As Margie drives me to my doctor appointment, the image of the grizzly appears at the window - I now expect to get better and better; I become a case study
Friday, August 3, 2012 at 2:12PM 
As Margie drove me to My doctor appointment in Anchorage yesterday afternoon, this tourist bus passed us and it was going fast - way faster than you would ever expect a tourist bus to go. It was good the bus driver was speeding, though, otherwise we would not have found the image of this bear peering through our window at us. Dangerous though they truly be, grizzly bears are good creatures and even though this one was just a commercially-exploited picture printed upon the side of a tourist bus, I decided to look at it as a good omen.
Soon thereafter, Margie, Lynx and I found ourselves in the examining room with Dr. O'Malley, my surgeon, who had just returned from his vacation. Dr. O'Malley felt badly and sad about all that I had faced since I last saw him. He had not expected anything like this to happen to me. He said there had been a few other cases recently among other colon surgery patients, apparently treated by multiple doctors, where patients had suffered setbacks and complications similar to mine. He told me he and some other doctors were going to make a case study of me and them and seek to come up with procedures to spare future patients these little agonies.
Beyond that, he said that all appeared to be well in the fundamental surgery - the colon removal - and healing. The suture, which became infected early on and then dehisced, blew apart and then after the emergency surgery to put it all back together again still kept coming undone, has likely been the source of all the complications and problems. Now, the sutures are staying tight and appear to be ready told hold throughout the duration.
I have written about the device he implanted in my abdomen after the emergency surgery to serve as a brace to prevent me from dehiscing again, should I again cough violently. I have written about the four poker-chip like buttons placed as anchors to that device in a box shape upon my tummy (yes, I did take a picture of the this, with the chasm of my surgical wound running through it, but the picture is just too gross for me to post here). That device had loosened up a bit and so the doctor who stood in for O'Malley while he was on vacation tightened it a bit at the beginning of this week. My pain then rose to the most excruciating levels I have experienced during any of my out-of-hospital moments since this ordeal began.
To reduce the pressure, Dr. O'Malley removed one of those buttons. I could feel a slight difference almost immediately, but the overall pain remained undaunted - yet I felt a huge sense of optimism that I had reached the verge of true and steady improvement and the worst elements of this ordeal had fallen behind me. O'Malley told me he plans to remove the other three buttons in one week and relief should then be almost complete.
Oddly enough, the circle of flesh upon which the removed button had been anchored stung and burned in a most maddening way throughout the rest of the day and into the night, but I awoke this morning to find the overall level of pain greatly reduced. Pain reamins, but at much more bearable level.
Best yet, I feel a strong sense of optimism that this time I have finally turned the last corner - that now any setbacks will be small and part of the normal up and down of recovery and I will soon be up and about, working, shooting.
I have lost 33 pounds. The doctor was a little dismayed about that. He thinks I can let most of that weight go, but wants me not only to stop losing weight but to gain back at least a few pounds. He wants me to eat more - especially more protein.
I am happy to oblige.
In some ways, it scares me to express such optimism and causes me to look for wood to knock on, but it is time to let optimism prevail.
Reader Comments (10)
I am glad for the good news! Prayers for healing continue.
This is good news Bill. I am knocking on wood for you.
What a great bunch of good and wonderful news. Hang in there, Bill, and keep on keeping on, right on back into great, normal-like, amazingly excellent health!
Take good care and gain a little weight back. Sending best wishes for a speedy recovery!
What great news! You are one strong guy Bill! You can knock on my head if it will do any good!!! I thought Shadow Me looked a little willowy the other day. {{{Hugs}}} to you and Margie. I assume this care study is on their dime!!! Hey, maybe you can take pictures for their study and get a little cash! :-)
I can understand the knock on wood moments...i'm the same way, but i am oh so happy to read that you are doing better
Maddening go, but you are on the mend! Keep your spirits up and enjoy all the protein!
Might case study subjects be eligible for any subsidy/ discounting of the bills that arose because of their complications? Seems like if they learn from you how to avoid such complications in the future that the least they could do is cover some of your expenses.
Good news! Keep on being strong Bill.
Don't be discouraged by your optimism, lest you become a pessimist. That's it. That's all I got. No wisdom. Times like this are hard times, and that is all there is to it. But remember. This too shall pass. It always does.