Prayers/Positive Thoughts Requested

[starcrossed]

Jun 24, 2009 7:12:28 GMT -5 keysunset said:

Hope you dad is home soon to recuperate, star! I think when you get a chance to breath (ha, ha, right?) you should get a massage to help your body work out all the stress.

Keeping you all in thoughts and prayers, special Star.

Thank you. Mom called early today and says that he may not come home today. He had a bad night and was sick three times with bile from the intestine. His doctor will check him out today, and see what they will do.

Breath? Do people do that still.... lol I think I have been working on one long breathe for quit some time now. No worries... I learned my lesson. I don't want to get sick, so I have been taking better care of myself. I look in better shape now than I ever have thanks to a healthy diet... and running around like crazy. Stress wise.. I try to read a little every night after I put my son to bed... or I have been dance training again at home.


* Um.. edited to fix my typo...

[BBE]

Star-- ! I hope your dad can go home tomorrow!

[starcrossed]

Thank you Nancy... still no new info to offer yet. I am waiting for a phone call or for my Mom to come home.

[starcrossed]

Well my Dad had to stay in the hospital another day... and we are not sure how many more days he may in fact have to stay in the hospital at this point. Wednesday night he was sick and all that day. The intestine still has bile in it, and his body is trying to get rid of it in any way it can.

The doctor's may have to place the tube back into my Dad's nose and throat, in order to help the body drain the remaining bile. The doctor's said that the bile is what is left in the system from removing the stomach, but now there is no stomach for the bile to return back to and it is lingering in pockets through the intestine's. His body is just reacting to all the changes it has been through they told my Mom.

They sent her home and told her to get some rest... so, she will find out what will happen tomorrow. They promised to call her stat if anything should change.

Here is hoping it was just one bad day... My Mom says that my Dad looked aged and tired today ( that is so not like him )

[dawn]

Star - lets hope today is a better day for your dad. I guess it makes sense that his body is trying to rectify itself to deal with the new challenges, it's horrible that it's so painful for your dad.

I did have a laugh at your stories of clumsy-ness (is that a word ) I went through a stage of going really pale & almost passing out - once I was waiting for the train with a girl I used to walk there with, she told me I didn't look well and I thought "No, not now" and sure enough, I was losing what little colour I had - Nicki (my friend) said "that's ok Dawn - if you're gonna fall, fall onto me & I'll catch you!" Now this probably wouldn't be a problem, apart from the fact I'm about 5' 8" and a UK size 18 (although I might have been bigger then), Nicki was about 5' and a UK size 8. Luckily, the train came, someone gave up their seat and in a few minutes I had colour again, but those instances were scary at the time, but now I find them funny!

Huge hugs for your dad - I hope he's recovering & its good to hear you're taking time for yourself too. I hope your mum is doing the same

[BBE]

Hoping things get better for you dad, Star!
He's been through a lot, so it's probably a good thing that they aren't sending him home too soon. That seems to be a problem in the health care system these days.

[starcrossed]

Thank you Dawn for the positive thoughts for my Dad. My Mom is tired and stressed... there are just so many things on her mind all the time. No matter how much I try to get her to come home early or to rest, she doesn't. Even the doctor at the hospital told her she needs to take care of herself. I am trying to do the best that I can, but she is a grown woman and I can only do so much.

I know she is worried about my Dad. Everything took it's toll on his body and spirit... he just has to find the strength to continue on his fight.

Did you know that my Dad and my Mom are supposed to get married? Yup... my Dad and Mom started to talk about it on and off throughout last year. Then sometime around Christmas my dad bought the rings and proposed to my my Mom. Wedding date was never set... they kept playing around with the date, but both agreed on something really small (just the ceremony).

I think they both were sick of the big wedding thing anyway. When they first were married they went to Vegas after the family started to go overboard on the wedding details... of course they came back home to a bunch of emotionally upset parents and relatives that wanted the big wedding...lol So, they had sucked it up and went ahead with a large second wedding ceremony that everyone could attend. That made everyone happy. Now they just want to do what works best for them, and we really have no other family anymore. We just have to wait till my Dad is well enough to have the ceremony.

I think it will be cool to have my parents married again. Big bonus... my brother and I get to attend the wedding, since as my Mom would put it "we weren't even thoughts in here head, just little angels sitting in the clouds somewhere in the sky," when she was married. Yup... not being born was a great reason not to have been invited... lol

The funny thing is that they have been divorced since I was 9 years old. And it has been a long road for both of them to come back to being in love with each other. Yet, I know that they really do love each other. I think it was just a journey they both needed to take to realize that. They needed to realize what they had in each other.

Anyway, I will update everyone when I hear anything new on my Dad.

Lot's of love...

Steph

[starcrossed]

PS... Dawn loved your story...LOL I think I have grown out of the nervous clumsy stage too. 32 years is plenty of time it seems for me to have learned not to be so self aware all the time. Thank goodness for that part coming with getting older

The walls and doorways jumping in front of my face, doesn't seem to be ending any time soon...lol If anything I am becoming less graceful in how hard I crash into them... but, I have gained speed in bounce off recovery and composure lol

[starcrossed]

Jun 25, 2009 12:59:36 GMT -5 BBE said:

Hoping things get better for you dad, Star! [img src="martycasey.org/emoticons/hugs.gif"]

[/IMG]
He's been through a lot, so it's probably a good thing that they aren't sending him home too soon. That seems to be a problem in the health care system these days.
[/quote]

Thank you Nancy. I agree with you as well about the health care system. The last thing hospitals should be doing is pushing out patients too quickly. That however has been the growing trend for many years.

