Scared (Scoliosis)
This is Neil again. The last time I wrote I left off at April and I waiting for her to get an MRI. Well a lot has happened since then, but I am not going to write about all of that because I only have one thing on my mind. Currently I am writing this in our room at the hospital all alone while April is upstairs having another operation. (scoliosis)
So April has been complaining about abdominal pains for a couple days and she hasn’t been allowed to eat or drink really. Her stomach has been very distended And painful to the touch. Once the MRI was read the Fellow rounded on April and told her the MRI looked great in regards to her spine, but they were concerned about her bowels. He said they were ordering a stat X-ray of her abdomen. The results came back and it looked like she has a large ileus in her bowels, so the doctor wrote orders for her to go to CT stat to get scanned. The CT scan showed she had some very distended bowels, especially her cecum. A colorectal specialist doctor came to see April and told us she has a cecal bascule. A cecal bascule is where the cecum (the beginning of the large intestine) somehow becomes folded over on itself and causes a bowel obstruction. Normally the cecum is about 4cm and April has become distended to 9cm and the only way to fix it is surgery.
Mobile X-ray brought to our room
CT scan
The surgery is called a right hemicolectomy. They are going to make an incision down the middle of her stomach. Eventually dissect down to where the cecum is, pull it up out of her body, along with her other bowels and first inspect all the other bowels for anything wrong, this is called running the bowel. Hopefully nothing else will be wrong and only about 1 foot of her large intestine with be cut out. She will still have about 5 feet left, so best case scenario she won’t have digestive issues, but it is a possibility. They will use a stapler to staple across both sides of the bad bowel, leaving two ends of good bowel that the doctors, in very simple terms, will then sew back together.
So that’s it. I am currently sitting here writing this, but I extremely scared. She has already been through so much. She had an 11 hour, two part major scoliosis surgery with massive blood loss and spinal cord damage. Now this. I really don’t know what to do right now. I am just scared.
CT scan – you can see how distended the bowel is.
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Ahhh! Neil and I finished our biggest #diyproject yet! 💪🏻I’m so lucky I’m married to someone who goes along with all my ideas with little complaint 🤣 Our #diy entertainment space features an electric fireplace, frame tv and the biggest showstoppers of all…the #whiteoak mantel and floating shelves from @dakotatimberco I’m so in LOVE with how it turned out! #dakotatimbercompany sources their wood from retired buildings, urban tree removals as well as other sustainable sources. The quality is INSANE! Each piece meticulously crafted and ready for install. The mantel and shelves come with detailed instructions, steel brackets that hold 150 lbs or more and six 2.5 inch screws. Did I mention it’s #americanmade 🙌🏻 Right now, they have a BOGO sale on floating shelves and various awesome mantels on sale as well. Head over to my website for ALL the details on building, decor and everything in between!
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SAVE AND SHARE THIS POST! Check out my Strawberry Cheese Heary Pastries! Perfect for that #galentinesday brunch or for dessert with your loved ones. So yummy and the perfect serving size!
•Preheat oven 400 (this bakes approximately 15 min)
•2 sheets Puff Pastry
•1 egg yolk and 1 egg (for egg wash)
•1 8oz package cream cheese
•1/2 cup sugar
•1 tsp vanilla extract
•10-12 strawberries
Preheat oven to 400 (this will bake for approx. 15 min) Use a heart cookie cutter to cut out your puff pastry hearts and then use a knife to trace a heart into them. Brush on egg wash and set aside. In a bowl, mix cream cheese, vanilla, egg yolk and sugar. Add the cheese mixture to your little hearts (only spreading it up to the line you scored). Add fresh sliced strawberries and bake for 15-20 min! This is SO EASY AND SOOOOO GOOD! #recipeoftheday #danish #dessertrecipe #brunchrecipe #recipereel
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•store bought puff pastry
•raspberries or raspberry jam (I like fresh fruit better)
•6-8 oz of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
•1 tsp vanilla extract
•1 egg YOLK only
•powdered sugar
•sliced almonds
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Roll out your puff pastry and cut slices down each side (approximately 1 inch) leaving the center intact and set aside. In a bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Place the cheese mixture in the center of your puff pastry ( you may have extra leftover). Sprinkle fresh raspberries on top of the cheese. Fold each side of puff pastry one at a time in a lattice pattern. Brush some egg wash on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar and fresh almonds on top for the finishing touch.
