THE UPDATE ON ANDINO

Dear friends, family, loved ones..  I would like to first say thank you so much for all of your support.  From the stuffed animals, to balloons, books, dvd's, massages, reiki, healing touch, food, companionship, visitations, messages, best wishes, energy, thoughts, prayers, dedications, etc..  I am astounded at the level of contributions by each and every one of you.  I want you to know that it means so much for me that you have chosen to reach out to me during this rather difficult time.

If you are still wondering what happened, the full story is below on the previous post.  The story I am about to tell is an update on my progress, as many of you have sent me messages inquiring about what happened and how am I doing.  There have been so many messages that I am choosing to write full updates via this blog, instead of responding to the dozens of facebook messages, texts, emails, and phone calls that I have been receiving.

So it is just after 10pm on Sunday night.  I have been in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) of North Valley Hospital in Whitefish Montana since Thursday evening.  I was supposed to have moved to a regular room, although some recent developments have changed the course of my progress.  To begin with, the nights have been extremely tough on me.  I sleep for about two-to-three hours at a time, then I wake up with severe stiffness and soreness.  I spend a little while focused on gentle movements, such as rolling my ankles around, flexing my quads, opening and closing my heels, and moving my shoulders and arms.  There is not much else I can do, aside from raising and lowering my bed.  I then go back to sleep, for a few more increments, waking back up to the same routine.

I began with a catheter on Thursday, then on Saturday they removed it much to my excitement.  However, as of this morning the catheter is back in.  This was actually a good thing, as trying to pee while laying down, or partially sitting up, is both awkward and uncomfortable.  I was also off of the oxygen for a while and was able to eat solid food (even though I didn't have much of an appetite).  I am now back on the oxygen and I am back on a liquid diet.  This morning I awoke with a very low blood count.  They were deeply concerned about internal bleeding, turns out I have pools of blood in my lower back, which they think are still coming from the pelvis, but they do not know for sure.  I went in for more CAT scans and it basically revealed a more severe fracture to my left side, equaling the severity of the fracture to my right side.  This essentially means I will not be able to bear weight on either pelvis, likely for 6 to 8 weeks, which means I'll be rolling in a wheelchair once I am strong enough to exit the bed.  Nobody knows how long that will be.  The hospital will certainly be my home for some time to come.

Yesterday I actually was able to stand with the help of a walker, although most of my strength came from my upper body.  I can still work my way up to sitting at the edge of the bed, although it is a very gentle and smooth process that ensues, needing the help of two nurses, movement of the bed, etc..  They have decided to postpone any physical therapy due to the uncertainty of my health as of now.

Today I felt what its like to be a young baby or an older person who is unable to make bowel movements without assistance.  Let me just say this, using a bed pan, while laying down, to pass a bowel movement is not a comfortable situation.  Especially with undeniable excruciating back pain.  The real bonus, I suppose, is getting your ass wiped by nurses.  That is what I have to look forward to for the time being.  The other thing I look forward to is the pain medication, which I now have on a tight schedule, until more of my condition is revealed.

My general surgeon is still concerned I may need to have surgery.  He was very optimistic at first, hence the great progress with my physical therapy, diet, and movement, but with the latest developments of losing blood (by the way the transfused two bags of blood to me today) he has taken a few steps back.  It might be a case of too soon, too fast.  So now I am restricted to Diluadid every two hours (a small amount) and Norco every 4 hours, until he is sure the source of the bleeding and pain.  I can request more if necessary, yet I am almost always uncomfortable and continuously in pain.  I will monitor this situation closely and carefully, as I have friends who are doctors that have offered to increase the meds if I feel like I am getting shorter.  My surgeon is known for being reserved regarding med distribution.  That said, I am going to give him another day or so to see what my condition is like.
I have these huge sores on my lower back, in part from the accident but also now from the pools of blood coagulating there.  I have been icing it every half hour or so to help with swelling and pain.  There is a chance I might need to be transported to a bigger hospital tomorrow in Kalispell to be opened up so that they may discover the source of this internal bleeding.  Surgery may be in the cards after all. 

So here I sit, drinking herbal teas, sipping Pellegrino, and doing my various little exercises.  I also spend a fair amount of time breathing deeply and connecting with my body, trying to stay grounded and centered to what is happening.  I have not questioned why this happened, I am only focused on where to go from here.  I am grateful that I have the opportunity to connect with so many people and a deep emotional level and I would like to say again that I love all of you.  My heart is healthy, strong, and vibrant and I will continue to pulse the beats of love, especially with the support and kindness from all of you.

Special thanks to those who have taken time to stop by, write, or touch base.  I will continue to update my condition on this blog, so use this as an opportunity to stay in the loop. 

In light, love, and hope..
Andy