My Wife is in the hospital in the worst way...
June, my wife, recently had left shoulder replacement but that wasn't the source of her pain. I took her to the emergency room in Fayetteville, GA on Monday due to the pain in her neck and shoulders getting worse everyday. After doing MRI's, CAT scans and a biopsy they've determined she has upper spine cancer and lung cancer and now have moved her to a hospital in Atlanta. She's always been in good health and now we're hit with this news and it was the most shocking thing we've ever experienced.
To make matters worse I can't be with her because of the virus. I'm having to sit at home and talk to her and the doctors by phone. When she calls crying over the pain it's about more than I can handle. Knowing she lying there suffering and there's nothing I can do about it is the worse thing I've ever had to deal with. I was able to stay with her in the hospital room from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM at the hospital in Fayetteville for 3 days but since they moved her to Atlanta yesterday I can't visit her at all.
She is supposed to have surgery on her neck this Sunday morning. The doctor said this surgery will take 8 or 9 hours. Her C 2 vertebrae is deteriorated and putting pressure on the spine and it appears there's a tumor in the C3 vertebrae that's destroying it also. The doctor is concerned about having good bones to attached the rods and screws to in order to support the neck to get the pressure off of her spine which is causing the pain. I asked him about not having the surgery and doing the radiation treatment first and then doing the surgery and he said the radiation treatment will damage the tissue to where they couldn't do the surgery. He said she'll have to wait about 4 weeks before the radiation and chemo treatments can be started after the surgery.
I've talked to 3 or 4 different doctors today. It looks like it's going to be a long ordeal to recovery but they said her being in such good health otherwise that she has a good chance of making a recovery.
June and I have been together since we were just kids, she's 69 and I'm 71. If she goes I don't think I'll be able to continue without her.
If anyone feels like saying a prayer for her it will be appreciated.
To make matters worse I can't be with her because of the virus. I'm having to sit at home and talk to her and the doctors by phone. When she calls crying over the pain it's about more than I can handle. Knowing she lying there suffering and there's nothing I can do about it is the worse thing I've ever had to deal with. I was able to stay with her in the hospital room from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM at the hospital in Fayetteville for 3 days but since they moved her to Atlanta yesterday I can't visit her at all.
She is supposed to have surgery on her neck this Sunday morning. The doctor said this surgery will take 8 or 9 hours. Her C 2 vertebrae is deteriorated and putting pressure on the spine and it appears there's a tumor in the C3 vertebrae that's destroying it also. The doctor is concerned about having good bones to attached the rods and screws to in order to support the neck to get the pressure off of her spine which is causing the pain. I asked him about not having the surgery and doing the radiation treatment first and then doing the surgery and he said the radiation treatment will damage the tissue to where they couldn't do the surgery. He said she'll have to wait about 4 weeks before the radiation and chemo treatments can be started after the surgery.
I've talked to 3 or 4 different doctors today. It looks like it's going to be a long ordeal to recovery but they said her being in such good health otherwise that she has a good chance of making a recovery.
June and I have been together since we were just kids, she's 69 and I'm 71. If she goes I don't think I'll be able to continue without her.
If anyone feels like saying a prayer for her it will be appreciated.
0
-
Thanks for the update. Glad you get to see her tomorrow.
0 -
Prayers for comfort, peace and wisdom for all involved...... 0 -
Thats terrible, I'm really sorry to hear that.
0 -
You all are in my prayers. 0 -
My thoughts are going out to both of you Smitty.
0 -
Sorry I somehow missed your posting yesterday, prayers definitely being sent for both 
0 -
Prayers sent 0 -
I pray that the doctor's hands are divinely guided during her surgery. 0 -
Greg, you and June and Dreher and his Wife were all in my Prayers last night.
Wishing you all the best possible outcome.
0 -
KenK/84Bravo said:
Greg, you and June and Dreher and his Wife were all in my Prayers last night.
Wishing you all the best possible outcome.
Ken that's very kind of you and we appreciate all the prayers from everybody.0 -
Smitty500mag said:kimi said:Smitty, what Barzillia says makes sense. One family member was allowed when my wife had her two brain surgeries this year, and that's in the Seattle area! I cannot imagine such a heartless treatment policy under the circumstances that you and June are suffering.
Thanks Brarzillia, kimi, mogley and everyone else for suggestions.
I called and talked to a rep at the hospital and she said they may be able to permit me to visit for one hour tomorrow afternoon. She said they are being very strict about it and that she would have to get it approved from higher up and would call me back a little later today. I guess since the President is sick it's put everything back on high alert?
The surgery has been rescheduled again back to Monday morning at 7:30 AM instead of tomorrow morning. I talked to the surgeon late yesterday and he said he wants to schedule the surgery early no matter what day it takes place on instead of late in the evening so they wouldn't be working into the morning hours. He said he wanted the team to be fresh because it's going to take 8 or 9 hours to do the surgery. I guess getting the operating room and all the parts and pieces scheduled is a pretty big undertaking.
Thanks again for all the prayers and suggestions.IF she were having difficulty with the instructions for her care, or making decisions related to her care they would almost have to let you in. Not advocating anything nefarious but under the circumstances it wouldn't be unusual for her to need help processing the care/treatment plan therefore allowing you to be there.