Look at what has been going on with hospitals dumping homeless patients in skid row... just not right. They may be without a home or insurance, but they are people too and deserve to be treated with dignity. For whatever circumstances that brought them to that point in life, does not mean that they deserve to be treated as if they have no value at all.

Hopefully in the case with my Dad, the doctor's do what is right for him as a person and not what is best for them in the pocketbook.

[starcrossed]

Update:

My Dad has had fever all night of 99.4 degrees and has a high white blood count. They are going to do another CAT Scan, give him more IV fluid's, and check where the infection is in his body (since that is why his white blood count is high).

[dawn]

Wow Star - your parents love life/journey so far sounds pretty amazing. I hope they get to have the wedding they want soon.

I hope his temperature comes down real soon and his white blood count comes down. I know what you mean about your mum - you can't force her to go home & relax, and she probably feels like she's helping or "doing something" while your dad is ill.

You're right about the age thing - I stopped worrying about what people were thinking of me around the 30 mark (I think Art had something to do with that!), it made everything so much easier!

I hope this weekend brings good news for you Star.

[starcrossed]

Thank you Dawn... my parents have been through hell and back a few times, but they really do love each other. I think that is why they seemed to always... 'work' ... it's hard to explain. But, for all the bad stuff that they managed to build between them from the divorce, they still had this connection of sorts. They were friends...

Sometimes I think it is so funny. I look at my Mom and Dad and to me they are complete opposites in every way... but, they just in some odd way complete each other. Then again when I think about the strongest relationship that I saw growing up, and the one that I truly admired... well in that case I can see how some differences between partners can make everything alright.

My Grandparents where different too... but , in such a subtle way that they were almost the same. God how I miss them more and more each and every single day. They were my foundation... they were my light. I give full credit to both of them for any good qualities that I merit today as a human being. Any bad qualities I will blame on rock and roll...LOL Just kidding... no full blame goes on me for those. Bad habits are learned, but only kept in tact by a weak heart. The bad qualities I have can be mended... I just need to try harder.

Anyway... update time:

The doctor's managed to get his fever under control. They ran a CAT scan and a few other tests. Then placed a pick line in his shoulder to aid in getting him more nutrients into his system. They are still tracking the infection inside my Dad. The nurses told my Mom that the doctor would give her the results in the morning. The nurse had the results when my Mom was leaving the hospital for the night, but she told her that she couldn't read it unless the doctor did. She did however mention that it seemed to be an abscess inside the body from what she could read off the report. They are just keeping him moving and giving him lot's of pain medication to keep him comfortable.

There should be more information in the morning, after the doctor comes in for his rounds.

[starcrossed]

My Mom called me already. They found the abscess inside my Dad, and they are going to do a little procedure to go inside and drain the infection. They told her that it sometimes happens when an area inside the body after surgery. If they left it alone it would be too dangerous, so treating it is the best approach. Then antibiotics will take care of the rest of the healing. Overall, she says he does seem a little better today.

[jillywilly65]

Thanks for the update Steph. I am glad he is a little better today.I hope it's because he is getting rest? I hope the Dr's realize that and let him get all the rest he needs, ya know? Have you had a chance to get to see him yet?
Still praying for you guys.

[mcmaniac]

Starcrossed... I was just reading the posts about your dad. I was sorry to see that he has been so ill. So glad they seem to have found the problem. Now they can fix it and he can soon be feeling better.

[starcrossed]

My Dad still is not feeling better, although he has been sleeping more.

They couldn't drain the abscess that they found inside of him today, since his white blood count is way out of control. They have a pick line in his arm, started antibiotics, vitamins, and everything else under the sun to help get his body much needed energy. He is losing weight fast, and my Mom says that he doesn't look like himself at all. The doctor says that complications do happen, but they were more hopeful that he would have recovered faster from this. However, they did say that his body has been through quit a lot and that could be the reason why he is having a difficult time.

Tomorrow they will attempt to drain the infection from inside in a minor procedure, and then leave the tube in 'just in case'. They still can't understand why the white blood cell count is so high, but they are also having to give him two pints of blood. The hospital itself did not have that type on hand, so they called another hospital to have it brought in.

My Dad is ' A negative' blood type... semi rare from my understanding. I have the same blood type, but they will not take my blood since I do not meet the weight minimum requirement.

Lot's of prayers to everyone....

[starcrossed]

PS... Thank you for the continued thoughts and prayers. {{{Hugs}}}

[cfbj01]

Sorry to hear your Dad is still not feeling well Steph.

I hope things go better tomorrow.

Sending lots of positive thoughts to your Dad.

Take care.

[starcrossed]

Thank you CF....


Dad update: They couldn't remove the abscess since they say it is too close to the surgery point. They are trying to figure what will work. They can't reach it another way unless they go behind the ribs... that isn't a option at the moment for them to consider. They are sticking with antibiotics at the moment. The white blood count is going down. They also gave him the blood.


He did better overall today... I will update you as always.

[starcrossed]

Today was a fun day out however... my Brother wanted to get my son out of he house to see the Transformer movie and we ended up going the the ArcLight Movie Theater in Hollywood. My son saw the cars from the actual cars from the movie there in a car show exhibit they have there. It was little guys first trip to see part of his hometown... let's just say he was such a awe struck tourist shouting "OMG.... were in Hollywood!!!.... " it was priceless. He loved everything from the stars on the floor to the panhandlers in the streets... it was all new to him and he was amazed by it all.

I take it for granted having been born and raised into this world of sorts... LA is home... but to him.... it is all new. I love that. I can't wait to show him more places...