Re: Day 1 - post op

From: Janet Karam (jkaram4@home.com)
Sat Jun 23 23:17:00 2001


Dear Jean-Marc,

Thank you for keeping us informed to all that is happening. Please pass on a warm recovery hug from me to Deborah. Hope the days get easier from here on out, you have both been through alot!

Love,

Janet

>----- Original Message -----
From: "Leclerc, Jean-Marc" <Jean-Marc.Leclerc@cdcgy.com> To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS" <adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com> Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:15 AM Subject: Day 1 - post op

> Hello All,
>
> It's J-M. again, reporting on Deborah's progress at the CMC in Scranton...
>
> I ended up waiting a long time after speaking with Dr. Gerhart, before
they > called me back to the recovery room to see Deb... about two hours. I was
> getting pretty nervous... what could be happening?... did they forget
about > me?
> Well, they certainly hadn't forgotten about me, and did call me in. The
> nurses in the OR recovery area were very busy taking care of Deb when she
> came out of (the rather long!) surgery. She was very cold. Her body temp
> was actually lowering. They had to take measures to warm her up: wrapped
> her in warmed blankets, and utilized a "Bear Hugger" (?), which is a
> cocoon-like inflatable fabric bag through which regulated hot air is
> circulated .
>
> As the anaesthesia was wearing-off, Deb was experiencing considerable
pain. > When I finally got in to the recovery room she was warmed-up again but
quite > sore. When they were sure she was 'stable' (by about 24:00), she was
moved > up to a room (rm # 463), where we are right now. She was admitted under
Dr. > Gerhart and he had left the 'orders' for the nurses (on the department).
>
> Deb was, however, still in considerable pain. The medication wasn't ever
> taking the 'edge' off her pain. The nurses did everything they could
within > their standing orders. Then, when a few hours had elapsed (by about
02:30, > 22 June) and Deb was still not getting satisfactory relief, they
> unhesitatingly called Dr. Gerhart at his home. He was happy to work
through > the exercise of finding the right medications with them. I understand he
> needed to be called more than once and clearly wanted (even demanded) to
be > called for whatever reason, at any time.
>
> By about 04:30, Deb's IV was hooked-up to a PCA (Patient Controlled
> Analgesic, I think?) which allowed her to get pain medication when she
> required it... to the extent prescribed by the doctor and programmed into
> the machine. That, and an additional Demerol shot (through the IV) not
more > than every two hours, and some pretty powerful anti-nausea medications
have > kept her discomfort and pain almost 'under control' at times.
>
> She has been able to get up and make it as far as the washroom several
> times, completely under her own steam. She's really fighting to do the
> right things to make this a successful recovery.
>
> Now, about 24 hours after the surgery, Deb's really experiencing a lot of
> discomfort: abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, and all-over soreness.
There > have been a couple times when she's nearly been over-come by nausea...
> all-the-while dreading the inevitable strain on all those tender abdominal
> muscles that would come with vomiting. With the help the very responsive
> nurses, she has been able calm down each 'episode'.
>
> She'll remain in hospital, under Dr. Gerhart's and Dr. Redan's care,
> probably for at least a couple more days. They speak favourably about
> getting her pain and nausea under control. I hope so!
>
> I'll talk you again...
> J-M.
>


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