Thank you !!!

[Coastiejoe]

I spent 11 days in the hospital after some surgery. Long story short, had a part of my lower intestine removed. It was suppose to be a 4 hour surgery that took 8.5 hours.

Couldn't do it they way they planned so they sliced me open left to right all the way across my pelvis. The healing time was to be 5 weeks and now we are looking at a minimum of 15 weeks and I will need another minor surgery to remove the external colostomy bag and convert back to my own intestines.

I can not explain as to how challenging this has been. Without my wife I really don't know what I would have done.

The admins of SDF took the time to send me flowers and a get well note.

I can't express enough what it means to me that they took the time to do so.

One MAJOR thing I learned is, anytime I have a coworker or friend in the hospital I will do everything in my power to visit them. I would go in and out of consciousness and see my friends there. I never knew the value until this happened to me.

Again, thank you very much for your time, well wishes and the flowers.

Thank you !!!

 

[hfgreg]

The least we could do man.. I hope your recovery gets easier by the day. We miss you here, but don't rush back. Take your time buddy. Let us know if there is anything we can do.

Greg :cheers:

 

[racerxxx]

Wow, had no idea. Hang in there and praying for a good recovery.

 

[XP 787]

Get well soon man

 

[go_panthers]

I spent 11 days in the hospital after some surgery. Long story short, had a part of my lower intestine removed. It was suppose to be a 4 hour surgery that took 8.5 hours.

Couldn't do it they way they planned so they sliced me open left to right all the way across my pelvis. The healing time was to be 5 weeks and now we are looking at a minimum of 15 weeks and I will need another minor surgery to remove the external colostomy bag and convert back to my own intestines.

I can not explain as to how challenging this has been. Without my wife I really don't know what I would have done.

The admins of SDF took the time to send me flowers and a get well note.

I can't express enough what it means to me that they took the time to do so.

One MAJOR thing I learned is, anytime I have a coworker or friend in the hospital I will do everything in my power to visit them. I would go in and out of consciousness and see my friends there. I never knew the value until this happened to me.

Again, thank you very much for your time, well wishes and the flowers.

Thank you !!!

I'm really sorry to hear that. It sucks. I've been in that exact situation. Make sure you take it easy. You don't need to rip those abs open again. I've got an extra belly button now because of that. I hope they controlled the pain well.

Take care. PM me if you want to discuss. Been dealing with this for over 25 years.

 

[Coastiejoe]

I'm really sorry to hear that. It sucks. I've been in that exact situation. Make sure you take it easy. You don't need to rip those abs open again. I've got an extra belly button now because of that. I hope they controlled the pain well.

Take care. PM me if you want to discuss. Been dealing with this for over 25 years.

Thanks for the offer, things slow down and I'll touch base. Pain control wasn't to bad. Had 2 notches above Moraphine on a push Button request every 6 minutes. Once I got the hoses and lines off me we went to oral. Lost 5000 cc's of blood and had to get a transfusion.

I have ZERO intention of doing anything to hard to fast. Between my abs and where the actual repair was done, they are both fairly sensitive and getting sharp ghosts pains.

 

[go_panthers]

Thanks for the offer, things slow down and I'll touch base. Pain control wasn't to bad. Had 2 notches above Moraphine on a push Button request every 6 minutes. Once I got the hoses and lines off me we went to oral. Lost 5000 cc's of blood and had to get a transfusion.

I have ZERO intention of doing anything to hard to fast. Between my abs and where the actual repair was done, they are both fairly sensitive and getting sharp ghosts pains.

Sounds like you had dilaudid (hydromorphone), which is really good stuff for pain, but doesn't last long (hence the hit every 6 minutes).

Praying the ghost pains go away for you. They basically just stuff everything back and it has to arrange itself. It can be quite uncomfortable.

Once everything gets healed up, you'll be back at it just fine.

 

[JoeZ]

Hope you have a speedy recovery and the pain subsides. Sounds like you fought hard! I'm going to take to heart that note about visiting friends in the hospital. Sounds like quite the struggle; glad to see you posting.

 

[Coastiejoe]

Hope you have a speedy recovery and the pain subsides. Sounds like you fought hard! I'm going to take to heart that note about visiting friends in the hospital. Sounds like quite the struggle; glad to see you posting.

I will never be able to express what it was worth to me to see people at the hospital. Part of it is, this ended up much more serious than initially had thought. As such, I had some pretty emotional moments. Some from the physical predicament I was in and others due to unexpected support.