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SAVE AND SHARE MY MOST VIEWED RECIPE! This is one of my favorite and most watched recipes and for good reason! My Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake is SOOOO easy to make and perfect for brunch! This can also be frozen and eaten later!
Don’t take my word for it...make it and let me know how fast it was devoured.
•4 large croissants
12-16 oz of cubed ham
•6 oz of shredded gruyere cheese
•6 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
•1/2 cup chopped chives
•6 eggs
•1 cup half and half
•1 tsp. honey
•1 tsp. Dijon mustard
•salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 375. In a baking dish (spray with non stick spray) add in croissants, ham, cheese and chives. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, honey, mustard and salt and pepper.
Pour the egg mixture over the bake and press down with a fork. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 50 min. This is such a great family recipe and feeds a good amount of people. So before ya come for me with how much cheese is used ( remember that!
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SAVE AND SHARE THIS RECIPE! These ham and cheese hand pies are the perfect #stpatricksday snack! Super easy and so so good! You only need a few ingredients and a cookie cutter!
•clover cookie cutter
•puff pastry sheet
•Dijon mustard
•Swiss cheese
•corned beef (pastrami also tastes great)
•egg for egg wash
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use your cookie cutter on the puff pastry. Smear a good amount of Dijon mustard on half of them. Add the corned beef and cheese. Place the puff pastry on top like a sandwich. Using a fork, press down around each clover. Brush egg wash over and poke 4 little holes in the top. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. These are SOOOO YUMMY and quite a hit in our home! The kids love them! #puffpastry #cornedbeef #easyrecipe
I just binge watched Renovation Aloha and now I NEED another trip to Hawaii. It doesn’t look like it’s in the cards for us this year with Emma going to Boston for singing (we are tagging along for the last week). Buuuutttt, if we were to go……Which is your favorite and why? Big Island or Kauai? We’ve already been to Oahu and Maui and I love each of them for different reasons. PS, I painted all my doors in the house blue on a whim and I think I love them 💙
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SAVE AND SHARE MY MOST VIEWED RECIPE! This is one of my favorite and most watched recipes and for good reason! My Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake is SOOOO easy to make and perfect for brunch! This can also be frozen and eaten later!
Don’t take my word for it...make it and let me know how fast it was devoured.
•4 large croissants
12-16 oz of cubed ham
•6 oz of shredded gruyere cheese
•6 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
•1/2 cup chopped chives
•6 eggs
•1 cup half and half
•1 tsp. honey
•1 tsp. Dijon mustard
•salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 375. In a baking dish (spray with non stick spray) add in croissants, ham, cheese and chives. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, honey, mustard and salt and pepper.
Pour the egg mixture over the bake and press down with a fork. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 50 min. This is such a great family recipe and feeds a good amount of people. So before ya come for me with how much cheese is used ( remember that!
#easyrecipe #breakfastfordinner #recipereels
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Quiet corner of a clean room 💙
Kristi Smith-Gilmore | 10th Jul 16
Neil I am praying for you and April every night and every day!!!! My heartaches for you and for April and your kids. You will all get through this one day at a time!!!! Xoxoxoxo
mapoudret| 10th Jul 16
Dear Nick,
I will call upon the best praying for healing man at our church tomorrow for April. Maybe I can pray for you right now .
My dear Father God, I am going straight to Your throne room right now, covered by the redeeming blood of Your son Jesus the Christ, and helped by the Holy Spirit who is interceding on my behalf. Please You Are the Great In Am and there is nothing so difficult that you cannot overrule . Please lower Your gaze on my brother Neil right now. He is so scared for April. I am feeling the shaking of his heart as I walked through the fear of losing my husband four months ago. Please Lord, give the same comfort You gave me! The knowledge that You Are good and that You care deeply for him and for April. You will not leave them alone but you have plans for them and their kids. Plans to thrive and have life in abundance. Please I pray that Neil will cling to you as the only sure light that can bring him and April out of these dark and painful circumstances . Please assist the hands of the medical staff and help them to use all the professional skills they can muster to get April on the road to recovery. But bless Neil specially , descend upon his heart and give him peace and hope. Make him feel in tangible ways how much You love him, so he is not afraid anymore but can start to trust in You, one second after another .
Thank you my dear Daddy. You are good always.
