2021: Pneumonia, Blood Clots, Sepsis, Pancreatitis, TPN & Feeding Tube. Life with a Vent

The year 2021 has been an exciting year. It was filled with lots of medical appointments, hospitalizations, surgery and a new YouTube channel. Through all these events, I have received an overabundance of love and support from viewers which has helped me through some turbulent times. I am very grateful and thankful for everyone’s support. To end this year, here is a brief recap of the year 2021. #lifewithavent #sepsis #chronicpancreatitis

In January, I decided to start a new YouTube channel. I love this channel; however, I wanted to blog more about my chronic medical conditions. I did not want to change the focus of this channel. I wanted to keep this platform geared toward living life with a ventilator. So, in January I launched my second YouTube channel called God is My Strength.    / @godismystrength  

In Feb 2020, I began having significant issues with my pancreas, and I started losing weight in Nov 2020. In March, I had a feeding tube placed to help mitigate my rapid weight loss due to chronic pancreatitis.    • Surgery Time: Getting a Feeding Tube & Com...  

When the feeding tube was placed, it did not go well. The surgery had complications and my recovery was fraught with challenges. I could not tolerate the feeding tube formula no matter how slow we ran the feeding tube pump. I was discharged from the hospital, malnourished, dehydrated and in a lot of pain.

A few days later, I was back in the hospital with pneumonia I acquired during the surgery to have the feeding tube placed.    • Back to the Hospital: Post Surgery Pneumon...  

My feeding tube was tried again. It still caused tremendous pain. I was discharged home.

The feeding tube had a long tail which kept getting tangled in my intestines. Whenever I ate food, I would develop bowel obstructions. By the end of March, I was in very poor shape. I went back to the hospital.    • Feeding Tube Fail! Can't Eat & Malnourishe...  I was extremely malnourished. I was started on IV nutrition called TPN. Finally, after more than a year of constant pain, I had a reprieve. I was sent home on TPN.    • Miracle: Going home on TPN  

In April, I was hospitalized again when I developed a bowel obstruction from a medical condition called superior mesenteric artery syndrome.    • Bowel Obstruction! Oh the PAIN!!! To the E...  After being discharged home, I had an appointment with the surgeon who placed the feeding tube. Since I was not using the feeding tube and TPN was nourishing me, I was able to have the feeding tube removed.    • Getting My J-Tube Pulled. Bye-Bye Feeding ...  Finally, I was freed from the constant bowel obstructions the feeding tube kept causing.

In May, my peripherally inserted central catheter called a PICC line became infected.    • PICC Line Infection: Fighting Through Seps...  
I was very sick. My PICC line was pulled. I then was given a new PICC line and sent home.

In January, my mom developed severe neck pain. It took a very long time to get medical attention for her ailment. Finally at the end of June, she was able to travel over 500 miles to have a life saving procedure.    • Neck Surgery: Pre-Op, Post-Op & Going Home  

The discs in her neck had degenerated and collapsed. Her neck bones called vertebrae were grinding one on top of each other. They were pinching her nerves and causing damage to her spinal cord.

Praise God, a very talented surgeon was able to reconstruct her discs. It was a very slow and long recovery for my mom.

At the beginning of August, my arm with my PICC line started swelling up. I tried to ignore the issue, but every day my arm swelled more and more. Finally the pain was too much. I went to the emergency department where I was diagnosed with blood clots.    • PICC Line Blood Clots: 24 Hours in the ER  

The blood clots were breaking off from my PICC line arm and traveling to my lungs, legs and brain. After spending 24 hours in the emergency department, I was released home.

Over the next six weeks, blood clots continued to form. I experienced a number of blood clots in my legs and lungs.    • PICC Line Blood Clots UPDATE  

In September, the blood clots started decreasing. One day, just as abruptly as the blood clots appeared, the blood clots disappeared.

Towards the end of October, I suddenly developed horrible pain in my pancreas. The pain attack left me in bed screaming in agony. The pain would come and go. Then in November, the pain started happening every time I ate. I started eating less and less. Thankfully, I am still on TPN. The nutrition I receive from the TPN will be enough to sustain me until my appointment with my pancreas doctor in February.

For more fun and adventures please check out my blog: https://mitowarrior.blogspot.com
MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lifewithaventil...
Facebook:   / life-with-a-vent-113121960609175  
Email: life.with.a.vent@gmail.com
Affiliated YouTube Channel:    / godismystrength