As many of you probably remember, my wife had two spinal fusions last April. Three weeks ago, the surgeon realised that her spine is not healing. So with no wasted time, she is going back in in just a couple of hours to have this surgery redone.
I've been ok with it until it was bed time last night. All night I have had the memories of all of the bad from last time. I almost lost her due to a blood infection a week after her surgery. I had to put all 3 of my kids to bed while they were crying because they're afraid their mother is going to die. I cant say that it doesn't weigh heavily on my heart.
I am praying for better results than last time. Hoping she heals this time and doesn't have to go through this again. I am really praying for no infections this time. That was the worst week of my life. It's amazing how hard it is to look at your children when you're uncertain if their mother is going to make it or not.
We have to be at the hospital in about an hour. I will post updates as the surgery goes on.
Lord I pray that your presence be felt by Mike and his family today. May you lift them up and comfort them in their time of need. May the Holy Spirit be alive within them and comfort them. I pray that you will work your healing mercy through the hands of the medical staff as they do what is necessary to restore Mike's wife to health. May the peace of Christ be on their hearts and in their minds as they deal with today and the coming days. In Jesus' name. Amen
Hope everything goes well Mike...Prayers sent
We will be saying prayers for your family. Hope everything goes well
My thoughts and heart are there with you guys Mike. Give her my best when she comes out.
Thanks guys. I'm sitting here chewing my nails off. They took her to the operating room at about 7:30. This is the worst part.
Hang in there Mike. Prayers sent.
I have to hold strong to believing that all things will work out! Hang in there Mike.
I'm sure everything will go quite well MIke !!! Hope she has a speedy recovery !!! :)
We just got a call from the operating room. They got started an hour late. So far all of her vitals are good. That's all I know so far.
Quote from: Mike S. on November 14, 2012, 09:15:11 AM
We just got a call from the operating room. They got started an hour late. So far all of her vitals are good. That's all I know so far.
It's a start. :) Oh and maybe you should buy some Lee press-on nails and save on your own. lolol
Or prayers are with you and your family Mike !
I'll be thinking about her and your family all day Mike. If you need anything all you have to do is ask.
Call me if you need me.
Thanks guys. She should be out in an hour or so, around 11. It feels like time is standing still. Just sitting here listening to all the other people around me.
Buy some fishing gear online while you wait... should make the time pass faster. As we all know, fishing fixes all ailments and psychological issues. ;)
Prayers going out to you mike
Lol!! I have to save money for doctor bills. Just bought the surgeon a new Porsche for Christmas.
I just talked to the surgeon. She's done. He said he added more screws than the first surgery. One of them was loose, which he says is common for people who don't heal right.
Well it sounds like it went well then. Here's hoping for a quick recovery. Maybe even by Sunday! ;D My bet is this will fix all her pain problems and she'll be back to her old self in no time.
She's still not out of recovery yet. Last time they had trouble waking her up. I'm wondering if that's what is going on right now.
She's in her own room now. Lots of pain. This sucks.
Praying for all of you Mike. Things will go better this time.
Praying for a full, quick and complete recovery!
Mike,
I can only say that I know what you are going through as my wife had an operation in June, contracted an infection, and was in the hospital till late Sept.
I too almost lost her twice.
Your children are suffering more than they should and I pray for your strength for them.
Our kids are much older but it is still tough.
Wow. Glad it worked out for you. That's terrible.
We have a room full of kids right now. They are here to see mama, and the lady in her room has her grandkids up as well. 5 kids and 5 adults right now. All are in good spirits. My wife is falling asleep every few minutes. But she looks good, we are hoping for the best.
Fingers are crossed and prayers are sent Mike. The first night is usually the longest.
Thanks for keeping us posted Mike. Continued best outcomes.
Got a good night's sleep. Being as she's sharing a room, I couldn't stay with her last night. Didn't get a phone call, so I'm assuming all is well. I will be heading back up there as soon as I get my kids off to school.
Sneak her favorite breakfast in to her this morning!
The hospital doesn't approve of that. ;)
We are rolling into night number 2. Her blood pressure is low. She's got a real bad head ache. She's having a lot more pain this go around. The first surgery was a cake walk compared to this one. We will see what day 3 brings.
I'm home. Getting ready to put the kids to bed. We had a little excitement this evening around 7:00. My wife's face started to turn red and look swollen. I touched her forehead and she was pretty hot. The nurse came in and took her temp. It was 101.8. First thing on my mind was the night I had to rush her in for the infection she had. This was bad. My kids and my parents were there. I had her mom take my kids home. There is a breathing machine that she has to take 10 deep breaths in every hour. She's been sleeping quite a bit, so she hasn't really been doing it. The nurse made her do it, and her temp went down over 3 degrees in about 30 minutes. Absolutely amazing.
She seemed to be ok after that. I kissed her goodnight, and was on my way.
