So there I was lying prone on an operating table in a ice cold theatre - trussed up like a chicken, puking blood and guts - and all I heard was:
'We're going to have to cut you from your sternum to your WHOO HOO; unpack all your organs to try and find WHERE the hell you are spurting blood from! Just relax...' HA!
And Yip - they did it - literally unpacked what feels like THE LOT - gave my liver to Muhammed Ali for 15 round of sparring - my spleen they just chucked on the floor and stomped on for a couple of minutes and then they found the source of my 'Ol Faithful' spurter - (a ruptured Artery in the Lower Duodenum) which at this point had cost me the princely sum of 5 - yes FIVE - litres of blood. And so they promptly cut and sewed me up - in what lasted as a two hour operation.
In the words of the surgeon 'We came DANGEROUSLY close to losing you on the table'... Nice - very nice thought!
It appears that 'Ol Faithful' had been contributing to the cause of my malaise over the last year - and it all came to a head - so to speak - on the 27th of September - when I started to puke blood. Ever the optimist - I left it until the Monday - in the hopes that it would resolve itself, cos I didn't want to worry Robs!
By the time we hit the hospital I had lost about a litre of blood over three days - but by the time they had done two endoscopes to try and see if they could find the bleed - which they couldn't - I had lost about three litres of blood and then by the time they realised I was in serious trouble and shipped me off to theatre - I had lost about 4 litres of blood - and yes peeps it was LITRES - not pints - my blood pressure had plummeted to a top pressure of 45!
So after a massive operation in which they removed a foot of my intestines and a humongous blood transfusion, they managed to stablise me enough to move me to the High Dependancy Unit - where I spent 4 and a half days in a hazy bliss mist of Morphine; Ketamine and the constant bleep of heart machines.
I have only just been released - but came home to a mass of cards; and emails. So thanks to everyone who was so concerned and sent your love and wishes - it is VERY much appreciated!
I just wanted to tell you all I am okay - just a bit sore - and feel like me insides are gonna fall out the scar everytime I stand up - but I am on the mend and will keep you all posted.
On the migraine and headache front, the results of the MRI scan I had just before going in to hospital has come back and shown a cyst in the septum pellucidum and is related to the ventricular system - WHAT that means at this stage - I don't know - but I have an appointment to see a new Neurosurgeon soon - so I'll keep you posted on that front too! Good Lord - only a few pips shy of forty and I nearly fell apart!
Clearly I have a mission I haven't completed just yet - and for that I am grateful!
All my Love
Ryan
-x-
4 comments:
Welcome home Ryan! Gosh - how very scary! So Robyns poison didn't finish you off then?? She'll have to try harder next time!
A bleeding stomach ulcer, I'm assuming?? How very ..er.. mature of you to have one of those!! You must be fibbing about your age! You're in your 50's aren't you??
And as for the cyst in your grey matter - It could've been there since birth you know ... but I won't frighten you any more!!
Seriously - glad you ar ok and get to fight another day. Keep us posted on the brain saga. xx
(Did they actually find a brain on the MRI?)xxx
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Good grief Ryan! I am so glad they sorted out the aneurism!! A BP of 45 is hardly something to brag about :P Now let's hope the cyst can get sorted out without as much fuss and unnecessary attempts at garnering attention ;)
In my situation it WOULD be my mother coming to live 5kms down the road from me being the cause of sleepless nights and aneurisms ;)
Be well and keep blogging!
Dearest dearest Ryan and Robs and Shaugs. I have only JUST read this Dr's report from last year, and your must have wondered where the Harding Senior compassion and literary abilities had gone. West!!! Ohmigosh, Ryan what can we say, you obviously really are meant, not only to be around,( but those years'long testings with "highly traumatic "happenings" along the way for you and the whole family) apart from the God-given character is has developed (the humour He gave you was NOT an after thought!!) - something in you that means a huge open channel of "all that God is" is opening to people who have no hope! You brave, wonderful crazy, marvellous family, what an AWESOME God you serve. Thank God something has been "found" to possibly explain the past years' "hell". Love the Hardings
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