Mama Kitty

[eloisel]

MK had to have emergency surgery today. I've been in the ER, pre/post op the last 20 hours and just recently had an opportunity to come home and feed the critters, get some things together and go back to the hospital. I'm waiting for some wash to finish because the kid's favorite pair of comfy jammies were in her dirty clothes. Plus, I have to charge up the cell phones - both hers and mine were on their last bit of energy when we left the house at 2 early Saturday morning intending only to meet some friends at Cafe Brazile in Dallas for early, early morning getting together with friends.

However, MK's guts decided to put a kink in the frivolity. Basically, her guts twisted and she had a hernia where she had surgery last year and the twisted guts did something to her lymphatic system which made some milky type substance collect in her guts.

Doc had to cut a big hole in her little, bitty stomach and fix all that. Friends came to visit and she is doing so much better.

 

[Friday]

Was this a leftover from her pancreas issues?

 

[Mirah]

I miss Mamma Kitty! Will she be in the hospital for a while?

 

[eloisel]

Friday,
From what I understand of it, she developed a hernia due to the long term complications she has had related to her surgery last year. Her guts slipped through that hole and strangled her lymphatic system stuff which produced the milky fluid that collected in her guts. Doc said that this type of thing happens on occasion to people who have had her type of surgery but only about 3-4%.

She is doing much better today but now her wound is bleeding. Fortunately, she is in the right place. We are very thankful that this didn't happen six months ago when she didn't have insurance.

Mirah,
Doc said Saturday before surgery that she would probably be in the hospital 3 to 5 days. She definitely won't be coming home today. Depending on how tomorrow goes, maybe she can come home Wednesday.

I took my laptop up to the hospital for her to use when she is able. So far she is only able to concentrate on it for a few minutes or so at a time, then she drifts off to sleep.

I just came home to take care of the critters, do some laundry and mow some on the yard. The last load is just about finished washing. Pretty soon I'll get ready and go back up to the hospital. She can have broth and coffee tonight and her doctor said she can get up, walk around, and I can push her outside in the wheelchair so she can smoke her electronic cigarette. She's excited.

See you later.
Thanks for the well wishes and concern.

 

['Gear]

Friday,
From what I understand of it, she developed a hernia due to the long term complications she has had related to her surgery last year. Her guts slipped through that hole and strangled her lymphatic system stuff which produced the milky fluid that collected in her guts. Doc said that this type of thing happens on occasion to people who have had her type of surgery but only about 3-4%.

She is doing much better today but now her wound is bleeding. Fortunately, she is in the right place. We are very thankful that this didn't happen six months ago when she didn't have insurance.

Mirah,
Doc said Saturday before surgery that she would probably be in the hospital 3 to 5 days. She definitely won't be coming home today. Depending on how tomorrow goes, maybe she can come home Wednesday.

I took my laptop up to the hospital for her to use when she is able. So far she is only able to concentrate on it for a few minutes or so at a time, then she drifts off to sleep.

I just came home to take care of the critters, do some laundry and mow some on the yard. The last load is just about finished washing. Pretty soon I'll get ready and go back up to the hospital. She can have broth and coffee tonight and her doctor said she can get up, walk around, and I can push her outside in the wheelchair so she can smoke her electronic cigarette. She's excited.

See you later.
Thanks for the well wishes and concern.

Why does she have to go outside to smoke her electronic cigarette?

 

[eloisel]

Why does she have to go outside to smoke her electronic cigarette?

That was my question. She said her doctor told her she could get up and walk around and even go outside and smoke the electronic cigarette but forbade her to smoke her regular cigarettes. Then her incision started bleeding again and they won't let her go outside. She is afraid to ask if she can smoke the electronic cigarette inside in case they tell her she can't smoke it period and she has forbade me from asking. I keep in mind that she is on lots of drugs and as long as it doesn't hurt her, I try to abide by her wishes to keep her stress level at a minimum.

 

[The Call Of Nature]

Give her a big hug from us all!
Bleeding is still better than an infection. Also, it washes the wound clean. Only if it bleeds too much I'd worry. However, by now it ought to stop.

 

['Gear]

That was my question. She said her doctor told her she could get up and walk around and even go outside and smoke the electronic cigarette but forbade her to smoke her regular cigarettes. Then her incision started bleeding again and they won't let her go outside. She is afraid to ask if she can smoke the electronic cigarette inside in case they tell her she can't smoke it period and she has forbade me from asking. I keep in mind that she is on lots of drugs and as long as it doesn't hurt her, I try to abide by her wishes to keep her stress level at a minimum.

I wasn't being a dick. I re-read the conversation and I could see how I could have come off snide or challenging. No offense meant. I was just curious. I'm sorry for you troubles.

Gear

 

[eloisel]

I wasn't being a dick. I re-read the conversation and I could see how I could have come off snide or challenging. No offense meant. I was just curious. I'm sorry for you troubles.

Gear

Don't worry. I didn't take it that way. It is a valid question and one I asked her as well. In her heavily drugged induced state, she doesn't make sense all the time. Just a few minutes ago she said she was going to the lake and wanted to know if I wanted to go with her. It is storming today. Even if we weren't here, we wouldn't be going to the lake.

I thought electronic cigarettes are not a tobacco product. Haven't done any research on them so not sure about that now.

 

[The Call Of Nature]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_cigarette
apparently there are different types: with and without nicotene. Mamma Kitty should avoid using those with nicotene as that substance may interfere with some of the medication. On the other hand, if she is an excessive smoker, that effect would possibly be less risky than a physical withdrawal.
I'd ignore her request and talk with the doctors about it. Better safe than sorry.

 

[eloisel]

She is on tons of meds right now so she isn't feeling the affects of nicotine withdrawal. She is missing the habit of the physical act of smoking - getting a cigarette out of the pack, lighting the cigarette, inhaling, exhaling, holding the cigarette in her hand, flicking the ashes into the ash tray. It is ritual and a comforting routine.

She has been asleep for a couple of hours this afternoon. I'd sneak out of here, go home and take a nice nap on my comfortable bed curled up with my cat but the minute I walked out of here she'd wake up and be upset. She gets real needy for mom when she isn't feeling well.

 

[eloisel]

She was finally coherent long enough to talk with the hospital staff about using an e-cigarette inside the hospital. She can, even if it does have some nicotene. The problem with smoking inside the hospital is with the fire aspect of regular cigarettes. Ok. I get that. However, people aren't allowed to smoke on hospital grounds, period, because of the negative impact on people's health. Oh well. Kid is happy. She has her e-cigarette.