TMI!!! Maybe, but yall know I don't have a filter!

Where to start......

*first grab the kleenex,, me,, not you... ok, here goes nothing,, emotional monsoon in 3,,,2,,,1,,,, GO!*

What a week!   We went up on Sunday to stay the night in St George because Todd's surgery for his dialysis catheter was scheduled for Monday at 5:45 am.  We get to the hospital, get him checked in, and they take him off for surgery about 7:30.  YAY!  It was went really quickly, mainly because Todd's parentals came down and helped keep me occupied and my mind off things. *thank heavens*

The dr comes out and tells me every thing went great and I will get to see him in about 40 minutes, and we will get to go home about an hour after that.  YAY!!!  I'm elated, happy, relieved,,, until an hour goes by and no one comes to get me. I go up to the desk and ask and she says, someone will be out to talk to me in a minute. *Ensue panic attack*


The nurse comes out and tells me that they are admitting him because of low blood sugars,, WTH? Duh his blood sugars are low, he's been fasting and you put him under!  After about an hour we finally get into a room and they bring in my love.  The CNA comes in and says he's been admitted for high potassium,, WHAT?!?!?!? So instead of arguing with him, I ask for him to find me Dr Mercadom the nephorologist, or Dr Lewis, the surgeon, to come talk to me please.  I need to know why we are still here.  Ok,, he says someone will be there to talk to me soon,, so I wait, and wait and wait,,, all the while they are cramming meds down Todd, trying to bring up his potassium and level out his blood sugars.  Then I mention he hasn't used the bathroom yet,, so they do a bladder scan and see he has 1600 ml of urine in his bladder! OUCH!  In goes that catheter,, *yes I laughed a little until I saw the pain in his face*

And to top it all off, I didn't get the expected email from our Missionary, computers were down at the library, yes I get a little stressed when I don't hear from him,, can't imagine what it was like when you had to wait for snail mail!!!  OIY

THE NEXT MORNING Dr M walks in and says "don't hate me for all the meds!" to which my response is, "where the hell were you last night and why didn't you come talk to me?"  he says he talked to Todd, and thought Todd would talk to me,,, HELLO how many people do you know are put under anesthesia and wake up able to carry on a conversation with details????  (our missionary emailed on tuesday this week,, yay one stress gone!)



*note our Dr's refer to me as a pitbull that is loveable, they know I need to know what is being done and why, and a copy of all orders and lab results, and they have actually said they love that about me!*

So Dr. M says we can go home as soon as Todd uses the potty!!!  So all day we are waiting for him to use the potty,, no such luck.  UGH! We get discharged with the condition that he has a catheter in for his bladder. Apparently the anesthesia and the pain meds they gave him during surgery "activated" the nerve damage in his bladder and it went caput! GREAT!  And we have instructions to go see a urologist ASAP... ok so now I am upset because they are sending him home with a catheter, anything could happen.,, and we are in a completely different state.. *please don't tell me we need to move, heard that enough*  I realize they send people home all the time with catheters, but they are usually in the same state,, So after much crying, threatening to leave him in st George on the street, and finally calling in reinforcements of his MOM, *THANKS MOM!*, he agrees to stay in town at a hotel until Thursday.

Thursday, we go to the urologist, tell him what's going on, and he does what has to be done,, fills todd's bladder from the outside, takes out the catheter and the pressure is on to see if he can pee on his own!,, I start chanting "push it out, let it flow,, gooooo peeee!, the urologist laughs so hard, todd glares at me, I just keep chanting and for added assurance,turn on the tap at the sink in the room!  PEE DAMM YOU!

FINALLY!! WE HAVE PEE!!!  hahaha Todd threw his hands in the air and says "I'm a big boy again!!!"  I laughed so hard.  He wasn't able to completely empty his bladder, but we now know this isn't permanent damage as of yet.  WHEW! Not sure he could handle one more thing breaking on his poor body.  So the dr sends us home with disposable catheters that he has to use in the morning and at night,, and if there is under 200 ml of fluid or less that is drained this way, we are good to go and we don't have to go back to the pee pee dr!!!  Start praying peeps!!!



Then we head to the Nephrologist,  *seriously thinking of nursing school at this point!* And Dr M and Dr L send us to the Dialysis center down the hall,,

Where we are introduced to our awesome Dialysis Nurse, Erma, and she gives us the low down on what to expect and when to come back for lessons on how to do this at home!  Dr L comes in and says,, "let's do a treatment now,, we are worried still about his potassium," Ummm hello,, 4 day old catheter for dialysis here,, it's a baby,, hasn't healed,, Erma doesnt want to do this!!!!  Dr L says do  a baby baby treatment, so she does.. YAY first dialysis treatment done.. This bumps up Todd's medical status to be eligible for medicare. So that on top of his insurance, we are 100% double covered.

We grab a bite to eat and head home!! 



I seriously want to collapse.  I am completely and utterly emotionally drained,, I can only imagine how Todd feels.  A huge thank-you to Sabrina who more than willingly took Levi, for what started out as over night, and changed into a week long sleep over!!! To Gwen who checked on our dog and our house, Aubree who grabbed the mail for us, and did whatever else we needed her to do while we were up there,, To Todd's parents who sat with me during surgery, and recovery and who chuckled at the cna when he dared roll his eyes at me, because he apparently does Not know me.. *foolish little boy*. To all of you, who keep me sane, who check in, who let me know you are thinking and praying for us, for everything.

Our next step is to do our homework that we were given on peritoneal dialysis, and pass the tests, then start at home dialysis on a daily basis once the catheter is healed and secure. Todd says he can feel the tube flipping around in his stomach sometimes,, I compared it to an early pregnancy movement,, he compares it to spiders,,, I'll stick with the early preggo movements thanks!

 Can I just say if you're reading this, have diabetes and not taking care of yourself properly,,,, Shame on you for putting your family and loved ones through that. 

So here we go,, onto the next step of our journey!