Last Chance

Abdominal wrap to keep the hernia repair nice and secure.

Pads between the abdominal wrap and the incisions.

Small incisions on the outside of where the hernia was. It was through these small holes that the doctor sewed the mesh patch to muscle. The pain isn't from the incisions. It's on the inside from the mesh and the stitching to muscle tissue. Ouch!!!

Danny was never able to urinate on his own yesterday so they had to put in another catheter last night. The residents always round super early in the mornings and then they come back with their lead doctor later. The resident said there are two options...1. Catheter comes out this morning and he successfully urinates on his own. 2. Catheter comes out this morning but he still isn't able to urinate. In that case, Danny would go home with the catheter, keep it in for a week, and then see a urologist. We are definitely praying for option #1!! 

The resident also mentioned switching to oral pain meds and Danny got pretty upset. He is scared to switch back to oral because so far the pump has been the only thing that has kept the pain under control. However, oral meds stay in the body longer...The transplant team finally found a good combination of long and short acting pain meds after his last major surgery and it would be nice if the general surgery doctor would just listen to what works and go with that. I'm not sure if it's that easy. I'm anxious for the surgeon to make rounds so we know for sure what's happening today.

On the LVAD and transplant floors there are many more precautions that are followed than this general surgery floor. For example, on the LVAD and transplant floors, an IV can only stay in a maximum of 2 days before it has to be switched to a new location. This is for infection prevention. Danny's current IV has been in since Tuesday morning and his hand is swelling and is starting to bleed where the needle goes in. He asked the nurse if they were going to move the IV and she seemed very surprised he would request that. It's clearly getting worse though and at some point I think the current vein would blow out. 

~T