Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo went to the OSU Wound Care Clinic today. They will be assisting Dr. Willet with her healing. It is not certain that she will qualify for the Hyperbaric Chamber though. Dr. Kaide changed the type of packing and will see her once a week until it is healed. If she gets qualified for the hyperbaric chamber, she will go every week day, for four weeks. Each session will be two hours long.

Please pray that our health insurance will approve the treatment, and that it will work.

Bettyjo Update

The ENT came in last night and made an incision in Bettyjo's neck to allow for more drainage. He also wants her to begin treatments in a hyperbaric chamber that will cause the wound to heal more quickly and give the mussel that is plugging the hole in the esophagus more oxygen. There is still some infection in the wound as he did drain some additional puss from it last night as well. He has not given any indication as to just when she will get out or what the recovery time will be.

Please continue to pray for healing and restoration for Bettyjo.

Bettyjo Update

The past couple of days have been rough. She has been very sick to her stomach, needed a lot pain medication, and has slept most of the time. But, today......she seems to be getting some strength back, has stayed awake longer, has not needed as much pain medication, and has taken a couple of walks around the hospital floor.

It remains to been seen if the surgery was a success. The ENT has not been.........well enthusiastic about her healing. There is still fluid draining from the wound, and it is still cloudy meaning that most likely there is still some infection. She will remain in the hospital over the weekend, and our ENT is on call, so he will be checking on her. He has not given any indication as to when she might be discharged.

Bettyjo Update

Monday they gave Bettyjo two units of blood. Both her white and red cell counts were down. That seemed to make her feel a little better. Her wound is draining quite a bit, so with all of this she will be in the hospital at least a few days longer.

Please continue to pray that she will have a complete healing........soon.

Bettyjo Update

The girls and I just came from the hospital, and Bettyjo is looking good. She does have some pain from the surgery, but other than that she is doing well. The Doctor seems pleased with the results so far. The real test will be if the surgery worked or not, and we will not really know for several weeks.

Please pray that it is successful, and that she will fully recover.

Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo came through surgery well. The ENT did have one complication that was a surprise to him. When he opened her wound in her neck up, he ran into a pocket of puss that was logged in her spine. He said that he is very surprised that she did not have spinal meningitis. Instead of taking a mussel from her chest and running it to her neck, he used a mussel in her neck. The reason was that if the esophagus leaked he did not want the mussel in her neck to form a resting place for infection.

A part of me all along thought that if the wound in her neck would heal, she would have a full recovery (back to normal) but the ENT stated that he wants her to at least be able to drink water and swallow her spit. This has me very concerned. We understood that nuts, popcorn etc. would be off limits, but it never dawned on us that Bettyjo may have many more restrictions.

Please continue to pray for her healing, and for the girls and I as we continue down this very difficult path.

Bettyjo Update

Well......the day of surgery is fast approaching. Bettyjo will have surgery this Friday at 2:30pm.

Please pray that all goes well with the surgery, and that recovery will be fast, and uneventful.

If anyone would like to send her a card while she is in the hospital, I know she would appreciate it. She will be in Riverside, most likely for three to four days.

Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo will have surgery on the wound on her neck next Friday October 12, 2007. The Dr. will take a mussel from her chest and run it up to her neck to form a flap over the hole in the esophagus.

She is having a bad day today, and is in a lot of pain. We are not really sure just why. Is it from the past surgeries, the RA, in activity, or possibly a virus.

We still have not heard anything from our Family Dr. regarding the blood tests she took last Tuesday. I am not sure what the hold up is, but the receptionist keeps telling us that they have the report and are waiting on Dr. Garwood to read it?? We are considering changing Family Doctors, so if any one has a recommendation it would be appreciated.