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Saw Dr. Eubanks today
3/23/11 11:21 pmAnd I discussed the pros and cons of surgery with her. She is of the opinion (as I am) that it really boils down to weighing the 40-50% risk of wound infection post-surgery on the one hand against the repeated risk every time I have bile reflux of aspiration, then pneumonia. And she stated right out loud and clear so that Mike could hear that aspiration pneumonia can kill you.
I don't think Mike had internalized how serious aspiration pneumonia is -- it's different from bacterial pneumonia because you're not only dealing with the pneumonia, you're also dealing with chemical damage to the bronchial tree from the bile, and bacteria from the digestive tract which are where they are not supposed to be (in your lungs). Altogether a very hairy and extremely serious situation.
Whereas with a wound infection, all they have to do is treat it appropriately. It was the inappropriate treatment of my infection after the WLS that made me a wobbler; if the son-of-a-bitch had just given me Levaquin to start with, I'd never have had gent, and all this lovely shit my life has turned into would not have happened.
Anyway.
Dr. Sweeney at Emory said he would put me on Rocephin before, during, and after the surgery. That's what the surgeon who did my hernia repair had me on, and I did just great after it. Now the only snag is how Dr. S will deal with that hernia repair -- will he be able to just cut it then stitch it back together or what.
But I'm calling tomorrow to tell them that I've decided to have the surgery.
And joy of joys, since I'm 53, I also get to have a colonoscopy!! What fun. At least I'll have lovely Versed (aka six-pack in a needle) so I won't be there for the proceedings. I'll find out when that's scheduled in the next day or so.
Of course I'll keep you all informed of what will be happening when.
I don't think Mike had internalized how serious aspiration pneumonia is -- it's different from bacterial pneumonia because you're not only dealing with the pneumonia, you're also dealing with chemical damage to the bronchial tree from the bile, and bacteria from the digestive tract which are where they are not supposed to be (in your lungs). Altogether a very hairy and extremely serious situation.
Whereas with a wound infection, all they have to do is treat it appropriately. It was the inappropriate treatment of my infection after the WLS that made me a wobbler; if the son-of-a-bitch had just given me Levaquin to start with, I'd never have had gent, and all this lovely shit my life has turned into would not have happened.
Anyway.
Dr. Sweeney at Emory said he would put me on Rocephin before, during, and after the surgery. That's what the surgeon who did my hernia repair had me on, and I did just great after it. Now the only snag is how Dr. S will deal with that hernia repair -- will he be able to just cut it then stitch it back together or what.
But I'm calling tomorrow to tell them that I've decided to have the surgery.
And joy of joys, since I'm 53, I also get to have a colonoscopy!! What fun. At least I'll have lovely Versed (aka six-pack in a needle) so I won't be there for the proceedings. I'll find out when that's scheduled in the next day or so.
Of course I'll keep you all informed of what will be happening when.
