Hello again

Hello Friends!

Well, we'll give this a try again with me writing. Most of you know that I had a little bit of a set back a couple weeks ago, and now trying to get back to where I was before that.  I'm laughing to myself after I typed "a little bit", having another surgery and having them reopen my incision I guess it was not a little bit, but we're moving forward and getting on with life.  As my surgeon (Dr. Levey) put it, "oh hell to this whole situation"...and that pretty much sums it up! :)  I do have to say, there were times where God was showing his sense of humor...like the ambulance getting lost down at Baylor, and my mom telling them to ask me for directions, the hospital transporter getting lost and going down cold hallways asking the cleaning people where the main surgery center was, and finally the surgical nurses wheeling me around trying to find a bathroom while waiting for the surgeon.  My poor mom and Jena didn't know what they were in for.  I am so grateful though, for the care I received from Baylor and that they took good care of my mom and Jena during surgery.

Each day is getting a little better, the best news is that I don't have the amount of gas pain I had prior to the second surgery, but having more incisional pain.  The good news with that is it will go away, it's just takes time.  They removed my staples last Thursday and that has helped.  The bad news is that I lost an additional 10 pounds with this second surgery so I'm pretty weak and tired.  My appetite is pretty non-existent, but that will come I'm sure.  No cravings right now, not even the chili dog. I'm having more nausea this time around, so I'm taking meds for that, which knock me out even more.  I keep telling Tim, if I'm sleeping I guess I can't be too high maintenance right?  My blood sugars have been really good, and for right now, I'm off the insulin to see how it will do, so that is a major step in the right direction.

I was looking back at my last post on Thanksgiving, and realized I neglected to say how Thankful I was for all of you...my dear friends.  My family and I are so blessed with all of our dear friends who have brought meals, who have shuffled my family back and forth from the airport, but most of all for all you who have prayed for me and with me.  God has blessed me and my family so much with each and everyone of you.  Of course Tim continues to be my rock and not sure what I would do without him.

I will try and do a better job of posting this time, but I guess no news is good news from this home front.  Thank you again for all your prayers and well wishes!

In His love,
Lisa

Back Home from the Hospital

Just a quick message to let everyone know Lisa got home from the hospital Sunday afternoon.  She is glad to be out and is resting fairly comfortably at home, just really tired and weak.  Hopefully this was the last she will spend the night in a hospital for a long time.  Hopefully some time in the next week or so she will take over the blog again and you will see more regular posts.  Thanks again for your continued prayers.

TAZ

Ambulance Ride during rush hour traffic (Lights Flashing)

Lisa had a major set-back yesterday that required her to be admitted to the hospital through the emergency room early last evening.  Severe abdominal pain, an ambulance ride, and surgery to un-block her bowel in the middle of the night was the order of the day yesterday.  Good news is the surgery went well.  Bad news is Lisa's recovery period just got a little longer (which she is not happy about).  Probably looking at a 3-5 day hospital stay to get over this hurdle.

Please continue to hold Lisa up in prayer.

TAZ

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.  Typical Texas weather, where today we're lucky to hit 40, and yesterday was close to 80.  I guess this just helps get everyone in the mood for the holidays.

As I'm sitting here writing and my family is in the kitchen preparing the Turkey and all the "goodies" that go with it, I am thinking of how blessed I am.  I thank God daily for my family...first most Tim.  I really do not know how I would have gotten through these  last 4 weeks, let alone 6 months. Before surgery, I had many moments of vomiting, severe pain and hot flashes, and the only relief I seem to get was laying on the cold bathroom tile (also close to the toilet), and Tim was right there beside me either rubbing my back or getting a cold rag for my head. The things the poor guy had to help me with while I was in the hospital...well let's just say he's definitely earned his stripes. He's held me when I've cried, lifted me up when I thought I couldn't go on, and loved me beyond anything I could have imagined.  One more example that God had this all in his plan, he brought me Tim.

