An Unexpected Staycation

The last few days have been surprisingly eventful. As I noted last post, Phillip's hemoglobin levels have been consistently low over the past few cycles. This past Thursday, Phillip went in for another blood transfusion to "top him off" since his hemoglobin was 6.2 at the clinic last Monday.

We started the weekend with Halloween celebrations, and Lenie wore her "Cute Alien" costume. As any Minnesotan parent knows, Halloween wouldn't be complete without the expected fight to get your child to wear warm clothing over their costume.

To keep the spooky atmosphere going, Phillip and I watched "It" (though we did so during the day) and enjoyed a cozy Saturday at home. That evening, we went out for sushi with Lenie, and everything seemed great.

Sunday began like any other day. Mornings are typically slow for Phillip, so I didn't think much of his lack of energy. When I walked into his office, he was sitting in his recliner and he mentioned feeling a bit dizzy. I grabbed some water and a Gatorade, assuming he might need a quick sugar boost. A few minutes later he joined me in the kitchen. We stood by the island for a moment before he said he needed to sit down again. As he turned to head back to his office, his legs suddenly gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. In that instant, everything shifted into slow motion, even as I dropped to my knees beside him, shouting, “What is happening? What’s going on?!” My mind was spinning, should I call 9-1-1? Thankfully, after what felt like forever, he slowly came to, and I helped him into the recliner. Immediately I told him we need to go to the ER. Much to my surprise, he did not fight me and that was the additional confirmation I needed to know he really was not feeling well. His collapse was a terrifying moment that will probably require multiple sessions of EMDR with my therapist to resolve, but if there was a silver lining, it is that Lenie was in her bedroom and did not witness any of it.

I told Lenie she had a playdate with the neighbors and ushered her out the door as Phillip and I made our way to the car to drive to the closest ER. On the drive Phillip admitted he had fallen two more times that morning before I had witnessed the last fall.

At the ER, we were seen quickly. Within minutes, Phillip was covered in wires with a temperature sensor stuck to his forehead, which made it nearly impossible for me to look at him with a straight face. As we watched the Vikings game, the PA came in to discuss the bloodwork results. Phillip's hemoglobin was at 4.4 (normal range is 14-18). At this level, the blood cannot carry adequate oxygen levels throughout the body. Given Phillip had a transfusion on Thursday and his hemoglobin was now at 4.4 we were told he likely has an internal bleed somewhere and a CT scan was needed to further investigate.

The CT scan came back negative for a GI bleed. I didn't know whether to feel relieved or more anxious. At least a bleed would have been an answer. The ER doctor explained that Phillip would need to be admitted for observation while they ran more tests to identify the source of the bleed. It was disappointing to hear he would be admitted, but I think we both knew this was needed given the events of the morning and also that we had no real answers yet.

There is never a convenient time to rush to the ER, but in Phillip's world, the most inconvenient time is when you are in the middle of smoking meat. When we learned he was going to be transported by EMS to Mercy Hospital, he asked me to go home and grab his things and tend to the meat on the smoker. This led to a Facetime call before he was loaded into the ambulance. He walked me through pulling the brisket off of the smoker with gigantic grilling gloves and rushing it into the house while it dripped au jus all over the floor. Per his instructions, I swaddled his precious meat in a towel and put it in the designated cooler for further perfection.

An endoscopy was performed early Monday morning to hopefully pinpoint the culprit of the bleed. A procedure that we were told would take 15 minutes kept Connie and I anxiously waiting for two hours. Given the significant time we assumed they had found a bleed which required intervention. When Phillip came back to the room we were told the "good news."

The endoscopy showed Grade D Esophagitis which basically means he has the worst-grade ulcers covering about 75% of his lower esophagus. The doctor even described it, and I quote, as having “mild oozing” (words you never want associated with any part of your body). In simple terms, it looks like Phillip’s been walking around with a stomach full of battery acid for who knows how long. Thanks to nerve issues, he didn’t feel the burning, so he had no clue his esophagus was undergoing this significant erosion.

While we are relieved it is not something more serious, there is a sense of disbelief this was all happening under the radar. After some new medications to disrupt his battery acid stomach and a few more units of blood, we are finally home today.

I ultimately had told Lenie that Daddy was in the hospital. It was a sweet moment this afternoon that he was able to get her off the bus. After her jiujitsu class she wanted to do her homework next to him, read together, and have her tuck him in. She will always be a Daddy's girl.

Although the rug was pulled from under us for a few days, all is well now. And I'm reminded, once again, the only thing we can truly expect is the unexpected.