No sugery today--URGH

[cindy0519]

Surgery or should I say laprosopey "exploratory surgery" was scheduled to take place this morning at 9:00am..but did not. Apparently, last night Dad's red cell count was borderline, however this has not communicated to him in any way, until this morning when a CBC and cross type was done and the red count is .16 (it is a 7)lower today than it was yesterday. So they brought him back up from surgery and plan to have him see a hemotologist/onocologist from this hospital and have 2 pints of blood infused later today/tonight. At this point, everything is rescheduled for tomorrow morning at 11:00am.

What an emotional merry go round this has been for my Dad. I know he should not have surgery if his red count is low but he has been at this hospital for 4 days...why on earth has this not been raised as an issue prior this morning just as they were getting ready to roll him into the operating room?

It seem the operating staff at this hospital is telling my SM and sister that this is an "elective surgery" so that is why they are infusing the blood and rescheduling the surgery.

I have placed a call to his medical oncologist and am not having any success in reaching him -- only being given his MA's voice mail. He is quickly reaching the end of his wits and we are all really unsure of all of this now. Hoping that his medical oncologist can give/get us some more informaion and perhaps offer some guidance/advice.

I had to go to TN this week for client meetings so I have not been able to go to Az this time. This is SOOOOO incredibly hard, my instint is to jump on a plane and go there but I know that isn't really go to "fix" anything. Really struggling with where to turn next or how to give him the advice that he is in search of now.

[ma's kid]

Hi Cindy,

I can feel the frustration and concern in your post and I know how hard it is to be far away...my mom lives about 5 hrs from us and I so know what you are feeling and going through. (((Cindy)))

I hope the onc has returned your call. Keep calling a leaving a voice mail and hopefully the onc will call you back.

From one of your earlier posts you said that they thought maybe your dad had a *blockage* of some sort and were afraid of his bowel rupturing...if that's the case, that doesn't sound like *elective* surgery at all. His blood counts do need to be stable though so hopefully after they transfuse him, things will be stable enough for them to operate.

Saying a prayer for you all. Please keep us updated.

Libby

[cindy0519]

Thanks ma's kid. Indeed it is very difficult to be so far away and even hard since normally I am able to just drop everything and jump on a plane. Just sitting here is NOT what I do best!

They know that there is indeed a blockage of some sort the remain question/mystery seems to be exactly what the blockage is. They believe it may be either a twisted bowel, a bowel that has collapsed on itself, old stool, or the surgeons first choice apparently -- is a tumor.

It's just so damn hard to just sit here and wait for the oncologist to call back -- knowing that Dad is becoming more and more frustrated not to mention the potential that the bowel "could" burst and it won't matter what his blood count is, they will be forced to do something. Just not a good situation all the way around.

[cindi o'h]

Hi Cindy.

We all know how difficult it is to get ahold of our docs. But, there is a way that other docs can contact him and he would talk with them right away. They will usually carry a pager for conference.

Is there a way that you can talk with the hospital ombudsman? A social worker? The floor manager? Express your concerns. They are valid. You need to have a surrogate advocate there for your Dad. They know the ropes too.

Good luck Cindy. I know this has to be eatin' you up.

Cindi o'h