Monday, May 28, 2007

To the ER again...

I wish we were counting down the days to the transplant instead of counting the number of times Neal is in the hospital. Last night he went to the ER because he was not doing well. They finally did a CAT scan after a few tears and some yelling. Neal does not believe me, but I think that is the trick! They found that his diverticulitis is back and he has an abscess in his stomach. Here is the info from WebMD:

An abscess is a tender, easily pressed mass generally surrounded by a colored area from pink to deep red. The middle of an abscess is full of pus and debris. Unlike other infections, antibiotics alone will not cure an abscess. In general an abscess must open and drain in order for it to improve. Sometimes draining occurs on its own, but generally it must be opened by a doctor in a procedure called incision and drainage. People with weakened immune systems get certain abscesses more often (Neal is on immuno suppression drugs).

He had diverticulitis before. My understanding is you get pockets in your colon and food can get caught causing an infection.

They admitted him last night and are giving him IV antibiotics. A surgeon is supposed to come by to determine whether he needs surgery or a procedure to drain the abscess. Meanwhile he will be getting his dialysis treatments at the hospital.

Ryan is scheduled for his MRI and CAT scan tomorrow. I will be calling the pre-transplant center to inform them of Neal's current problems and determine whether the transplant should be postponed.

Today Ryan, Leslie, Matt, Leslie's parents and I got a workout. We mulched Ryan and Leslie's yard and planted some flowers. The countdown is on and we all have a lot to do to prepare for a summer of not much activity. We have also agreed that group mulching is much easier! I hope everyone had a nice long weekend.

Unfortunately I missed Stacy's cookout yesterday, but I hear it was a great time. I just wish I could have seen baby Jack. Luckily the weather held out in Clintonville. There was a pretty good storm in Dublin.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Michele,

I heard from Burl and Sherry about Neal's condition. I had no idea what all you two have been through. I wish you and Neal the best. You are in my prayers.

Tom Carr

Anonymous said...

Tom,
It is great to hear from you. I would have explained eventually when I called to reschedule the lunch we were supposed to have 5 months ago. I hear you are back to work. I hope all is well with you and your family.

Michele