the fragility of the human body, The Fragility Of the Human Body

The Fragility Of the Human Body

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by InspireChief

I have been unexpectedly absent from publishing my blog and podcast all due to an unplanned hospital stay and surgery. The human body is a remarkable thing that we don’t give a second thought to until something goes wrong. I didn’t have a clue that there was something wrong with my digestive system until everything shut down. When it happened, I became aware of the fragility of the human body. It doesn’t take much to go from feeling normal to ending up in the hospital.

The Fragility of the Human Body

It all started on February 19th. I had no indication anything was wrong when I went to bed. About two hours later I woke up in my stomach was distended and in pain. I then felt that familiar taste in the back of my throat that told me I needed to head to the bathroom. After vomiting everything that was in my stomach, I felt better and went back to bed. It didn’t last long and I was back up and headed to the bathroom for another round.

I lost track after seven trips and spent the whole next day in bed. Anytime I would drink anything you would come back up. Thinking that I had a stomach virus, I continue to stay in bed the next day and was able to hold down water only. I awoke on Monday morning, the 22nd and we headed to the emergency room.

Easy Peasy

Once in the emergency room, I was told that I had a small bowel obstruction. The doctor said they could normally remove the obstruction by inserting a tube into my stomach. I was okay with this because I thought it was going to be like an endoscopy where they knock you out, fix the problem, take out the tube, and wake you up. I was feeling pretty good.

That all came crashing down when the nurse came in and asked if the doctor explained the procedure. I told her what I thought was going to happen and she gave me a wicked smile. She then proceeded to tell me that I would be awake and the tube would be inserted up my nose, down my esophagus, and into my stomach.

Gagging

She then left and came back with another nurse and told me that the worst part was when the tube gets to the back of the throat. This triggers the gag reflex. They failed to tell me how much it hurts having something shoved up your nose. My nose started bleeding and I was using paper towels to stop it when they hit the gag reflex. I then began gagging uncontrollably. One nurse said, “You’ll get used to it in about an hour.” So for the next hour every time I felt the tube touched the back of my throat, I would gag. On a side note, gagging has to be one of the most unflattering looks a person can have.

Admitted

So I was admitted into the hospital with the hopes that by starving the small intestine it would shrink and remove the obstruction on its own. One day they pumped contrast into my stomach to see if it would pass through to the colon. It eventually made it through but at one point they could see it was slowing down and backing up. This meant the obstruction was still there.

Surgery

After almost a week in the hospital, they decided that it wasn’t going to clear up on its own and I would have to have surgery. I was taken to the operating room right away and woke up about six hours later and taken to ICU. He spent a few days in ICU and slowly began to feel better. They removed the tube in my nose which was a big relief. The next day they removed the catheter and transferred me to a regular room.

I was placed on a clear liquid diet and after not eating anything for nine days it tasted like a gourmet meal. After another week of recovering in the hospital, they let me go home. I felt good other than having no energy. Now I’m getting a little better every day but they tell me that it will take 2 to 3 months before I’m back to normal. It was a lot of trauma that my body went through and I’m not a spring chicken anymore. Going to try my best to get back to scheduling my blogs and podcasts twice a week. I will take things slowly but I am positive I will be back to my old self sooner rather than later. My message to you is to take care of yourself and never underestimate the fragility of the human body

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@mihaiteslariu0

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InspireChief

28 thoughts on “The Fragility Of the Human Body”

    1. I had hernia surgery in 2018 and they put in a mesh. The mesh moved and became entangled in my small intestines causing the block. Thank you for asking.

      1. Ohhh that sounds painful! I wondered (and asked) because I thought it might have been a food situation… since it was the mesh, did the surgeon who did that take care of you this time? (I hope so!!! And no need to answer as I know this gets personal). I am sooo glad you’re feeling better, but dang, all that time in the hospital and pain/suffering!! ❤️🦋🌀🙏☯️

  7. Oh my goodness. God Bless you. Take it easy, take it slow and relax. What an ordeal. Glad your home. I’d bring soup, but your far away, 😊 I’m praying for quick recovery.

  10. I’m so glad to hear from you. You have so cheered me on over this past year with your positive attitude and practical approaches that I am confident you’ll soon be well indeed. I hope your strength increases daily and this period of rest and reflection is useful going forward.

  11. Thank you for sharing your story, and providing inspiration even through what sounds like an arduous experience. God never gives us more than we can handle, and sometimes we just need to have faith and trust in the process. It sounds like this was a difficult thing to do, and your taking those small steps.

    Peace to you in your recovery, and I hope you feel back to a semblance of normal as soon as is practicable.

  12. […] In late February, I went to bed feeling normal but woke up around midnight vomiting. If I ate or drank even the smallest amount, up it would come. It went on for two days, causing my visit to the hospital. Long story short, I was there for two weeks and had my third major abdominal surgery. I wrote a more detailed post about my ordeal last year. […]

  13. […] tend to take life for granted. They forget about the fragility of the human body. Everyone is a heartbeat away from death. It is not something people want to think about, but it is […]

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