I’ve found that in the hospital world there is a lot of “hurry up, slow down.” There has been a whole lot of that since I have last written.

Actually, my last post would have you thinking that by now I have had a g-tube placed. Well, at the time that plan was true. But per usual medical plans change and can do so with little warning.

*Before I really dive in I’m going to show you a quick difference between an ‘NG tube’ and ‘G-tube’ Without this disclaimer I fee like this entry could get a little confusing.

• NG Tube: Naso gastric tube aka, nose hose

  • Sucks stomach juices out of body to let the bowel rest. Does not require surgery to be placed or removed.

• G-tube: Gastronomy tube

  • small tube that sticks out of the skin on the abdomen that is connected to the stomach. You can still eat (semi) normally but it allows you to manually release the contents on your stomach should you feel obstructed and need relief. This should certainly cut down on these month long hospital stays.

Basically what had happened was we were planning to have the g-tube placed sometime between 1pm and 5pm last Thursday. This didn’t end up happening but it wasn’t until a few days later that I learned why. To be fair, someone could have easily explained it to me that very day but some of my meds leave me foggy and forgetful (and hilarious if you happen to catch me in person before bedtime).

A huge concern with any abdominal surgery is upsetting/disrupting the bowel. One pin hole perforation and you could be a goner. To be certain that the Rhode Island Hospital people had the space to insert the g-tube without harming the intestine they asked for another CT scan (they felt the one from a week ago was too old).

This morning during rounds the doctors explained to me that the people at RIH did not feel it would be safe to do based on how my bowel is configured at the moment. There is not enough space therefore the risk is greater than the reward. I appreciate their honesty in putting my safety first.

Right now we are waiting to hear from, our secondary plan, a gastroenterologist that has successfully placed G-tubes using a different procedure. He is supposed to consult with us today or tomorrow so let’s hope for sooner rather than later because this g-tube business is what is standing between me and home.

That’s all I know for now. The goal is to be home by Christmas so let’s hope so!

Thank you to everyone that has continually reached out, I apologize if you have not yet heard back from me as some days are foggier than others. Thanks for the gorgeous flowers, blankets, and gifts. Thanks to the nurses that show love and compassion and help me to stay upbeat. Thanks to my big brudder and his girlfriend for spending their short holiday on the east coast with me in the hospital. I may have been really out of it but your humor and love is infectious and did me a lot of good. A big thank you to my co-workers for making me the sweetest video (I won’t embarrass you by posting it).

Lastly, thanks to my parents and Cory for rearranging your lives continually to make sure I’m okay and have everything I need.

On a final note, please keep the positivity going because I need it desperately right now.