A huge thank you to everyone who helped us through Jared’s surgery. This has been quite the week. I’m never sure what day it is; it all feels like one big day. Many have asked, “what happened?” Here’s the blow by blow.
On Monday morning Jared woke up with a horrible neck-ache and stomach sickness. Meanwhile Winfield started vomiting. He vomited six times on Monday. Then Jared vomited.
After 2 trips to a chiropractor and severely escalating pain we went into the ER at 10:30pm on Monday night. The ER doctor gave Jared dolodid (the drug that they give when morphine isn’t enough) and 2 other narcotics. They and sent him home but the drugs barely took the edge off the pain.
By 1:30 that night Jared was delirious with pain. His left arm was cold and he had no strength in it. We went back to the ER.
The ER doctor, thinking Jared was a druggie or something, refused to give him any more help. He told us to take a motrin and go home. He told us that it was muscle spasms and if the pain didn’t subside in a week Jared could get an MRI. I was a little upset at the thought of waiting a week for further care. I honestly don’t think Jared could have been in more pain if his arm had been cut off.
At 4:30am I called Jared’s dad, an orthopedic surgeon, and asked him for his advice about what to do. Within 5 minutes of describing Jared’s symptoms his Dad gave a diagnosis of a severe C6/C7 herniated disc that would most likely need surgery. After we passed that thought on to the ER doc, Jared’s care really improved. He got more drugs and an MRI at 6:00am. The MRI indicated that Jared’s dad’s over the phone diagnosis was exactly right.
Jared spent all Tuesday in the hospital, flat on his back, and decently drugged up. He was able to get into surgery at noon on Wednesday with Dr. Lowry, who is a fabulous neurosurgeon. The surgery went well. The damage was a little worse than the MRI had indcated.
Thursday morning Jared was able to keep down his first real meal. He came home and has been a little tired and still feeling sick. Winfield is still sick and vomiting. I’m now nauseous and have a headache. Harriet seems to have some sort of head cold. Basically, nobody’s healthy around here.
Jared’s left arm is still really numb and tingly. He also doesn’t have any strength in his tricep. There was so much pressure on the nerves that they are either irritated and swollen or damaged. He’ll regain his strength in those muscles but it could take up to 1 1/2 years, depending on the extent of the damage.
Thankfully, a lot of laundry, surgery, some decent medical bills and a minor scar are about the worst of it. We have friends and neighbors bringing us food, and we’ll all be feeling better soon, no doubt. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers and phone calls.
