happy 75th Birthday to me, A discharge from the Hospital. Woopee!

September 7, 2017

"Wow"! That's what the Top, Liver transplant surgeon said.  He had never seen such a huge cyst in a Liver before.

I saw the pictures of the CAT scan, and the cyst (like a water balloon) is about 8x 7x 4 inches and it is so large that it has moved my intestines around to make room for it.

On Saturday, Sept Ist, I woke up with a dull pain in my abdomen.  Thinking it was a gas pain, I drove on to West Virginia to visit Shaklee friends, a Mother and daughter, I hadn't seen for about 20 years.  I had a wonderful trip up, even though it was the Friday before the Labor Day Holiday.  They fed me a delicious Vegan lunch and we had such a great visit.  The Mother is 97 years old, getting around real good with her walker and she is in her right mind and she is still beautiful.  She sold real estate until she was 83.  Way to go Flourishing!  Her daughter's husband was in College with me, and he passed away about a year ago, and I hadn't seen her since.   They live in a beautiful historic part of West Virginia in the town of Shepherdstown at the beginning of the C & O canal, near the Civil war battle of Antetiam, with country roads and quaint towns and villages.  My ancestors are buried very near there.  Beautiful!

 I had a good trip back with very little traffic.  When I returned I still had the pain and it hadn't moved.  I decided to rest on Sunday and about noon on Monday, I went to an Urgent Care facility to get it checked out.  They noticed a "mass" in my abdomen and sent me to Southern Maryland Hospital.  My Step Daughter took me and stayed until 2 AM. Her daughter came and I insisted that they go home, since they both had to work the next day.  I spent the night in the emergency room until they could find a bed and admit me.

They did a CAT scan and found the cyst in my Liver.  They said my liver function was PERFECT!  I had a great time there and adopted a daughter. 

I was transferred by ambulance to Georgetown Hospital ( A teaching hospital) in Washington DC.  On the way, I listened to the streaming live broadcast of out church Bible Study, te ambulance attendant listened too and was saying amen to key points,  she was a Christian and she said she enjoyed it.  I stayed in the emergency room there until 2AM and then was admitted.

 I got a wonderful corner room with a large bath and shower, a computer desk and recliner chair and of course, a bed.  The service was awesome!  Anything I needed was supplied even before I knew I needed it.  God is so awesome!  Everyone was so attentive, caring and wonderful!  I had a ball!

Personal:

My pain was only when getting in and out of bed and then it was minimal, and finally turned into just discomfort.

Because I was in a teaching hospital, Dr. "wannabees", were constantly coming to observe.   I don't think they had ever seen such a healthy person (except for the water balloon in my liver).

September 8, 2017

I was discharged yesterday after 2 days because they could not justify my staying.  I had no issues (except for the huge "water balloon" in  my liver. EVERYTHING ON MY BLOODWORK WAS NORMAL,NORMAL, NORMAL...  Chest XRay NORMAL, EKG, NORMALStress test NORMAL  I didn't have my Shaklee supplements for 5 days but I was OK.  They would have allowed me to take them but I didn't have them.  I took no medication the whole time and the only thing I allowed was the contrast for the CAT scan and Stress test.

My blood pressure went up one time to (175/111), because I was so excited, but Jesus and me brought it down within 2 minutes to 120/87! PRAISE THE LORD!  They had to prescribe blood pressure medicine (because that is the system, but when I said no, they couldn't argue).  My Potassium was slightly low one time, (I didn't have Alfalfa) and they wanted to give me a Potassium medicine and I said no, so then they offered me a banana and it came back up! Woopee!

I was on "nothing by mouth" from Monday to Wednesday evening , when I had my first meal (It was Vegan,) YAY.  I had Vegan the whole rest of the time. It was great! ( I have been doing Vegan meals, mostly for the last two months.)

My take on this: 

Our bodies will encapsulate foreign elements in the body to keep the body safe from foreign stuff.  I asked the Dr. about it, she thought it was a good theory. They don't think it is malignant because I am so healthy.

Friday, Sept. 8th

I was discharged today, my step daughter brought me back to Ronnie's son's house but because we would be sitting in traffic, we decided to go to her favorite   "office" at National Harbor. (A McDonalds restaurant that has an out door seating area, overlooking the Potomac River.)  It was a beautiful evening, so we fellowshipped and enjoyed the beautiful sunset on the water as we waited for traffic to die down.

Saturday, Sept 9th

I woke up nauseous, but couldn't bring anything up.  I had the first opportunity to take my Shaklee food supplements in 5 days, it was great.  I began to have severe pain, which I thought was gas pains.  They were so bad that I called my insurance nurse and she suggested we go back to Georgetown U. Hospital's Emergency room, which we did.

I was in such pain by then, that I actually agreed to two shots of Morphine, just to ease the pain.  It did help.  That was the last pain medicine I have had.

They admitted me after a CAT scan revealed that the "balloon" had ruptured and the contents spilled out into my abdominal cavity, causing the great pain.   They also noticed a hernia in my belly button area.  They said they would do surgery on Monday.  Dr. Fishbine, head of the Transplant surgery department would perform the surgery.

Monday, Sept 11, 2017

Just before the transporters came to take me down to surgery ( around 1 PM), a Minister from my church, and his wife came by to pray with me.  He prayed a beautiful prayer, and I was ready to go.

I returned to my room at around 10:30 PM, after a successful surgery,  They started out to do laposcopy surgery ( a tiny hole through my belly button) but had to make a bigger incision to do a "hand assist" to take out most of the "balloon" and remove the fluid from the liver and my abdomen.  Thy also removed my gallbladder (which they said I didn't need.)  The "balloon" was attached to it

After the surgery I have had no pain and only discomfort when I maneuver getting in and out of bed, walking etc..  It gets better every day.  I have been on no medication for pain since Saturday and going home with no medications.  This event has let me know how healthy I really am.  I trusted God through it all, I had no stress (except excitement) and no anxiety or even apprehension.  I knew He had me cared for and  I was looking forward to how He would work it out.

September 14, 2017

HAPPY 75TH BIRTHDAY TO ME!  I will be discharged today!