One morning at 2 am, without going into details, I woke and needed help. In the end I needed all new sheets, gowns and covers. I was literally standing in my room mentally breaking down. Thankfully I had a private room and my wife was there and she just held my. Next morning I had 4 coworkers show up and it changed my entire mental perspective.

Can not express what the support of others meant and means.

 

[DavesNotHereMan]

Had no idea! We have never met, but feel a kinship via the Forum.

Get well soon. Best wishes.

 

[jhjesse]

Wow Coastie! Been gone for a while working, had no idea. Prayers for a speedy recovery. Prayers for your family.

 

[Coastiejoe]

Thank you all. Every day is one day closer. I'm up and walking well and started fainting weight yesterday. So headed in the right direction.

 

[ocod]

Late to the best wishes.

Hope the recovery is quick as we need to make day trip to keys the weekend of April 15
Save the date

 

[Coastiejoe]

Late to the best wishes.

Hope the recovery is quick as we need to make day trip to keys the weekend of April 15
Save the date

Sounds great to me,,, Let's see how I feel.

 

[snikwad003]

How ya feelin? Everything goin good on the recovery?

 

[Coastiejoe]

Over all pretty well. I'm walking almost up to speed once I walk a bit and get my ab muscles warmed up a bit. Still a bit slow siting down or getting up from sitting down. Ab muscles still need to heal where they sliced them.

Lost 42 pounds, finally leveled off and gained a few. Was retaining water after the surgery, weighed 199.7 and went down to 156. Hovering around 160-165 pretty consistent now. Have a cat scan on the 17th to see how my insides are healing. And HOPEFULLY the surgery to get rid of this colostomy bag and reconnect to my intestines in 7 weeks.

Pretty much sums it up for now. Probably off work another 9-11 weeks.

Thank you for asking. I appreciate it.

 

[mikidymac]

WOW Coastie, I just saw this. We just had a health scare with my wife. Funny how it can change your perspective on life and make everything else irrelevant. Best wishes and hoping you a speedy recovery and your ass on the ski for summer.

 

[Coastiejoe]

WOW Coastie, I just saw this. We just had a health scare with my wife. Funny how it can change your perspective on life and make everything else irrelevant. Best wishes and hoping you a speedy recovery and your ass on the ski for summer.

Agreed. Truly amazing how my perspective changed about people in hospitals and those that take the time to support those in need.

 

[Seadoobuddy]

Yikes, CJ, I hope you follow the docs, advice and heal quickly and fully.
What caused all this trouble to begin with?

 

[Coastiejoe]

Yikes, CJ, I hope you follow the docs, advice and heal quickly and fully.
What caused all this trouble to begin with?

In a nutshell, a very small part of my lower intestine shrunk and became hard and created a "stricter". Started gaining weight and VERY difficult to go to the bathroom. Tried colonoscopies where they put a ballon where the stricter was but it collapsed back within minutes.

Sooo, it had to come out. Was suppose to be a 4.5 hr surgery and 5 week recovery. Couldn't get to it so they sliced my abs hip to hip. 8.5 hr surgery and 15 week recovery....

 

[go_panthers]

Did they figure out what caused the stricture? I've had 4 surgeries for those, caused by Crohn's disease over the last 27 years. Glad you made it through. It's a rough surgery.

I know you're still in the rough of it, but there are much better days ahead.

 

[Coastiejoe]

Did they figure out what caused the stricture? I've had 4 surgeries for those, caused by Crohn's disease over the last 27 years. Glad you made it through. It's a rough surgery.

I know you're still in the rough of it, but there are much better days ahead.

They did several tests and could not get a definitive answer. They did dye tests as well. I fly for a living, broke 5 million miles earlier this year. They believe flying was a contributing factor.

I have less than 5 years left for two separate Federal Pensions, 43 years total at that point.

So once I'm healed I'll be right back at it.

The healing process has been difficult to say the least. But I'm feeling pretty well at this point. I'm told 6 weeks after most feel well. I'm just shy of two weeks from the 6 week mark.

 

[go_panthers]

Food taste back yet?

5 million miles! Wow. Are you a pilot?

 

[Coastiejoe]

Food taste back yet?

5 million miles! Wow. Are you a pilot?

It is. But it took FOREVER. I had ZERO appetite. Lost 42 pounds from pre surgery to about 2 weeks after surgery. 21 pounds was water retention due to the surgery itself. I'm staying pretty consistent at around 163 now.

I'm hungry All the time now. But can't eat as much. So probably a better path than before surgery.

I'll PM you,,,

 

[CRei]

Sorry to hear, hope all works out well for you and your up and running. Get well soon