I first received a call at work around 3:15 Tuesday. It was my uncle’s cell phone number on caller ID. Since I was super busy I let it go to voice mail. The voice mail message turned out to be from my mom, who said it was urgent I call her about Marissa. For the past few weeks she had been in the hospital, and was sent home Tuesday, against her wishes. Sensing the urgency I was able to reach my mom. She told me Marissa has been taken into emergency surgery, and described the situation as “life or death.” I decided to wait until after the surgery to determine what action to take.
I left work after receiving a second call from my mom post surgery, saying doctors thought she wouldn’t live through the night. My main objective, after hearing that, was to get on the next possible flight. So without much specific information I left work, headed home, and was able to book a 9:10 flight that had me home at about 9:30 this morning. I just through a bunch of clothes into a couple suitcases,and a friend picked me up to take me to the airport. It was only then could I have a clear conversation with my mom.
Marissa has suffered from a very tough case of crones/colitis since she was 10. She grew up a sick kid, it’s something we’ve struggled with as a family most of her life. She’s been in and out of the hospital too many times to count. About six years ago she underwent surgery most consider a sort of cure for the disease- having a large portion of her large intestine removed, and replacing it with a sort of medical bag to act in its place. This is a commonly done procedure.
Between some time when she went home
from the hospital Tuesday, and yesterday,part of her large intestine
that’s left exploded, disintegrated, and a hole formed- leaking toxic
stuff into her system. She grew sicker and sicker. Her belly area
became hard. When I last talked to her Sunday she was in severe pain.
She also thought she had a urinary tract system infection when I was
taking to her. That turned out to be a nearly sign her kidneys were
failing. She entered the hospital in a septic state.
About noon yesterday, my mom took Marissa to the ER. They performed a cat scan showing there was a serious problem. It was determined she needed emergency surgery because her vital signs, including her blood pressure bottoming out, kidneys shutting down, and extensive dehydration.
My mom told me the doctor told both her and Marissa there was a chance she would not survive the surgery. It was an extremely invasive procedure where they cut her whole mid section open. For two hours they cleaned out all the toxic mess they could inside of her. But there is still residual toxic stuff left over.
The biggest encouraging sign is she made it through the night. Doctors gave her a 5% chance of survival last night, and she beat that. For that entire 6-hour plane ride to Houston I did not know here status. So to hear her vital signs improving all day long is great news.
That is not to down play the seriousness of the situation. Right now we are still in an hour-by-hour watch period to see what happens. The doctor says things could still go baldy. She has been heavily sedated - placed in a semi-conscience state- to help her recovery along. That means she can’t communicate with any of us. The biggest problem is her lungs. They are completely surrounded by fluid. So she’s on this huge blue ventilation tube, which is down her throat to dry out her lungs. That’s breathing for her. So even if she was conscience she would not be able to talk. A tube is running down nose to suck anything toxic out of her stomach. Altogether she’s hooked up to 8 different tubes…most of which I have no idea other then they’re filling her with IV fluids and antibiotics to clean her system out.
To put it as the doctor did she is by no means out of the woods yet. Until I have a better idea about the prognosis I have no idea about any sort of time line. The good signs though before they sedated her she was trying to talk and write, therefore any thoughts she had brain damage from the surgery are false. Her kidneys are producing urine, therefore the doctors not as worried about kidney failure. Her blood pressure and heart rate also continue to improve. And most importantly she made it through the night.
That’s an update for now.
--Matt
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