Only a select few of those who I've seen in the past year have been privy to what I'm about to share here. It's something I never wanted to go public with; but being as it's reared it's ugly head again (and likely will for a very long time) I no longer hold reservations in sharing this information with my clients because it will bare a direct influence on my business over the next few weeks, months, and quite possibly years (should I remain working that long)...
While our family have not yet received an official diagnosis, my mother's gastroenterologist is fairly confident that given her symptoms, surgeries, and a new onset of infection that she has developed crohn's disease.
At first, in the summer of 2015, they had suspected she simply had a case of diverticulitis, and the condition was confirmed to be active upon endoscopy; however a massive intestinal blockage was also seen to be causing issues and infection which bore a visual resemblance to what's typically seen in crohns... It was uncertain whether the crohns like symptoms where due to the blockage, or if the diverticulitis was caused by the infection which the blockage itself had presented within the intestines; but with my mother having had a heart attack only months before the intestinal issues where becoming severe enough to send her to hospital several times, removal of the blockage via surgery was ill advised and she was left to suffer recurring episodes of severe pain in between ongoing antibiotic treatments which were used to keep the infection somewhat under control.
Though she had not started being hospitalized until the Spring of 2015, these past 2 years have been a medical nightmare for my mother with her suffering chronic pain and illness, and while there's nothing I can do for her- I do what I can in being there to care for her and my father whenever these flareups set in. Hoping that in some way what little I can contribute eases her pain, even just a little bit.
My mother had a heart attack in the spring of 2015. She had been recovering from a recent stay in hospital so naturally I was with her while she was rebuilding her strength. A very bad case of indigestion set in while we were talking in the living room. We assumed it was related to her gastrointestinal issues so she went to lay down as I prepared dinner for my father and my son. A banging on the floor upstairs sent me flying to her room as she told me she had another bit of very bad heartburn strike her. She asked me to call "telehealth" for some advise.
Something was wrong- I didn't know what but I knew that calling 911 was the answer, so I did.
The paramedics came, checked my mom's vitals, and sure as shit she was having an actual heart attack right there in the living room. My father and I were terrified.
Neither of us could go along in the ambulance. My son was out with friends, my daughter was with her father, and my father could barely walk (he's got something wrong with his knees- we don't know what at this point; but he's going for tests of all sorts and as we try to figure it out), so I called a cab to St. Mary's to make sure my mom wasn't alone, and to support her in any way that I could.
The wait seemed to take forever; but once she was wheeled out of surgery I was able to see her, and the surgeon informed me that my mother had flat lined twice.
I thank God I was there that day!
I'm so glad that I called 911 instead calling the telehealth line because the time which could have been wasted on talking over the phone was instead spent on paramedics assessing my mother's condition and transporting her to where she needed to be.
If I hadn't been there, my mother wouldn't have had a clear mind on hand and the support she needed to make emergency decisions on her behalf, and she very well could have died as a result...
Although her gastrointestinal issues began long before her heart attack, the complications of the blood thinners and my mother's healing from heart surgery made additional surgery for removal of the mass blockage inside her, ill advised.
In late February/ early March of 2016, after he had been hospitalized for 6th time in less than a year, my mom had to have emergency gastrointestinal surgery and part of her intestines removed because the baseball proportioned blockage was literally tearing through her intestines. The surgeon was surprised that she hadn't become septic, and said she was lucky she came in before the intestines burst, lest there be further complications as a result of waiting too long.
I could have kicked that cardiologist in the keister for not allowing my mother to have surgery months before it had reached this point; but I'm just glad that I was there for my mom when things got so bad for her, and kept going with her to all of her hospitalizations and medical appointments so we could stay on top things together.
Family is such an important thing, we all know this to be true; but as an only child with ailing parents I find myself being a constant caregiver, and sacrificing much of what I wish I could do with my own life, in order to provide a better life for those I love.
Make no mistake, I do this willfully and with my whole heart. I'm the type of person who even if she had siblings I'd be the first to drop everything I'm doing to take care of my parents and extended family without fail; but that doesn't mean I don't feel the effect which doing so has placed upon my life...
As for why I'm writing about all of this now-
We had expected that my mom wouldn't have any further issues for quite some time following the removal of the intestinal blockage and infected areas; however several months following that surgery her symptoms have returned...
Remember, "I'm the type of person who even if she had siblings I'd be the first to
drop everything I'm doing to take care of my parents and extended
family without fail" and I write this in preparation to do just that- in letting you know why I may have to take time off and cancel plans last minute.
I just want you to know that I'm not inconsistent because unprofessional or incapable; I'm inconsistent because I ALWAYS place family first!
Thank you to all my excellent clients for your understanding and continued support
~P
No comments:
Post a Comment