GM All.
Greg here I am a husband, Dad, Grandad, Father in law, wood working as a hobby, and a former Combat Military War/Working Dog handler and a Vietnam Vet.
I have been a Ostomate since 2015. I was blessed with high output Ileostomy with ,short gut and short bowel syndrome Here is how it started. At the time of all this KAOS, I was a a Culinary Arts Instructor and a Savory Chef for the Boys & Girls club of South Puget Sound.
In 10/14 my wife was screened for Uterine Cancer Stage. . In 12/15 I had my first ever colonoscopy. They found 3 pallups and remove them. 1/15 she was informed that she had stage 3 Uterine Cancer. So we focused on her treatment plan. At this point I was having back pains on right side toward my back. I ignored it just took Ibuprofen and focused on on M's cancer.
In 2/15 I was planning my menu and lesson plans for the upcoming month. I need to get some supplemental groceries for that days class. So of coursed I jumped into the car and headed for store. I got this twinged of pain in my back, so painful I pulled into a Jack in the Box and got something to before I took 3 hits of Ibuprofen and was going to continue on. However i didn't I went back to school, and proceeded to fall on face in front of the principal. I was in pain beyond belief. Paramedics were called, my boss his boss and my wife were all summoned to the school. I was conscious at the time of the arrival of these people. My boss and his boss said I was not to return to work until they my Doc's OKIE DOKIE. Well to say that didn't happen.
My wife headed for home with me in tow. Now to put this perspective we lived 53 miles from the school in the foothills of Mount Rainier just outside of Tacoma WA. As we crossed the Nisqually River bridge I told her to mash the gas and take me to the Hospital in Morton WA another 18 miles ahead. She did and I was greeted by the Chief medical officer of the Hospital. He was just on his rotation through the ER that day. He took pictures of my the problem area and a cat-scan with contrast. He found several abscesses the largest one being on my gull bladder the size of silver dollar.. At this point I was evac to a Hospital in Olympia,WA.
At ST. Peters in Olympia I went through more tests and had a mechanical pump insert into me on my right side which very painful as I couldn't have any meds as I needed to control my breathing while this was being inserted. At the 5 day mark of my stay the Doc's determined that pump wasn't doing what they had hope in finding the cause of the infections. So while we were discussing this ( my wife, GI doc and my Doc ) I had a severe pain on my right side. It was determined by the Doc's that I need a exploratory surgery to see what was up. They 45 minutes to 90 minutes and I would be back in my room. 11 hours later I was returned to my room in great pain. My wife was called to come to the hospital so they found her a Substitute and she headed towards me some 35 miles away. Doc Brennan the surgeon brief M on what had happen so far in the surgery and explained to her what was left to do. The surgery team add a GI surgeon, Cardio Surgeon , and 2 more surgical nurses.
When they cut me open a black cloud escaped my chest cavity. He called for more fans to remove the smell and what ever else was needed to be done. My blood had been severely compromised by the infection which now was determined to be the worse case of Diverticulitis that any of the Doc's had seen in their careers. They had to remove everything that could. My abdominal cavity had to be scrape to remove the infection from the fat. I was let with 18 inches of the Ileum hence the Ileostomy.
I spent the next 45 day at the hospital while I recovered from the surgery. I had 3 complete blood trans fusion until they were certain the blood was clean for all of the infection. I had PT,Nutritionists,breathing exercises, and more walking the floor so blood clots didn't form in legs from lack of use. I learned about how to change my gear and I had WCON'S working with me to prepare me for the next stage.
Needless to say I spent the next year getting my life and career back under control. I was removed from the Teen Chefs Culinary Arts program to being the Nutrition and exercise program staff. I was told that the club Program director needed another male over at the elementary school. In 2018 I retired from the clubs serving them for 20 years.
I now co-founder of the South Sound Ostomy Support group in Tacoma WA and the Pierce County area. We are a small group.and still using Zoom for our monthly meetings. We have a Facebook page and just put the finishing touches on our web page. I am a Patient advocate through the alive and kicken Program through UOAA.
Well folks I have your bent ear enough for now. Chat with you all later.
Greg aka G
