A tube was inserted through his nose, down his throat and esophagus, to the stomach and his stomach was slowly vacuumed out! This relieves pressure on the "gut," allowing it to relax and unkink similar to a hose when you shut off the water. It wasn't at all a fun process, but was much better than surgery. Just a few hours of that treatment worked, but the tube was left in for more than a day to make sure.
Bill has some very bad scarring in his colon from a 9-day hospital stay in St. Louis (a business trip that ended badly) many years ago due to diverticulitis. The doctor said that is most often the root cause of this condition - that part of the colon isn't as efficient as the "normal" part of the colon.
The first night he was monitored very closely, making a sleepless night for both of us, but the second night was better. X-rays confirmed that the blockage was gone by Thursday morning, and by Friday morning the tube was removed (another fun event) and he was released to eat again and go home. Several people from Calvary Chapel came to pray and offer encouragement - much appreciated - and Marines from the Utah Dixie Detachment visited. A number of people in the veteran community took over at events where Bill was expected to be through next Monday, relieving his mind and letting him get well.
The only after effect is, not surprisingly, fatigue. I kept our kids in the loop with constant e-mails. It was where I learned that having the kids e-mail addresses up to date in my home computer really doesn't do much good while at the hospital.
Bill has some very bad scarring in his colon from a 9-day hospital stay in St. Louis (a business trip that ended badly) many years ago due to diverticulitis. The doctor said that is most often the root cause of this condition - that part of the colon isn't as efficient as the "normal" part of the colon.
The first night he was monitored very closely, making a sleepless night for both of us, but the second night was better. X-rays confirmed that the blockage was gone by Thursday morning, and by Friday morning the tube was removed (another fun event) and he was released to eat again and go home. Several people from Calvary Chapel came to pray and offer encouragement - much appreciated - and Marines from the Utah Dixie Detachment visited. A number of people in the veteran community took over at events where Bill was expected to be through next Monday, relieving his mind and letting him get well.
The only after effect is, not surprisingly, fatigue. I kept our kids in the loop with constant e-mails. It was where I learned that having the kids e-mail addresses up to date in my home computer really doesn't do much good while at the hospital.
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