Zach and Kaitlyn...well they've been quite the troopers as well.  I think they're already looking forward to next year when Mom will do all the cooking for Thanksgiving.  Kaitlyn thought the neck and gizzard to the Turkey was the "most disgusting thing she's ever seen", and Zach well, let's just see how the mashed potatoes turn out.  I'm thankful for all my family that have come down.  My mom, dad, and sister who were here for the surgery..my mom who has been here and will be here again next week,  my sister Linda who gave a week away from her own family to stay at the hospital with me, my brother Bob and his wife Lynn who came last weekend and brought lots of laughs...well it just makes me realize even more how important family really is.

I have a praise to share, my brother-in-law Ned is doing quite well after his aortic valve, and double bypass surgery last Friday.  He was put into a private room yesterday, and slowly the tubes are being taking away.  Boy...that is one of the best feelings in the world when they say..."ok, we'll take out this line".  Please continue to pray for his healing.  We have such an amazing God and I give all the thanks to him!

Well, enough of these sappy words.  I just was feeling so blessed and thought I would share.  Oh...I'm still hanging in there.  I'm having more incision pain the last few days, but that can only mean healing.  Slowly, I'm eating a little more each day, and food is starting to taste good.  Still no Chili Dog, but I'm dying to having the homemade dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy.  Speaking of, I better go see how things are going.  Have a blessed Thanksgiving and remember to love and thank your family for all you have!

"He alone is my rock, and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken". Psalms 62:6

Lazy Sunday

Sunday late afternoon, the house is quiet, and I'm enjoying some rare no pain, no nausea moments.  So, I thought what better thing to do than to write to you all.

It has been a pretty good weekend, of course each day will bring an hour or 4 of  "why did I do this again" pain and feeling miserable, but yet I look at how far I have come and realize just how good our God is.  My Mom left Friday morning to hopefully get some quiet and rest.  I often wonder where my 70 year old mother gets her energy to clean, cook, than cook and clean some more.  My brother Bob and his wife Lynn came in Friday afternoon, and was such a welcome.  Most of you don't know my brother, but he is one who can always give you a laugh, and boy I was in need of that.  We had pizza on Friday night (yes, I ate a little, and boy did it taste good.  The other thing about my brother is that he is an excellent cook, so this morning he made us a great breakfast with omelets, hasbrowns, biscuits, and fresh fruit.  He also made his "signature" guacamole which I love.  Of course I only had little bites of some, but just having them here and being with family made the day. 

Hard to believe this is Thanksgiving week, and even though I have days of "woe poor me", or "why did I do this", I know that with each day, and with God's grace it will only get better.  Zach will be coming home on Tuesday and we'll be a family again for a few days.  I can't tell you how excited I am for that. I truly believe that God brings you through times like this, to help you remember what is most important in life, and that all those small stupid things we worry about in life, really don't matter. 

I do have a prayer request, my oldest sister Sherri's husband will be having open heart surgery this coming Tuesday (Nov.23).  He will be having an aortic valve replaced, and will be receiving 1-2 bypasses. They have known for awhile about the aortic valve, but this past Friday when they did an angiogram they found 2 blocked vessels.  They live in Iowa, and I so wish I could be there to help and support Sherri like she did for me those first couple days after my surgery, but I'll give it all in prayer and ask that you do the same.  Ned is in great hands with his surgeons, and he has a loving family that will be there to support and take care of him.

Hope you all had a great weekend and will have a wonderful week ahead!!!  Oh..by the way, what about those Cowboys, 2 wins in a row!  That also makes for a happy Zeigler household! :)

Good things come to those who wait

Hello friends~

Well so much for posting every other day.  Sitting here it feels like 11:00 pm and that it should be Friday rather than Wednesday.  Sometimes, time goes so slow.

The last couple days have a been that "1 step back".  I had a pretty good day on Monday, and thought "yep, I can do this", but the than yesterday and today brought me back to reality, and the realization that I do need to be patient and good things will come.

I had my first follow up appt yesterday with the surgeon, dietitian, and Endocrinologist (my diabetes Dr.).  It was a full morning, so I'm sure that contributed to the "1 step back".  I am happy to say that the surgeon was very happy to see how I'm improving, and reassured me that all the things that I'm feeling and dealing with are normal and are just part of the path to healing.  My incision is healing quite nice and as my surgeon said yesterday after looking at it "damn I'm good"...that's a surgeon for you.  I'm very grateful for Dr. Levey as he has a great sense of humor, yet very understanding of my concerns and needs. 