In the Name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Julie Bower | 10th Jul 16
This is a hiccup on the road to recovery, that’s all. I can’t imagine all the things racing through your mind while you sit there alone. Being alone is no good. Find someone to talk to. Maybe you could go on a walk around the ward and talk to the nurses at the station? Or head outside for some fresh air? April is in the best hands. I wish I were closer so I could pop in ti give you a hug (and bring you a candy bar). Hang in there Neil. You and April have so, so many people sending positive, healing thoughts to you.
sowhatstheplanblog| 10th Jul 16
Hello all,
You poor family. As was said, it’s another hurdle, she will get through it. Very scary right now but she will. Thank God it didn’t perforate.
I’ll be thinking of you all today.
Take care.
Kim | 10th Jul 16
Neil and April, it is with great sadness that I am reading this. Bless her heart; I hope everything turns out. I will be praying for her as well as the whole family. THanks for the updates. 😘
Danielle Hayes | 10th Jul 16
Dear Neil and April,
What a scary situation that just put tears in my eyes. Just want you both to know that Isabelle and I are sending positive thoughts and prayers for healing your way.
Sending love and hugs,
Danielle and Isabelle
beckerina| 10th Jul 16
So sorry to hear about this road block. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to wait for her to come out of yet another surgery. I’d love to send a card/flowers. Can you let me know where to send them.
Becky (I danced with April in high school) beckerina@pacbell.net
Brenda Dubatowka | 10th Jul 16
Neil-praying for you and your dear wife April. We love you guys and are here if you need anything. You both are very brave. Waiting rooms are hard ,but you are a strong man and can do this <3
Carol Edson| 10th Jul 16
Dear Neil- My thought right now is that you ask if there is a chaplain or a crisis therapist at the hospital. Many have them and just a person there to talk with might be helpful. This kind of problem does happen, and is scary and frustrating. But the chances are very good that this will be resolvable with patience and time. But short term…please be sure you have support there. You are doing an incredible job of taking care of everyone else…sending hugs.
Carol
Krystal | 10th Jul 16
Thinking about both you and April. Praying for a successful recovery.
s. mist | 10th Jul 16
I’m very sorry to hear this. Please know I will be praying .
s. mist | 10th Jul 16
What would cause this? Is this from the surgery , that the Doctors had to move all her organs around?
s. mist | 10th Jul 16
What would cause this? Is this from the surgery , that the Doctors had to move all her organs around?
ajwagner26| 10th Jul 16
This is Neil. So with any big surgery the anesthesiologist has to paralyze you. This also means your bowel is paralyzed and stops its normal moving of parastalsis, which is what moves food along to the end of the line. Also, narcotics don’t help and not be able to get up and move doesn’t help. So after surgery it just takes time for your bowels to wake back up and start moving again. In April’s case, somehow her cecum, the start of the large intestines, folded over on itself which caused a blockage. Since there was a blockage, gas, fluids and food just built up there until it became so distended in her abdomen. April honestly looked 3 or 4 months pregnant and the pain was real bad. Normal cecum is 4cm in diameter and hers on the CT measured 9cm, but the doctor told me after surgery it was even bigger than that and quite impressive. The doctor ran her bowel and said everything else looked healthy, but she removed the cecum and about a foot of large intestine.
jewelli | 11th Jul 16
Thank you for keeping us posted on April, she is an amazing young lady!! You are both in my thoughts & prayers!
p.s. I’m the one with the screws & bolts protruding from my spine, my surgery was 5 years ago and I feel for April, I cannot even image what she’s going through right now!
Laura | 11th Jul 16
Praying for your wife, for her doctors/nurses, you, & your family! I had spinal fusion surgery a few weeks ago & my husband had to have emergency bowel obstruction surgery back in September of 2014. It was scary for me too when he had surgery. He had 3 major surgeries all in one year. After recovery, he’s had several good results and hopefully it gives you a small feeling of hope that April will come out of this ok too. So sorry she’s going through so much pain. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. Take good care. Even though we’ve never met in person before, please tell April I’m thinking of her. Praying that you have many years ahead of feeling so much better after recovering from all of these procedures.
Grandma | 11th Jul 16
Neil, Grandpa and I are praying she will now start the recovery process. Even with all the tubes and lovely hospital gown, she is still a beautiful lady. Also, very tough so she will fight her way back to full recovery. You are in our thoughts too. I know it hasn’t been easy on you but you are handling it well. We love you so much and it hurts to see what you two are going thru, but time will make a big difference. It is just so hard right now to look down the road and see the good times coming. If we can help out in any way all you have to do is call.
s. mist | 11th Jul 16
Neil, still praying. Thanks for the update and please keep them coming. Everyday I’m wondering what is going on. Please let April know all her fans on her blog are rooting for her.