Life: Thanksgiving 2009 & Small Bowel Obstruction, episode IV

Thanksgiving day is coming to a close.

There is much to be thankful for.

I am thankful that God has "shown up."

God demonstrated his love for us while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Words like sin don't go over so well these days. But looking in our lives and around the world, there is the sense that things are not the way they should be. We can call those things by many names: injustice, unfairness, suffering, crime, racism, alienation, etc.

Bottom line: sin.

Ugly three letter word.

But Jesus came to give us life and began the process of restoration. Thanks be to God!

Am thankful for God's gracious gift of my beloved bride! She has been a source of joy, encouragement, strength, humor, faith and simple day-to-day partnership. The aforementioned have especially been true during my latest hospitalization.

Am thankful for the nurses, doctors and staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

On Saturday morning, October 31, my father-in-law and wife drove me to the ER with the familiar abdominal pain mixed with a fever and body aches.

For followers of this blog, you know I have been hospitalized for small bowel obstruction in 2004, 2005 and earlier in 2009. This ailment is usually treatable but anytime you get admitted as an inpatient in a hospital, it is a concern. And any condition that might require surgery is serious.

The initial x-ray and CT didn't indicate bowel obstruction but my symptoms and prior medical history couldn't be ignored so I was admitted into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for overnight observation.

Because of my fever (the docs said at one point I was at 102) and muscle aches and shivering, the MDs thought it was possible I was suffering from a bad bout of "some kind of virus messing with my guts." If so, it should clear up and I would be out of the hospital.

Alas, Sunday morning, from midnight to 6am, the waves of abdominal cramps hit. I was given morphine twice during that time.

The x-ray this time clearly suggested small bowel obstruction.

By Monday, the NG tube went in. Tuesday's x-ray didn't look much better and surgery was a possibility.

This surgeon blogger described the issues around small bowel obstruction and when surgery would be called for.

Wednesday's x-ray looked better and they turned off the suction on the NG tube and waited to see if much fluid accumulated. It didn't so the NG tube came out and I had broth for dinner. Thursday was more broth for breakfast and soup for lunch. I was released by mid-afternoon Thursday, November 5.

A big thank you to the medical professionals at CSMC!


Disclaimer: The material above is a description of my health experience. Though I have attempted to be accurate I am not a medical professional. If you are in need of actual medical advice, please contact your physician.