I have gained a new friend from this. Her roommate's husband is a trip. He's an avid hunter and fisherman. He and I have quite a bit in common. Never a dull moment in our room.
Does he want to go fishing on Sunday? ;D
He probably would. But, he does eat bass, so I will probably never take him on the lake. I respect that its legal to do so, but I don't like to take people fishing who may go where I take them and eat what they catch. We will just stick to you and me going.
Oh come on... might be fun to hold a 5 lb smallie in front of him and then just toss it back!
How are things going today Mike?
I walk in this morning to find out that she spiked a high fever again last night. Higher than when I was here. She is waiting to go to xray this morning. She says it feels like something is trying to rip through her skin. She says she doesn't feel any better than she did when she got here Wednesday. Truthfully, she looks worse. She can't eat, she can't stay awake, and she can't get remotely comfortable. Her surgeon came in this morning and said she should feel pain, but not as much as she is feeling. He also seemed concerned about getting her to xray. Personally, I'm beginning to wonder of he knows what he's doing. I will lose my mind if they cut her open again to fix something that they didn't do right.
Still wishing you guys all the best. Hang in there Mike. Its got to get better somewhere down the road. We're all here for you.
Maybe it's time to change surgeons. Sounds like this guy is a quack. I would believe you have the right to get a second opinion and pull in another Dr.
They just came and got her for xray about 15 minutes ago. Is did some complaining, after getting tired of her looking like a zombie. They came to the conclusion that they have too much medication going in to her. They stopped the constant feed, and now she just has the button. She fell asleep immediately for about two solid hours. When she woke up, she looked so much better. She's more alert, and moving better. She's still in a lot of pain, but she's looking better. We will see.
Good news!! Glad to hear it Mike.
Keep asking questions. Keep asking if things are being done the best they can. You are staying involved with her care team. That is good and important. I'll pray that things improve fast.
She's looking pretty good. For some reason, they haven't given us her xray results yet. I'm assuming it may be that they are waiting for a spine doctor to look them over verses a nurse. We are being patient. She's eating now, and has been without her I.v. medication and on a pain pill now for several hours. Very possible she may get to come home some time tomorrow.
I opened my mouth and said that if they found me one of the beds from the old birthing center I would stay the night. I figured it would be impossible. Guess what. Those nurse ladies are pretty tricky. It may have taken 10 minutes. I want to sleep in my bed. >:(
Good news! Well, other than the bed thing.... :D
I'm a brat. It was so hot in here last night I couldn't take it. I went home. There was really no point in being miserable to watch her sleep.
I got here this morning and she was walking down the hallway. We are waiting to see the doctor. He may let her go home today. My fingers are crossed. If so, there will be two people at home with her tomorrow, and she said I can go fishing! Just for the record, she and I talked about that almost a week before her surgery. She told me not to winterize my boat because I can still fish. Her mom is now living with us for the next two months.
More good news! You're wife is awesome! ;D
She is showered and dressed in her own clothes now. The drainage pump from her spine has been removed, and her iv is gone now. She has passed her physical therapy. I guess we are just waiting to see if she can manage her pain or not. I took her for a walk. She's tired. Been through a lot in the past few days.
More good news!
Sounds great!
Sounds like a wonderful ending to her hospital stay. We'll keep the good thoughts coming for a speedy and full recovery. Give her my best.
I got her home around 6:00 last night. She spent an hour or so in bed, and then went right to the couch so she could see her kids easier. She just woke me up at 2:30 this morning, about half an hour ago, to get her a pain pill.
We were nervous about her temperature. She has spiked a fever every night since surgery. She hit 100.4 before we went to bed last night. I made her use her breathing tool, and I put a cold wash cloth on her forehead. It came down pretty quick. I just checked her a few minutes ago, and she was at 96.9. It is going to be a long road, but we will get there. I'm thinking positive on this one. It has to work. She has got to get back to her normal lifestyle. I miss my "old" wife.
In a few short hours, Waterfoul and I, and possibly his girlfriend, will be headed to Pentwater Lake. Hope we can get some big ones! Then tomorrow, it's back to work. After spending this week in the hospital, I'm ready for work. Excited is a better word.
It sounds as if you all are headed in the right direction but the ongoing symptoms are very familiar to me.
My wife is finally starting to get back to normal but I realized I did not need to fish as much as I needed to be there when she needed me as she is an amputee from 5 yrs ago.
Sold the boat and the gear is next.
I hope your life gets back to normal and your wife progresses daily.
Wow. That must have been really hard to deal with. I couldn't imagine. My wife is doing really well this morning. She looks more alive, and her temperature is excellent. She says there is no reason for me to sit home and watch her sleep. She has her mom living here with us for the next two months, so she will never be alone. Last time she had surgery, I bought two way radios so she can call whoever is here without having to scream or get herself out of bed.