My blood sugars are doing pretty well.  I'm down to taking one dose of the long acting Insulin, with very few shots of regular insulin in between. It will take about 3 months to really know if the Islets are functioning fully, and if I can be Insulin free.  I'm becoming much better about counting carbs and watching the diet (who really knew how many carbs are in the good foods).  I'm eating a little more each day, and some things are actually tasting good.  No chili dog yet, but once again good things come to those who wait.

Thank you for your postings on this blog, on facebook and even the text messages.  Please don't feel offended if I don't respond, just know that I appreciate each and everyone of them, and they help me get through each day.  We have an such an awesome God, and He has blessed me so with each and everyone of you.

Until next time....
Lisa

Roller Coaster Ride

"So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand".  Isaiah 41:10

Good afternoon all!  Roller Coaster...that is what I feel like I'm on.  The ups and downs of each day, just keeps us rolling I guess, and keeps me on my toes. I would rather be at Disney World on Space or Thunder mountain, but this is where I'm at and will look forward to that day when I will be at Disney World.  I've had a couple good nights of sleep (2-3 hours at a time), but  last night the pain and gas decided to show it's ugly head.  Usually with getting up and walking around will help.  Our poor dog Sadie has no clue what is going on this house, last night she looked at me like "seriously, your walking....it's 3:00 am, we're supposed to be sleeping".  But as with many faithful dogs, she got up and walked with me.  I'm sure her true hope was that we would go outside and walk, so after about 20 minutes she went back to her chair and just watched the rest of the time.

I'm eating a little more each day, although I won't be entering any food eating contest quite yet.  My Mom came into town on Thursday night, and will be staying for a while. Her hope is to "fatten" me up, we'll see how that goes.  I'm starting to have a few cravings for certain foods.  I watched a commercial for Sonic last night for their Chili Hot Dogs, and my mouth started to water.  I was quite perplexed by that since I rarely eat them ( in fact I can't remember the last time I had one), but at least it was a step forward in thinking that food will taste good.  Of course Tin Star, Gloria's, OTB or any other Mexican restaurants are still at the top of the list. 

I received a wonderful surprise yesterday, Zach came home. He had told me earlier this week that he wouldn't be coming home, since it was OU's last home game,  had lots of homework, and that his friends might be doing something for him for his 19th birthday today.  Yes, I admit was a little sad, but realized that he is now a college kid and that is part of his life now.  So yesterday at 4:00pm when he walked into the house, I cried and hugged him dearly.  I am truly blessed to have 2 wonderful kiddos, who have been by their momma's side all the way. 

Thank you for your continued prayers!  They are so appreciated, but ask they continue in the months to come. Yes, it is like a roller coaster with it's ups and downs, but I do know that there is an end to this ride.  God has blessed me with so many wonderful friends and I thank Him each and everyday for all of you.  I will try and update as much as possible, as this is part of my "therapy" and healing process, however, some days are a little tougher than another, so hang in there with me.

In His love,
Lisa

Home Sweet Home

Good evening! Hard to believe that I'm sitting here with computer writing to you all (which means I'm going to try and take over the blog).  So glad that it is this week rather than last!

Thank you all for your love, and many prayers over the last 12 days.  I can't even begin to imagine how I would have made it through without the grace of God, and the love of my family and friends.  Tim has been a trooper as well, when he vowed in sickness and health, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.  God blessed me dearly with him and I'm so grateful.

I am happy to be at home, sleeping in my own bed (even if it takes me 10 minutes to find the most comfortable postiton) and just being home with Tim and Kaitlyn.  My sister Linda left today, and cannot begin to thank her for all her help.  (Funny that on the last night at the hospital the night nurse showed her how the pull out really did pull out into a bed). Being a nurse herself she helped me get started with the diabetes diet (guess I'll need to wait awhile for my chips and salsa).  Hopefully this will not be a long term diet, but if it is, God will help me get through it.

I am still struggling with quite a bit of pain, but hopefully we can get this under control the next few days with meds. Please continue your prayers for relief, I know that this battle will be won, it's just going to take time.  As one friend said, "short term pain, for a long term goal".   

