Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Today is my brother Wade's birthday. I am waiting to send a "happy Birthday" txt message to him. Wade is in Pasadena California and I am in New York City. It is still too early to txt to California.
Wade has been deathly ill and I am quite concerned. He txt'd to me on a Saturday afternoon two weeks ago that he was in the hospital, about to go into emergency surgery.
The message was quite a shock. I knew from experience that the doctors would take his phone away. I had to wait until Sunday to try calling to see what is going on. I had to guess which hospital he was at.
I guessed Kaiser Permanenti on Sunset Blvd and guessed right. The operator gave me the number to his room and to his nurse's station.
Wade told me that he had been having black stools and then he started to throw up black and went to a hospital emergency clinic. The doctors found that Wade was bleeding internally. Wade was diagnosed with a bleeding liver.
The doctors ran a tube down Wade's throat all the way down to his liver and put a rubber band around the wound.
Afterward, Wade is suffering complications that he is retaining fluids. The doctors put a needle through his belly and withdrew four liters of liquid.
A week later Wade had to go back to the Urgent Care Center because liquid was leaking out of his belly where the doctors had inserted the needle to withdraw fluid. The Urgent Care doctors put a patch on Wade's belly to stop the leakage.
Wade told me he has started to take the medication to help him dispell the excess fluid in his system but he is still retaining fluid. Wade may have to go back and the doctors will insert a needle again and withdraw more fluid.
I've been calling Wade daily. Last week I called and Wade was crabby. He complained that therapists wanted to visit his at home and he needed to work.
I did not call for a few days and on Sunday I called and he did not pick up. I started to worry and wonder if that crabby conversation was going to be the last conversation we had.
I called Monday afternoon and Wade also did not pick up or call back. This is very unlike him so I was really very worried. I called again and he finally answered the phone.
Wade is OK, still retaining fluids. The medication he is taking makes him feel woozy. He has to be careful driving in L.A. He has a doctor's appointment next week.
I'm worried about Wade. He's been living in California for 35 years and he's got that "I don't trust doctors" la-la mentality. I ask him basic medical questions and he doesn't know. I ask if he has asked the doctor and he hasn't asked.
Mom and Dad both died last year. My middle brother died in 1991 at age 33 of cirrhosis of his liver. Wade is the only family that I have left. I want him to take care of himself.
Over the years Wade has been distant from the family but in the last two years I've visited him twice.
We are separated by the contenent. If something happens to Wade it will be hard for me to get there.
I sent Wade a birthday card last week. He should have it today. I will send a txt today. It feels weird to call again today. I don't have much to talk about.