I'm glad all is headed in the right direction for you and yours.
Thanks and praise to our Lord for His answers to our prayers.
Quote from: fiker on November 14, 2012, 05:34:31 AM
Lord I pray that your presence be felt by Mike and his family today. May you lift them up and comfort them in their time of need. May the Holy Spirit be alive within them and comfort them. I pray that you will work your healing mercy through the hands of the medical staff as they do what is necessary to restore Mike's wife to health. May the peace of Christ be on their hearts and in their minds as they deal with today and the coming days. In Jesus' name. Amen
Nicely put bro...AMEN
Thanks guys for all the support. She seems to be doing pretty good today. She's moving better, managing pain better, and so far no temperature problems. We will take it day by day.
Glad it sounds like things are heading in the right direction pretty good right now.
Quote from: Mike S. on November 18, 2012, 06:33:19 PM
Thanks guys for all the support. She seems to be doing pretty good today. She's moving better, managing pain better, and so far no temperature problems. We will take it day by day.
Not that you would know... I hear you went fishing all day. Shame on you. ;)
Glad to see her up and about a bit this morning when WE left. ;D
Yeah, someone on this forum talks me into making bad decisions! Lol!
Not always a bad decision. Everything in moderation. I hope your wife keeps improving, and at a faster pace. I hope you keep your sanity doing what you need to so you can take care of your family.
Everyone has to get out once in a while. I know when I was laid up, I wanted my wife to get out. Sounds like things are looking up though.
Quote from: Mike S. on November 19, 2012, 04:08:32 AM
Yeah, someone on this forum talks me into making bad decisions! Lol!
Um.... wait a minute here... you talked ME into going! LOL!! Always fun hanging out with you on the water Mike!
Ok, maybe I was the trouble maker. It was a fun day. Much needed.
How are things going Mike? Still progressing?
Things seem to be going well. She's tired of laying around and doing nothing. She's starting to be a real pain n the butt to be totally honest. I keep reminding her that she has restrictions for a reason.
That's your job now. Keep everyone on target. Good luck!
Does she make you wear a nurses outfit??? LOLOLOL :)
NO!!!!
Quote from: Mike S. on November 26, 2012, 10:18:28 PMNO!!!!
The harder you deny it, the more likely it's true.
Quote from: YpsiBass on November 27, 2012, 08:52:16 AM
The harder you deny it, the more likely it's true.
Now that's some funny stuff right there!
Oh , you guys are comedians. Now the secret is out.
Mike, just proves you love her so much you'll do most anything for her. lololol ;)
Practicing your coughing Mike?
Quote from: YpsiBass on November 27, 2012, 08:52:16 AM
Quote from: Mike S. on November 26, 2012, 10:18:28 PMNO!!!!
The harder you deny it, the more likely it's true.
And that's how Laughter cures a bunch ppl. hope and pray all in the family are well Mike.
A picture on here of Mike in that outfit would 'cure' a lot!! ;D
Hope she keeps getting better.
Quote from: Waterfoul on November 27, 2012, 09:14:21 PM
Practicing your coughing Mike?
Hahahahaha!!! Boy this better not go the way the text messages did. I just about woke the whole house up I laughed so hard when I read that.
Mojo, thanks for the call last night. Always good to hear from you. You even entertained the mom in law.
But, my wife seems to be doing good. She gets her stitches out Monday. She still complains of severe pain, but she's moving around the house really well. She can't really do anything being as her weight restriction is nothing heavier than an empty plate.
i suppose you have to fill that plate for her?is mac and cheese getting old for her :D. about all we had 34 years ago when first married, now i can't stand it. good to her she's doing better, now we need to pray for you,.. hang in there Mike
So, you feeling sick enough to call in "sick" on Monday yet Mike? ;D No?? Keep practicing! Get help where and when you can (yes, a reference to our texts the other day). I'm sure said party is willing and able. :D
Quote from: karol on November 28, 2012, 02:40:11 PM
i suppose you have to fill that plate for her?is mac and cheese getting old for her :D. about all we had 34 years ago when first married, now i can't stand it. good to her she's doing better, now we need to pray for you,.. hang in there Mike
Karol, I have to count my blessings. We have never had to go through times like that. We have been very very lucky. If you ever meet me, you will see that I never miss a meal. I am also very fortunate to have a mom in law like mine. She moved right in to take care of my family so I can work, and occasionally go fishing. Thanks for the nice words.
Mike, I can't do it. I would be sacificing the boat payment if I call in. I just can't give up that double time on Sunday. Oh, I'm going to keep practicing my cough. We have really heavy dinner plates here!!!! So I will have help !
Amen to mom in laws. If your wife adores you still, your mom in law loves you (you're the sap who got her daughter outa the house and took good care of her all these years- of course she loves you )
That's speaking in general terms not yours specific. Anyways - Amen to to a good moms-in-law