Thank you again for all your prayers, and please keep them coming.  I'll try and keep this updated as much as possible, some days are better than others, so I may not post.  God is an amazing God, and He will carry me and my family through the end.

"With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song." Zeph. 3:17b

Going Home Today!

The Doctor just did rounds this morning and Lisa has been cleared to go home later today.  Waiting on the nurse to do her paperwork and see exactly what time that will be.  We are all so excited and thanking God for guiding us over another hurdle of this operation!

TAZ
LJZ

Woo Hoo Walking without Extra Baggage

Another day of improvement and changes that mean Lisa will be getting out of the hospital soon.  The extra baggage would be the IV Pole which is no longer in use in room 1228.  Here is some detail of what has transpired in the last 24 hours.
** They took her IV fluids away.
** They took the feeding tube out for the day to see if she can eat enough to stay hydrated and sustain herself which went pretty well.
** Longer and more frequent walks in the hall and she is not being lapped by other patients (which most happen to be older then her (but I didn't tell you that)).
** Another trip outside to enjoy the sunshine this afternoon.
** Able to take a shower today which was incredible refreshing (it truly is the little things you miss when you are not able to do them).

Prayer:
Thank you God for your faithfulness which sustains me each day and your love which refreshes my spirit.  Amen

LJZ
TAZ

Another Good Day

What a fitting prayer Lisa received with her noon meal today.  "Thank you God for your saving grace and healing power at work within me.  Amen."

Pain has been more manageable today and eating has increased (the rest of us would starve on the quantity she is eating right now).  We were able to get outside and enjoy the sunshine today which motivates her more to get home.  With the progress she has made in the last couple of days the Doctors expect she may be able to go home Sunday or Monday (YEAH). 

God is so Good.

TAZ
LJZ

Thanks for the Extra Prayers

Thanks for the extra prayers this evening, Lisa is resting more comfortably now.  God is so Good!

LJZ
TAZ

Quick Prayer

Lisa is having a lot of pain tonight, just say an extra prayer for her tonight please.

LJZ
TAZ

Steady Progress the Last Couple of Days

Okay, so what's new?

** Resting more comfortably each day.
** Continued walks in the hallway, getting up moving around, and just more movement in general.
** Advancing diet to full liquids today, with the option to have other foods with more substance.
** Doctor is transitioning pain meds from IV administered to by mouth, but still has pain pump if she needs it.

The Doctors are even talking about letting her go home in the near future if things keep progressing the way they have and she gets over certain hurdles (tolerating a full diet, no pain meds through the IV, the pain and nausea are manageable at home, etc.).

All in all, moving in the right direction.

TAZ
LJZ

Sitting in a Chair Feels So Good

Another quick post...................

Lisa rested fairly well this afternoon after "The Move", is now tolerating clear liquids (for the most part), and even sat in a chair beside her bed for about an hour and a half.  I will say she is a bit embarrassed about her looks right now..................a bad hair day may turn into a bad hair week!  Don't worry she will get that fixed before she sees any visitors.

TAZ
LJZ

Lisa Is Now in Her Own Room on the Transplant Wing

Lisa was just transferred to the Transplant Wing on the 12th Floor of the Roberts building.  She is glad to be in her own room and at this moment recovering from "The Move".  As you might expect doing simple things like moving her body around on the bed or having to turn, etc. causes pain and discomfort.  Recovery from "The Move" has consisted of deep breathing and pressing her Pain Pump button (her new best friend).

I have heard through the grapevine that some of you might want to visit, however, she is still not ready to have visitors other then family.  We will see how things go over the next couple of days and we also need to check with her Doctors, but it will probably be towards the weekend before she is ready for visitors (subject to an earlier date, check the blog).

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers, this really feels like a big step forward towards starting the recovery process.

TAZ
LJZ

Small Bump In The Road Today - Still In ICU Tonight (Sunday)

Quick post tonight...............

As stated in the header Lisa was not able to get out of the ICU today and the reason is two-fold; because of complications with the pain meds they thought were working effectively and that the ICU environment she has been in is challenging from a sleep standpoint (she is in one of four beds and the nature of an ICU is activity going on 24/7).

