke. Whenever I would be drinking my clean out preps, Duke would lay right at my feet with me. After coming home from every procedure or surgery, Duke would be there waiting. It was just comforting and sweet.
After Duke's death, it was really hard on me. I didn't deal too well. Jacob and I decided in time to get another puppy. With Duke being part lab, I knew that I wanted another lab for their companionship and good nature. We adopted Pepper. She is a combination of lab, bullmastiff, great dane and pitbull. She's going to be a big girl when she is full grown. She is just as friendly, loyal and protective as Duke was. She is FULL of energy and into everything. Puppies are so much fun.
Our summer has been pretty low key and uneventful. My clean outs are still about the same. Some days they work and others not so much. Back in June, I had a "really good" clean out. I woke up the following morning and knew that it had been too much on my body. I could barely move. I spent all morning on the couch and finally let Jacob know that I needed to go to the hospital. I had started vomiting from being so nauseous and dehydrated. There was no way that I would replenish the fluids that I had lost. When we got to the ER, Jacob had to check me in. I was asked if I needed a wheelchair to get back into a room but I refused. Yes, I may pass out once I get to the bed but I am determined to make it there by myself. Hello stubbornness!
After they found an vein, got some fluids and medication on board, along came the blood work. In my head, I was thinking two, maybe three IV bags and I am out of here. I will be perfectly fine, good as new. My ER doctor, who was really good, came in and explained that I had acute kidney failure. My blood work revealed that some of my levels were off as well and as a result I needed to be admitted. I didn't really know what to say. I had just had an ultrasound of my kidneys a few weeks earlier which showed that my kidneys were fine. My bladder wasn't functioning as it should and was retaining fluid but my kidneys were just fine. I had only heard stories of this happening to patients. How could this happen to me?
Unfortunately my clean out was to blame. My body just couldn't keep up with the clean outs anymore. My doctors recommend that I speak with my GI about getting some type of port (I believe that is the correct word) where I can run IVs at home during the night while I clean out so that this doesn't happen again. During my hospital stay, I had eight IV bags to my knowledge which resulted in me retaining eighteen pounds of fluid. It was so uncomfortable and I prefer that to not happen again. (Are those legs and ankles not scary looking?)
When I see my GI next week, we'll discuss the whole port idea, the possibility of another round of botox for abdominal pain, my clean outs as usual and weight gain.
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