Emergency Surgery

[Redmaxx 740]

So last month (7 Sept 2018) I had an emergency surgery because I had a blocked bowel. It happens (not sure how it took almost two years after my gastric bypass, but), not to everyone, but it happened to me. So they took me to one hospital ER that was close by my work. It took them an hour to get me into a bed and they finally took me to get a CT Scan. It took two hours to get any type of information from the CT Scan and I was told that I "may possibly" have a blocked bowel. They needed to consult with a surgeon. About an hour later they came back and said that I had a blocked bowel but that the hospital I was at didn't do any type of bariatric surgery. So they said they would transfer me to their sister hospital that does this type of surgery. They called for an ambulance and my wife drove over to the other hospital (about 5 or 6 miles away). Three hours later the ambulance came for me. The other hospital kept calling because they had a surgical team waiting for me. Surgery went well (although I am not bouncing back as fast from this surgery) and I was doing ok. I was trying to get the surgical notes for my bariatric surgeon (just so he could have a record of what was done) and I ran across the CT Scan notes. It turns out I have a possible IPMN (Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm) (or possibly pancreatic cancer) in the head of my pancreas. Nobody from the hospital told me about this and if I hadn't of been looking for the reports for my surgeon I would never have known. Now I have to wait until 13 Nov 2018 to go to a specialist and see what is going on. Needless to say, I have googled this and am now pretty shaken up. I don't blame the surgeon (he was just there to unblock the bowel, (which they said if I would have waited any longer the bowel would have started to die) but I really think that some doctor from either one of the hospitals would have said, "Hey, you might want to get this checked out." Sorry for rambling on about this, just worried.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

On 10/29/2018 at 9:08 AM, Redmaxx said:

blocked bowel

@Redmaxx

What a mess!!☹️

glad surgery went well!! That's the important part!!!

having to wait for test results/info is unfortunately the norm

at many hospitals. too many pts - not enough staff

(dr, nurse, aides etc.) butttt, that's not staffs fault, or ours!!

searching through charts, for notes - finding out your possible

"might haves" - its good you were proactive. Having to wait until

November 13th for important dr appointment - i can only imagine

your thoughts, worries!

my fingers & toes are crossed - sending good wishes☺️

kathy

[mylighthouse 782]

I'm so sorry to hear of your blocked bowel, surgery, and all of the problems that it entailed.

I have had a bowel resection before (horrible), and many surgeries... similar experience to yours. I know it is not fun.... it is real rough. No cancer for me.

You have good reason to be "shaken up", worried, things like that. This is serious.

I wish you the very, very best. Keep your chin up.

[Stella S 612]

Sending positive thoughts you. Hang in there

[elcee 3,341]

That all sounds awful

[Redmaxx 740]

So I dropped off the surgical notes, blood results from the hospital, CT scan results and blood work done by my bariatric surgeon to my primary doctor's office and asked them to have him review and put in my file. I haven't heard back from my primary so I called today and talked to one of the medical assistants who said, "You need to come in for a face to face with the doctor." So now I am going to my primary on Wednesday. I know my bariatric surgeons office is looking at the blood work from a nutritional standpoint, but from what I looked up on WebMD what they told me isn't right. My Iron is low and my ferritin level is very high (they said to take iron, but I shouldn't be taking iron) (and the medical assistant agreed). So now besides having a possible IPMN on my pancreas there maybe something else wrong. We shall see.

[Frustr8 7,886]

OMG I am worried for you, please keep me and all the rest in the loop. The fact,that your PCP wants a "face to face" does not bode well. You do realize that usually means the Big Ca, and they leave it to the PCP to do the "dirty" work of telling you? I may be an old hen but I am one of the brighter breeds of 🐔 and not a turkey!, And I will be ecstatic,if I am proved wrong!👼👸👦Although you did not request,it, you're in my prayers tonight🙏Stay Strong REDMAXX, although it aggrieves a Buckeye to say it, GO BLUE!

[Redmaxx 740]

9 hours ago, Frustr8 said:

OMG I am worried for you, please keep me and all the rest in the loop. The fact,that your PCP wants a "face to face" does not bode well. You do realize that usually means the Big Ca, and they leave it to the PCP to do the "dirty" work of telling you? I may be an old hen but I am one of the brighter breeds of 🐔 and not a turkey!, And I will be ecstatic,if I am proved wrong!👼👸👦Although you did not request,it, you're in my prayers tonight🙏Stay Strong REDMAXX, although it aggrieves a Buckeye to say it, GO BLUE!

Thanks. It is what it is. I will let everyone know what happens.

[elcee 3,341]

In australia we have to do a face to face for anything, they will not give any info over the phone. It is incredibly annoying and to me an unnecessary drain on our healthcare system.

I remember a number of years ago I had had blood tests and the Drs offices called me to tell me I had to come back in. Well the mind goes into overdrive, I had myself 6ft under and pushing up daisies! When I got to the Dr it turned out I had low Iron and needed to take a supplement!

Hope yours is something as simple

[Hop_Scotch 1,630]

18 minutes ago, elcee said:

In australia we have to do a face to face for anything, they will not give any info over the phone. It is incredibly annoying and to me an unnecessary drain on our healthcare system.

I remember a number of years ago I had had blood tests and the Drs offices called me to tell me I had to come back in. Well the mind goes into overdrive, I had myself 6ft under and pushing up daisies! When I got to the Dr it turned out I had low Iron and needed to take a supplement!

Hope yours is something as simple

Thankfully my doctor isn't like this. Once the results have been reviewed by the doctor, if they are okay the receptionist is allowed to say so. Depending on some results the nurse can tell you via the phone, if the results are significant then its another visit to the doctor.

[Redmaxx 740]

OK, went to see my primary last night. He isn't concerned about the Iron (right now) and said my ferritin level is high but it is a "low" high and could be linked to the possible IPMN on my pancreas. He said we will deal with the iron after I meet with the gastro doctor on Tuesday. They are on the same system so he will be able to see the results. He said that the report says cyst and if it is it will probably just need to be monitored, but if it is a tumor they may have to operate. So, now once again I sit and worry until Tuesday.

Thanks for all the good thoughts, kind words and support.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

7 hours ago, Redmaxx said:

He said that the report says cyst and if it is it will probably just need to be monitored, but if it is a tumor they may have to operate. So, now once again I sit and worry until Tuesday.

@Redmaxx

"Sitting and waiting" is hard to do. Hoping for good results. Take care

kathy

[Redmaxx 740]

16 hours ago, proudgrammy said:

@Redmaxx

"Sitting and waiting" is hard to do. Hoping for good results. Take care

kathy

Thanks Kathy.

Phil

[Frustr8 7,886]

Just thinking about you, will Continue to hope with Proud Grammy, I have enjoyed your posts so much Phil, don't want anything stopping THEM.

[Redmaxx 740]

So I went to the gastro doctor yesterday. He didn't even look at the images from the hospital. We went over the CT scan results and he said that even though the IPMN is small, he wishes it was smaller. I am going for a MRCP Scan on Monday (it is basically a MRI of your pancreas)(and I have to give them the disk with the CT scan images) and I go back to the gastro doctor in January and we devise a game plan on what we are going to do. He said I shouldn't worry (yeah, I tell that to my wife when I try to get her not to worry about something I am worried about). So good thing I am off work next week (I have use or lose leave). I told my wife that she is NOT to tell her family or my family or our girls about what is going on until we have a better idea of what we are dealing with. I really should tell my daughters but I don't want them to worry. I said it once and I will say it again, "So, now once again I sit and worry."

Edited November 14, 2018 by Redmaxx