may the good LORD watch over your wife. keep the faith... WS
Ok, here's the latest update and most specific information we have received about my wife Dawns condition. The Otolaryngology surgeon who did her surgery has talked to us several times, but just basic info, this time much more detail. He showed us photos of her air way and said very point blank that she is lucky to be alive. If she would have caught a cold, or just coughed up a bit of every day throat junk, anytime in the past week, or next day or so, it would likely have not got through the tiny hole that is left in her air way and, if no one would have been home to help her, she would not have made it, plain and simple. He showed us what the air way is supposed to look like, then he showed us a bunch of others that have similar obstructions, and then he showed us Dawns. When they said the remaining opening is only the size of a straw, they didn't mean a soda drinking straw, they meant one of those little straws that you use for stirring a coffee. Tiny. He said from all the tests they have done, and all the other specialists they have consulted, that it is very unlikely that they will figure out what caused the problem. In fact, they are pretty much done trying to figure it out. Now their number one concern is getting her comfortable with the Tracheostomy, and then working on a way to get her talking again. There will be an option of trying to remove the blockage, but it is a major, major surgery, involving removing a good size section of her air way and attaching the two ends back together, and that really wasn't anything that he was to excited about doing and didn't recommend it in any way. Just said that it would be an option that Dawn and I would have to discuss in the future. For now, and for quite some time,possibly the rest of her life, Dawn will have the Tracheostomy tube. As far as her speech goes, there is no guarantee that she will get that back either because it still requires somewhat of a larger opening in the air way to allow air flow to work the vocal cords, but it sounds like it is not such a major procedure to do that so she can at least speak. For now we are just doing our best at accepting the issue, knowing that there is nothing we can do about it, and now knowing that it wouldn't have really mattered if we had tried to take care of it a few years ago because they still would not have known what it was and probably would not have been able to stop it from happening. It was going to happen and that's all there is to it. She's going to be ok, and that's all that matters, we just have some work to do and make a few adjustments in our lives. Tomorrow she is having the smaller Trach tube put in, which is only about a 15 second procedure so no major issues to worry about with that. Then it is just a matter of being here a couple more days to make sure Dawn and I are very comfortable in the processes that will be required to take care of the Tracheostomy tube. So to me, it's mostly good news, not great, but good. And if we think about the other option, her no longer being with us, it is great news. Everyone has given us so much support and encouragement it's unbelievable. We love you all.Thank for from the bottom of our hearts. Frank
may the good LORD watch over your wife. keep the faith... WS
DEAD AS FRIED CHICKEN
Just keep loving her and taking care of her and give thanks to the Lord
I have spent most my life fishing........the rest I wasted.
PROUD MEMBER OF TEAM GEEZER
PICO Lures Field Rep
DRPEPPER LIKED above post
Will keep your family in our prayers.With today's technology and the great physicians we have today in good hands.Sounds great and will take some time.Please Keep us posted .
John 3:16
Blessed to have as many friends as fingers on your hand is a blessing!!!
"Gone fish'n not wish'n"
In God We Trust.
Can God trust us.
Keep you and yours in our prayers.
Will keep you all on my prayer list. That is good news.
Proud Member of Team Geezer!
Thanks for the update. Will keep the family in our prayers.
"Proud Member of Team Geezer"
Keep us posted, I will be praying.
Will keep ya'll in our prayers and will pray that the Lord uses the doctors hands to heal her.
still being sent!!
smiles are contagious, spread them around
Proud Member of the ZIPPER Club
& Team Geezer