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I apologize that I did not update yesterday, but Daddy got released from the hospital yesterday afternoon. Zoe and I went to visit him yesterday morning. He had had the NG tube removed the night before and had been on liquids with no problems. He got the go-ahead to resume a normal diet, and he shared a popsicle and banana with her, and later ate a normal lunch. Since his digestive system appeared to be working normally, they let him go! He is tired from the ordeal of the past week (and for some reason, he's had difficulty sleeping lately), but is antsy to get up and around more, and seems to be his usual self. Thanks to a dr. friend of my sister's, we got a better explanation of what happened -- apparently it is typical for people with Daddy's history to have a blockage caused by scar tissue or a "kink" in the intestine, and it is also fairly normal for it to work itself out when they get sufficiently hydrated and put on "stomach rest," which appears to be exactly what happened with him. We are grateful that he did not have to undergo surgery, and I think my parents know now how to seek treatment sooner should it happen again. Thanks for the prayers!

Another quick update

Daddy is still in the hospital, but had some more tests today to determine if there is a blockage [still]. Initial results look promising (i.e., it appears that the liquid they put in moved all the way through his digestive system), but when mom left the hospital tonight, the dr. still had not rounded with official results and, hopefully, the order to remove the NG tube. Daddy was getting pretty edgy (and, hey, if you hadn't eaten a thing in a week, wouldn't you?) so we feel sure he advocated for himself well with the nurses and doctors after mom left. IF there is still a blockage or problem, then that would mean surgery, but we are hoping that when the dr. came, they took out the tube and let him start on liquids tonight. I'll know more in the morning!

Quick update

Today, Daddy continues to improve somewhat. The surgeon said that he's not concerned about a blockage and doesn't think he needs surgery - yay! They think he just got so dehydrated that it caused a kink that seems to be working itself out. However, today Daddy is still very nauseous, partly because he has the NG tube down his nose. We have not really gotten any answers about what is causing the nausea, and no one seems to be concerned that he has not had anything of nutrional value in almost a week. They are just telling us that once his stomach settles down, they will reintroduce sustenance. In the meantime, he's allowed to eat popsicles and drink (although it promptly comes back out through the NG tube) -- it does help his throat, which is sore from the tube and from being sick for days. We appreciate your continued prayers. They did say that they will keep him in the hospital for a few days, likely until he can drink and keep fluids down and his body is functioning more normally. He is tired, and tired of being sick, but is getting out of bed at times, and planned to take a few little walks down the hall after we left today.

Prayers, Please

Daddy has been sick since Thursday with what they thought was a stomach bug, but (without going into gory details) others symptoms made it clear that something else was going on, so after a CT scan, they sent him to the ER at one hospital then transported him by ambulance to another (where his surgeons are) for emergency surgery to resolve the blockage in his small intestine. However, when he got to the hospital, he stabilized and they decided to wait and see if it resolves itself (which apparently happens sometimes). I have lots of questions, but my main one was: do they know what is causing the blockage? The answer I got was that the majority of the time it is scar tissue from previous surgeries (which he likely has plenty of). So if anyone is still reading this, we appreciate your prayers. Daddy is being cared for well and is receiving fluids, but has had virtually no nutrition since Thurs. He's not in much pain but is very nauseous still. I will update tomorrow as we know more.