Jami's Medical Fund

I'm not usually one to share on Facebook everything that goes on in our lives, not even half of what goes on, but I think it's time not only to share the last 6 months, but also to ask for prayer. On July 7th, 2016, I had gastric bypass rny performed after over a year of looking into it. I didn't do it to look good, or to please anyone, I did it for one reason only - to get healthy. My family, close friends and I prayed about it and I decided to proceed. Did I know there could be complications-absolutely. But you never really think it will happen to you. Ha! Trust me when I say that not only can it happen to you, there could be multiple complications. I am not putting this out here because I want to have a "pity party" for myself, I just know there has been some concern and I am the type who doesn't hide things.

So within a few weeks of surgery, I started getting very sick to my stomach, I was hospitalized at OSF and treated for dehydration. After being sent home only to get more sick, Bruce took me to St Mary's ER at Mayo. They admitted me and did a scope and found I had a stricture, which they opened. I had to have this done 2 more times because it doesn't just stay open the first time. On our way home after the last time, I started getting sick again. We were halfway home and decided to just get home and follow up with the surgeon here. I was admitted at OSF and when they did the scope, they found I had ulcers at the site. Lovely. So I was prescribed meds and after a couple days, sent on my way.

I was admitted 2 more times for dehydration at Eureka. I knew better but I didn't want anything since I also had very bad nausea.

My family doctor followed up with me and had me go for blood work every two weeks. He started noticing something wasn't looking right with my kidneys. So I was to be referred to a kidney specialist.

Unfortunately, aside from all of the physical symptoms, I was also getting depressed. Bruce, Chris, Caitlyn, Bruce's family and our church family have been taking care of me so well, I will never be able to repay them. Bruce's mom sat with me every day, all day, when Bruce had to return to work and she is 90! We put our trust in God and Bruce prayed with me constantly. We knew we had to be thankful to the Lord for these trials, but it was so hard. I saw therapists in Washington, two wonderful Christian men, that helped me with the depression.

All this time going by and I lost a ton of weight, just not healthily. In January, it was decided that I should try to return to work since I had been out of work for three months and I missed those kiddos so much! I knew they would be good therapy. I returned after Christmas break, but I only lasted a month.

The surgeon's office thought that maybe I have an eating disorder called food aversion that some people get after this surgery. Bruce got right on the phone to find a place that could help me. He quickly got approval at one of the few places that deal with that and it was out in Arizona.

We left January 29 and Bruce took me there January 30 and then he went home. After 2 days of going through the intake process, the doctor on site said I needed to be taken to the hospital immediately because I had vomited that day. That was nothing new for me so I couldn't understand why I had to go. Plus she had 1,500 pages of medical information that was sent to her ahead of time to approve me to get in. I was taken to a small hospital in that town and given fluids because they couldn't do anything else for me. In the morning they sent me to a bigger hospital in Scottsdale. I had another scope and they said I have a very large ulcer at the site. They did a swallow test and said my esophagus isn't working at 100% and I might need a Botox shot into it (what???? Isn't that for wrinkly Hollywood people?). They also noticed something going on with my kidneys. On Tuesday the 7th, the clinic decided I couldn't return there. The hospital said I could travel home to Illinois so my husband and mother-in-law flew in on Wednesday morning. Right as we are getting ready to leave, because we were flying back out the same day, they said I needed more blood work because the last draw they did showed I need a blood transfusion because my count was too low. Good grief. So they did another "stat" and it was fine. Praise God!

So we got home around 1:00 yesterday morning and I saw our family doctor yesterday afternoon. He spoke with my surgeon and now I'm in the hospital in the "princess suite" and it looks like I'm probably going to get a temporary feeding tube put in someday soon. They will also arrange for me to have a kidney specialist and GI specialist see me. 

I ask for prayers. Not only prayers for me but for Bruce, Chris and Caitlyn and our families and church families as well. Bruce has been under an enormous amount of stress taking care of everything at home and with his job, I worry about him and I love him so much. And although I don't know what God's plan is going forward, I pray I get well and can do whatever He wants me to do. But no matter what, I am a child of God and I know He is in charge. God bless you.

I want to make sure I say thank you to my hubby, my children, my mother-in-law, my brothers and sisters-in-law, my mom, my Rock Creek Bible Church family, my work family and our friends for everything. Love you all.

(Jami has since had the feeding tube put in. She went to a rehab center but had to go back to the hospital because she is not doing well.)