It works, then it doesn't

Well, as you may well know from my constant complaining about the laptop, I finally got it to work and I was laboriously typing away to update you on what's going on and even gave a lot of background info and what we can expect in the future, and then when I went to post the thing, the connection was too weak to find the server and I lost everything I had typed. AAAAAARRGH!

So now I'm typing in a Word document and hopefully will save it and paste it in later. You just can't imagine my frustration. (Update: couldn't get back on so I'm in another room on the hospital computer transcribing from the laptop onto this computer.)

I haven't heard from the doctors since this morning and she did get the xray, but I hadn't heard what was the result from the xray. So I was asking our day nuse and he went and printed up all the final results for me from all the CTs and xrays from the last few days. Just for kicks I was thinking about typing all that out for you to decipher the medical jargon, but then I was too lazy . . .Eh, why not? I'll put down the findings:

"Contrast persists in the cecum and proximal ascending colon. there has been significant interval increase in the amount of the colonic gas. dilated and gas-filled loops of small bowel persist. These findings are most consistent with incomplete small bowel obstruction." There, now we are all educated!

So basically, a little bit is going through, but not enough to go home on. It is definitely still a problem. They are wanting to see free-flowing traffic. They are still waiting to see if she will resolve this on her own.

What does this look like long-term? Well, the doctors just don't know. Worst case, she could have this for many years to come. Diet? The docs say that "everyone should be eating diets with high fiber. Lots of fruits and veggies. By the time stuff reaches the small bowel, everything is pretty much liquefied anyway. This is not a constipation issue. Purely mechanical." There is no treatment or prevention of scar tissue. Nothing they can do long term. And yes, this is uncommon in children. Something they see more as a geriatric deal.

I hope this answers many of your questions. I've asked these questions many times and in many different versions trying to get a different answer but the answer is always the same. Thanks for checking out the blog before calling. Lots of people say they do that and their questions are answered before they call. I try to update as I know anything so you really are getting the latest. Keep praying for our girl! She's a trooper! She loves having visitors; it gets her out of bed and out of a funk.