That said later this afternoon Lisa was given a private ICU room for tonight and she is resting more comfortably.  Additionally all indications (fingers crossed) are that the new pain meds seem to be working nicely.  We are hopeful she will be placed in a traditional hospital room tomorrow.

In His name we trust.

TAZ

ICU One More Night But No Major Concerns

I spent the entire day in the ICU with Lisa today and unfortunately she will remain in ICU for one more night.  The main reason for the additional night (the extra time in ICU is not uncommon with this surgery) is it took them longer then expected to get a handle on pain management coming out of surgery.  Pancreatitis patients tend to build up high tolerances to pain meds because they are used so regularly to treat the disease prior to having surgery.  The good news is it seems they have found the right level of pain meds for Lisa and she is resting more comfortably this evening.

Lisa's vital signs remain within good ranges and in fact if that continues through the night Dr. Levy said there is no reason why she won't be moved out of the ICU tomorrow.  We are all very hopeful that will happen.

Zach and Kaitlyn were able to join me for about an hour this afternoon and Lisa really enjoyed there visit.

Thanks again for all your on-going thoughts and prayers, the power of prayer is an AWESOME thing.

TAZ

Lisa Still in ICU this morning

Just a quick update this morning.  Lisa spent the night in ICU and her condition is stable with no cause for concern.  Her vitals are very good and they are trying to deal with the extreme pain that goes along with the recovery from this surgery.  If all goes well today she could be released to a more traditional hospital room in the transplant wing later today.  Please continue to pray for Lisa.

TAZ

Lisa's Surgery Just Concluded at Around 8:00pm

Dr. Levy just came out and informed us that Lisa's surgery is complete and that he is very happy with how she came through.  Lisa has been moved to the ICU to start the recovery process (YEAH!).  Dr. Levy stated that they were able to abstract a very high amount of islets (around 364,000 for those of you counting at home) from her pancreas that were then transplanted into her liver. 

Hopefully we will be able to see Lisa in about 30 minutes!

God has worked through Lisa's surgeons and they successfully completed her surgery. We place all faith in Him and know he will continue to bless Lisa through the recovery process in the coming months.

TAZ
ZAZ
KMZ

Lisa's Surgery Going As Planned

Zach, Kaitlyn, and I just spoke to Dr. Levy and we are happy to report that Lisa's surgery is going as planned.  Lisa has been stable throughout, pancreas was removed around 1:30 pm, it took a bit longer then expected to reconnect things inside after removing the pancreas, but this work was completed by about 4:00 pm.  The Islets are in the process of being farmed out of her "old" pancreas at the time of this writing and Dr. Levy expects to put them into the blood flow to nest in the Liver around 6:00 pm.  If all goes well Lisa should be in the ICU between 8:00 and 9:00 pm tonight.

We are so grateful to God that everything is going well to this point and we continue to pray for Dr. Levy and his team for a successful result.  Thanks to all of you that are praying too.

TAZ
ZAZ
KMZ

Surgery Started at 8:40 am

They started surgery this morning at 8:40 am.  Lisa was in good spirits, naturally a little apprehensive, but has full faith in the Doctor that is doing the surgery and his medical staff.  More importantly she is unwavering in her faith that God is in control of her day today.

I should get a report from the Dr. early this afternoon about how the first half of the operation goes and will post an update then.  Thanks to all who are keeping Lisa in their thoughts and prayers today.

TAZ

Psalm 16:8-9

"I know the Lord is always with me.  I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.  No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.  My body rests in safety."  Psalm 16:8-9

LJZ

Lisa's Surgery Information

Date:            Friday, October 29, 2010
Hospital:       Baylor Dallas
Address:       3500 Gaston Street
                     Dallas, TX  75246

Arrival:         5:30am
Surgery:       7:30am

Procedure:   Pancreatic Islet Transplantation to Liver
Length:         Approx 12 hours

Zach, Lisa, Kaitlyn, & Tim

Welcome to Lisa's updates

Hi everyone! In an attempt to keep everyone updated I have created a blog for you to keep up with Lisa.
We will post news as often as possible.

Lisa's surgery is Friday, October 29th at 7:00 am. Please pray ahead for the doctors wisdom and God's healing powers to embrace Lisa.

More to come.
-Jena