Unconditional Love

Yesterday we got a call from Joe’s gastro doctor, the surgery he had in May to fix his damaged duodenum isn’t working the way it should. The doctors bypass the duodenum and reattached to the stomach creating a new site for the food to go through. Well the food is still going through the old site and through the new site too. His new doctor has no idea why this is happening. Joe had a test done two weeks ago and it only shows how the food travels, it didn’t show why it’s going through both sites.

The gastro doc wants to do an endoscopy so the camera will see what is actually going on. In order for him to have this procedure they have to bridge his warfarin (blood thinner) with injectable blood thinners so that he can have the procedure. Procedures like this for someone on warfarin are very risky. Chances of hemorrhaging are much higher. If they can’t do the scope then he has to live with the throwing up and upset stomach all the time.

Joe is at the end of his rope with the vomiting and his stomach hurting all the time. He knows the risks and is willing to take it to fix his stomach. If the doctor finds an obstruction or the previous surgery was botched, they will have to go in surgically to fix the problem. Once again, it’s very risky for Joe. We have to make a decision with the LVAD team so we are prepared.

These decisions are so difficult to make since the first hospital has caused so much damage. I’m not sure about all this, I want Joe to feel better and be able to eat, but then again I don’t want him to die on the table trying to fix it. I’m so torn. Of course he’s all for fixing it and I don’t blame him.

I hate that we have to make these decisions, I’m upset that the problem he originally went in for wasn’t fixed, how do you trust any doctor with your well being when something like this happens ? Now here we are again having to make DECISIONS once again about his life. Praying hard this week that these doctors will get together and have a plan to help Joe feel normal again.