POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Pre-HAART Long-Term Survivors => Topic started by: LongTimeSurvivor on June 11, 2012, 03:20:11 pm
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Went in Wednesday for surgery on my jaw. Expected to be out of the hospital that day and back home recuperating. Unfortunately it was the recovery that almost killed me.
My vocal cords spasmed and cut off my air supply. They had to forcibly intubate me. Which made even more of a mess of things. Luckily I was still out and didn't know anything till Friday morning. Then I had to be awake with three tubes shoved down my throat and have the wonderful experience of vomiting while intubated. It really must be personally experienced to understand what it was like...there are no words that can possibly do the job...
Finally got out of the hospital yesterday, Sunday, evening. Getting stronger but wear out easy. Lost 17lbs. Lost my nice perky butt too. So much for all those lunges and squats I suffered through. But still have the abs...just more defined now...sort of look like ribs...oh...that's what they are...oh well...
Anyway, I'm alive...or hell looks an awful lot like NYC...
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Hugs. Get well soon.
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Wow, sounds like an awful experience.
Being intuibated sounds bad enough, let alone tossing your cookies.
I hope you recover quickly.
Positive energy heading your way.
HUGS,
Mark
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WOW Dean :-[ well I'm glad your ok, man that's quite an experience cannot say I've ever been thur one like that before , if you don't mind me asking, what type of surgery did you have on your jaw-bone ::)
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what type of surgery did you have on your jaw-bone ::)
It's so he can unhinge his jaw, ala snake like, for that extra deep throat.
Somehow I think Dean might like "that" explanation.
Joe
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It's so he can unhinge his jaw, ala snake like, for that extra deep throat.
Somehow I think Dean might like "that" explanation.
Joe
;D giggles
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killfoile...how do you know it didn't already do that... ;D
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killfoile...how do you know it didn't already do that... ;D
Big Sister Joe (killfoile) knows all and see all around these forums , and don't you forget it Dean :-*
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killfoile...how do you know it didn't already do that... ;D
It would not surprise me and do PM me your doctors number.
I figured any guy who defines a LTS as "a small feral animal that is hard to kill", has a pretty sick sense of humour. 8)
Joe
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video clip of the vomit, please.
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video clip of the vomit, please.
;D LOL Joel ;D
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Tapes go for $100...DVDs $200...
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...and actually I like my description of LTSs...and, unfortunately, I think we do sometimes live like small feral animals...out of sight...and persistently seem to be able to stay alive...when in reality most of us should be...well, you know...
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Met with my surgeon today expecting it to be just a checkup. He did check my stitches and ask some questions but the actual reason for me to be there was for him to talk about what happened in the recovery room.
Apparently things were worse than I thought. I'm not exactly sure how this will come out because I'm...just not sure...
My surgeon was there in the room as all of this was happening which is not what I had initially been led to believe. I thought all the surgical staff had been gone. He said it was frightening for him to watch what was going down. It was bleak in there. He was going to lose a patient.
I wasn't maybe bad off, I had passed that point already. I was in the zone of organs should be shutting down, heart should be racing and beating erratically and it should look like those scenes on TV dramas where everyone is racing around...which in this case they were. Nothing was working. My blood oxygen level was in the low 60s. It's considered extremely dangerous in the 70s. The only thing that gave them time was that my heart, for whatever reason, didn't race out of control. It just beat at 70 beats per minute through the whole thing.
Finally they were able to get me in-tubated. Which was hard to do because so much blood was already in the way they couldn't see what they were doing. They simply had to go by how it felt when pushing the stuff down my throat.
I've always thought that dying in this situation is the best way to go. I still do. I didn't know any of this was going on and if I had died I never would have known. Still my feelings right now are...difficult to interpret. I just feel very quiet.
I thanked the doctor for being honest about what happened and telling me in person. He felt awful about what all I had gone through. It wasn't his fault. I don't know that it was anyone's fault. I'm not going to sue. I know there are risks with any type of surgery.
Anyway, this all happened today and I'm about to go out to sit for a bit. Hope y'all have a great evening and a great weekend.
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I hope your doctor said:" Are you sitting down?" before telling you all this. Thats a lot to take in. Good that you have a strong heart.
Give yourself lots of time to recover!
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The gift that keeps on giving...
Starting to get the bills from my unfortunate extended stay at the hospital. Insurance says they won't pay the hospital bill. Plus there are all those $1,000 a visit specialist who peeked in the door to see how I was doing...not that I knew.
I'm doing my best Scarlett O'Hara...I'll think about that tomorrow...
Unfortunately my acting skills aren't up to the role. Trying not to let my anxiety start up again, not to mention my depression. On top of all that I keep finding out fun little facts about my experience...like I was seconds away from having a tracheotomy when they finally got the tube through my vocal cords. (I suppose the upside would be I could advertise in the sex ads - "three holes to fill!")
Aztecan...make sure you've talked to your doctor about this. No doctors who refuse to take your insurance. Have it written in your hospital notes...just like who they can talk with about your medical condition.
Anyway, taking my 2mg Lorazepam...
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Glad you pulled through ok. Hope your recovery is smooth.
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Wait... I want an updated photo .
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Bear60...As if I don't have enough issues...
There you go...just throwing another log on the fire...
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Dear LTS,
Wow I imagine, you must be feeling battered and bruised inside and out, Like you I try to summun up as much humour as I can to get through these things , but clear calls with death are mighty powerful events with consequences , so I wish all the best and hope you are in a good place .
Does your insurance cover all this? Like the peep around the door $1000 specialist, I can peep around the door especially for $1000.
So I send this with all hope that your recovery is going well
love michael
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Sorry Theyer...for some reason I didn't see your post.
At this point in time everyone is resubmitting their bills to the insurance company. Initially the company wasn't going to pay and the hospital bill alone was in the mid 60s. So...waiting to see what comes of that.
For a $1,000 I could do more than just peep around the door... ::)
Parts are recovering but still haven't regained weight. Stamina comes and goes. My doc is wanting to put me on Serostim. He doesn't feel my recovery is going as well as it should...especially considering that I was in great shape before all this happened. So am now waiting to see if they will preauthorize.
Thanks for your concern...
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hey LTS,
missed your original post. sorry.
yikes!
what an experience!
and now the fun of dealing with the insurance company issues.
my heart goes out to you.
i just updated my lack of progress fileing for ssdi and having to deal with the government but after reading about your ordeal...
hope you continue to improve and keep that sense of humor!
mitch
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Wow guy.
Sounds like you've been thrown a big-ass curve ball. It also sounds like you have a decent support system. Use them. Get well. Peace. Rob