After we were told that McStudly had Crohn's disease, my first response to the ER doc was "Umm, I'm sorry, but you can diagnose that 'for sure' by just looking at a CT scan?" I'm not medical genius here, folks, but I do know a teeny weenie bit abotu Crohn's disease, and I can't imagine that being the final call.
"Pretty much." Pretty much? Seriously? That's still not enough for me. He answered a few questions, and I could see the "bummed" look sweeping across McStudly's face. For someone who's practically never been sick in his life, "this really sucks" (those were his actual words after the Doctor left the room). Luckily, however, a gastrointerologist was on his way to speak with us further on the matter.
Thank GOD there was another doctor with a bit of expertise on the subject. Dr Dykeman sat down next to McStudly's bed and put our fears at ease... well, as much as possible, anyhow. "It could be one of two things." Sounds better already! "Well, one of three things, really, but we definitely know it's not lymphnodes or cancer, so that narrows it down to two possibilities." Well... that's a relief? "It could be Crohn's, but I don't really think that's what it is. The other possibility, the one I'm much mor eleaning towards, is something called 'acute Typhlitis' ora bacterial infection."
WHEW!
He drew us a little diagram of McStudly's intestines - showing the appendix, the large intestine, the small intestine and the colon (it wasn't very detailed, but we're easy to please). So apparently, just past where the large intestine becomes the small intestine (this also happens to be just past the appendix which is why it presented as appendicitis) there is a section of the intestine that is inflamed. This is what came up on the CT scan. this is where he drew littls squiggly lines in place of the insteine's walls... very artisitc, this doctor was... Now, this is where Crohn's disease presents itself. However, McStudly didn't seem to have any other the other symptoms associated with Crohn's, i.e. regular bouts of diarrhea, bleeding, fistules (painting a beautiful picture for you, right?!), etc. So it really didnt' seem to fit, though we couldn't rule it out 100%, just yet. Tyhplitis, which is a bacterial infection that typically presents itself in the same section of the intestines, was the most likely diagnosis.
So they decided to admit McStudly to the hospital overnight for observation and direct antibiotics. They were going to treat it like Typhlitis, until they were given any reason to think otherwise. So, we took a BIG sigh of relief and settled in for a bit.
The worst part of this whole thing for McStudly, an avid food lover, was that he was put on a clear liquids diet. Poor thing. As I sat eating real food at his side, he sipped his apple juice, attempted to eat some grainy powder-created poor excuse for chicken broth and did his best to chew on his lemon-flavored jello in order to convince his body it was real food... all while jealously eyeing my tasty, truely-chewable food.
We were finally moved into a real room around 7:30 that evening, after a good 14 hours in the ER room right next to Mr. Pukes McGee and the adorable little 4-year-old with a mini hospital gown a giant pouty lip. One we gawked at, the other we loathed. I'll let you guess which was which!
So our new real hospital room was right next door to this poor little sweet old lady who seemed to have alzheimers, or something of the sort. Although McStudly's Rolls Royce of a hospital bed was amazingly comfortable (seriously, folks... I wanted to see if they made them in Queen sizes for us to take home with us!) , we were kept up by our neighbor's random cries for attention. Poor thing. She was probably scared to death not remembering where she was. And not a SINGLE person came to visit her the entire time we were there! Can you believe that??
Well, McStudly was given more clear liquids for breakfast, but was moved up to full liquids for lunch. The difference? Full liquids included cream soups, like tomato, and more jello... and whatever he wanted to drink. So he had his first real soda again. "Aaahh" refreshing.
Shortly after finishing lunch (and by shortly, I mean abotu 15 minutes), the nurse came in and asked if he wanted to try upgrading his lunch to solids, to see how it went. He didn't miss a BEAT and had a turkey sandwich with mustard within about 3 minutes. He gobbled it down and was quickly askign for some of my cafeteria pizza (not recommended, btw). I wouldn't budge, but we were all happy that he was finally eating real food again.
It only took another 6 hours, but we were FINALLY discharged from the hospital!!! We stopped by 5 million pharmiacies (becuase for SOME reason, I guess they think no one needs to fill perscriptions after 6 on a Sunday? What is the DEAL, people?) before finally landing at a 24-hour CVS. I filled McStudly's perscriptions, bought him a pill crusher (did I mention he can't take pills? It's physically impossible for my macho-man-airman), and then had him home sweet home and relaxing on the couch by 1915 (that's 7:15 pm, if you're wondering), just in time to watch a new episode of Kings.
I ran out for a quick social recharge and rock-out with some Young Adult church buddies, jamming along to Rock Band for my first time ever (I think I'm officially addicted. Is that possible after only 2 games?), and then grabbed some ice cream for my love on the way home. Poor thing had suffered so much. I figured I should just let this one go.
So... long long looong story short, we were inthe hospital for about 37+ hours, and it ended up being a bacterial infection of the intestines, called Typhlitis. McStudly is on the mend, and will be back to loving life once he's off the horrid antibiotics (he takes 4 pills a DAY, people!). He says he's tired of feeling cruddy all the time, but 2 weeks of feeling cruddy is WAY better then numerous days in the hospital with constant IVs and people measuring his urine output.
Fun fun fun!!
So... do I get a weekend re-do, now? Or am I stink-outta-luck?! Yeah... that's what I figured.
