February 24

10:21am

Well, we’ve made it through January and most of February, and it’s time to take the stent in Nathaniel’s bile duct out. This appointment was originally scheduled for January, but the surgeon didn’t want to try to do an endoscopy around the feeding tube. So we waited, with the hope that Nathaniel would gain enough weight that the tube would be out by now.

It is not. Nathaniel’s weight is down to high school levels. His weight is my goal weight — but he’s 5 foot 10 and I’m 5 foot 2 so he should definitely not weigh anywhere near my goal weight. It is an ongoing problem and we’re working with the dietician on a weekly basis to try to bring his weight up.  (If things get bad enough they will admit him for “failure to thrive” but we’re all hoping we can avoid that.)

In the meantime, since the feeding tube needs to be changed monthly and we’re at the “monthly” line right now anyway, they’re pulling his feeding tube at the beginning of the endoscopy, doing the procedure, then placing a new tube before he leaves. At least, that’s the plan. We all know how plans go.

They just took Nathaniel back for his procedure. It’s a couple of hours, plus the time to come out of the anesthesia, so I’ll be chilling in the waiting room for a while.

11:30am

He’s out of the operating room and in recovery, so now we’re waiting for him to come around.

4:53pm

Well, it took Nathaniel until a little past two to shake off the anesthesia and get re-dressed, especially with all the protruding medical bits that go with it. And of course by the time we collected the car from the hospital valet, the traffic had picked up. It’s almost 5pm. The dogs are still boarded. We’re home.

The docs had to replace the old stent with a new one. Since the stent keeps the blood flowing into the liver, and we’ve already learned what a grouch the liver becomes when it’s clogged with things (bile or otherwise), he’s fine with having another stent. We both hope maybe next time they’ll be able to take it with no replacement, but “next time” is June.

Meanwhile, we’re home.