When I received my cancer diagnosis the Dr added that my wife needed to be with me for medical necessity and the hospital has allowed her to be there with me. God Bless you and your wife as I said earlier I can't imagine how difficult this is for you both.
0 -
prayers for both of you 0 -
Smitty,Smitty500mag said:
No, she's at Piedmont. Her surgeon has great reviews so we're just praying he can fix her.jimdeere said:Smitty, is she at Grady?
4 years ago a surgeon at Piedmont saved my life when he had to remove a foot of my large intestine due to a blood clot that caused gangrene to set in. Other doctors I've seen since then said it had to be a miracle that I lived because of the gangrene.
This sure is a helpless feeling. I feel like I at least need to be sitting out in the parking lot of the hospital if nothing else but I know that's stupid because it won't accomplish anything but I feel like I'm uncaring just sitting here doing nothing. What would you guys do?
After my wife was rushed by ambulance to the hospital after our recent car crash I did exactly as you want to do. I sat in the parking lot. I wanted to be go in to see her as soon as they would let me in. I sat there with my brother who brought me to the emergency room and when I was done in the ER I for my injuries I waited in my brothers car.
As far as I was concerned the car is the new waiting room. Both of you are in my prayers.0 -
I was supposed to have only spent an hour visiting with her today but there was a good head nurse on the floor and she said I could stay until 15 minutes before her shift change. She didn't want anyone one else coming in to know I had stayed that long. I stayed from 1:00 PM until 6:30 PM.
There are some real angels that work in hospitals. June has had some of the best and when I was in for surgery 4 years ago I had several that were God sent taking care of me. Thank God for those women.
Tomorrow and Tuesday I'll have to call back and get approved again to visit. Since she's going to be spending at least 8 to 9 hours in surgery and 2 to 3 hours in recovery I may not get in tomorrow at all since it'll be late tomorrow evening or later before she gets out of recovery. I talked to one of the supervisors today and she said they had plans to change the visiting hours on Wednesday so maybe I'll get in from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM like I was when she was in the hospital earlier in the week in Fayetteville, GA before they moved her to Atlanta. These visiting hours are a bunch of bull.
It's a wonder I didn't die in the traffic in Atlanta just getting to the hospital today. It was even more terrifying coming home. I used to work in downtown Atlanta 18 years ago and drove all over town during the day for 3 years going from one school construction site to another which required trips back and forth all day long to the office. It was bad back then but it's 10 times worse now! I've never seen anything like it and this was on Sunday not even during a rush hour.
I also meant to add that during the 5 1/2 hours that I was there while going out in the hallway to the vending machines to get snacks I did not see another visitor on her floor . The north parking deck where I parked there wasn't a dozen cars in the whole place. Other than nurses the place seemed very strange to be that empty and that hospital is big.0 -
Good luck and prayers for you both. 0 -
Brother, you are NOT alone. I know it feels like you are. God is there with you, and we're here in the distance cheering and pulling for you. Close your eyes and see the "great cloud of witnesses" around you praying and believing for you. Yes this is hard. God is bigger than this. He has a perfect plan for you and your wife, to "do you good, and not harm, all the days of your life". Trust him. God is good. 6 -
Continuing prayers for you and June.
0 -
Prayers sent. 0 -
I got a call at a little after 9:00 AM from the hospital to let me know they have commenced the surgery. I got a real fright thinking the worse when the phone rang.
UPDATE:
Just got another call from the hospital at 10:35 AM to report so far things are going well. At least they're keeping me updated which is better than I've experienced in the past while sitting in the waiting room.0 -
Good to hear thanks for updating us we are thinking of you all from here. 3 -
mogley98 said:Good to hear thanks for updating us we are thinking of you all from here.
They've been very good about giving me updates. They also called me 12:40 PM and then again about an hour ago at 2:10 PM to say so far so good.
REVISED:
And just as I posted this they called me again at 3:17 PM. My heart rate increases quite a bit every time the phone rings. Well so far so good.6 -
Prayers for you and your wife. 0 -
Prayers said from here. Hoping for a full recovery. God can work miracles. 3 -
Prayers for a great outcome 0 -
Prayers sent from our neck of the woods 0 -
Got a call from the doctor earlier and he said everything went well but there's going to be months of recovery/rehab. Then there's the radiation and chemo that has to take place. It took over 9 hours in surgery today. He said he was putting her in the ICU for tonight to be looked after rather than back in her regular room to make sure she had plenty of people watching over her. The nurse in the recovery room said that June had just woke up but was to groggy to talk on the phone.
I've been calling the hospital this afternoon trying to make arrangements to get in to see her but they said I need to call back in the morning.
It would appear the president catching the virus has got them tough on the visiting rules.0 -
Glad things went good for you both continued prayers and well wishes 0 -
Prayers sent. 0 -
Good Thoughts - Best Wishes - & - Prayers from north central Florida - AQH 0 -
Glad to hear she is out of the surgery and that it went well, now on to the recovery process with continued prayers for her and you both.
0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
166 comments