Sean Johnson...

[vr4chick]

Update on Sean's Condition: While attempting to do a contrast dye MRI, the doctors found an arterial embolism. The embolism is located at the bottom of his ribcage. He was transferred to a hospital with good doctors. They attempted to coil the embolism but failed. The surgeons are going back to the drawing board to attempt to figure out what to do. He also has a hematoma (collection of blood) at the end of his pancreas. He's currently in stable condition. He can't be overstressed, so for obvious reason, the family is requesting no visitors, no text, no facebook postings on his wall, no chatting. He's being monitored around the clock. His gallbladder, the embolism, and his appendix all need to be removed...we are hoping at the same time. His pancreas is in poor condition, so they are trying to figure out what to do. Please keep Sean in your prayers...he's going to need it.

I will continue to update this thread as more information becomes available.

For those who want to know, Sean has been hospitalized for an unknown condition. He's undergone several tests since yesterday. The doctors are confident, it is not cancer :Clap:

The docs believe it maybe his gallbladder which is aggravating his pancreas, liver and possibly kidneys. He is expected to be okay but as with any condition there is no guarantee. We will know more in the upcoming days.

If you want to send prayers, positive thoughts, or anything of the such, please feel free. I will show him this thread tomorrow night...so show your love and support :w00t: He's been in agonizing pain since last Friday early morning. This is his second hospitalization since Friday and he's made 3 trips to the ER. He can't consume any food. He hasn't had any since Thursday night. He also can't sleep :(

I miss him dearly and have been attempting to keep his spirits high.

[stealthee]

Good luck Sean. My mom just had her gall bladder removed a few weeks back. When she first went in it was so inflamed they had to give her antibiotics and couldn't even do surgery for a few weeks.

[dbest671]

Damn, you two just can't stay out of trouble. Tell Sean to get better, he still has to race the Challenger :suspect: in whatever car he will have the next time we are over that way.

[DrGonzo]

Sean, Wish you the best man. Hoping you have a speedy recovery!!

[nodoze]

get better sean, you two need to start wearing gremlin bells on youre ankles

[green-lantern]

get better sean, you two need to start wearing gremlin bells on youre ankles

Agreed

He's pretty much my best friend so I'm ready for a bit better news. Only texted him tonight (he couldn't talk) but will talk to him tomorrow.

[stealthify]

Whenever someone's full name is in a thread title, with an ellipsis after it, I always get nervous.

Get better, Sean! Sending positive thoughts your way.

[j2k4]

Get better quick, Sean! :)

[HilbillyHomeboy]

Thinking about you, bud. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. :)

Jeremy

[SilverBullet]

Hang in there Sean! You'll be out of there in no time!

Leland

[Emilie@GZP]

<3 feel better Sean, we are thinkijg about you, and will keep you in our prayers :). Thank you for letting us know, Linda.

[VR-4 0wnz j00]

Good luck Sean, hope you get it figured out soon!

[vr4chick]

No problem, Em :)

[mcshooter]

good luck guy, hope you are not running a fever, a infection in your insides is scary stuff. a gallbladder removal or appendics is a simple surgery.

[VR4Rob]

Hope you get to feeling better soon buddy.

[vr4chick]

good luck guy, hope you are not running a fever, a infection in your insides is scary stuff. a gallbladder removal or appendics is a simple surgery.

No infection. :)

[Eric Hawkins]

I had the exact same thing happen to me about 3 years ago. Gallbladder was pissing off every other organ around it, took a week in the hospital to diagnose it, very painful. Have the doctor snatch that thing out of there, very minor surgery. I meet Sean years ago at the BRG(might have been called something else), could not have been nicer. I wish him a speedy recovery!

[vr4chick]

Updated the first post with the latest information.

[vr4chick]

I had the exact same thing happen to me about 3 years ago. Gallbladder was pissing off every other organ around it, took a week in the hospital to diagnose it, very painful. Have the doctor snatch that thing out of there, very minor surgery. I meet Sean years ago at the BRG(might have been called something else), could not have been nicer. I wish him a speedy recovery!

See the first post

I love Sean so much...this is hard on all of us. Thank you for your kind words...they are really appreciated.

[green-lantern]

Linda, if you need to get in touch with me before 5:00 PM me here. I'm at work today.

[vr4chick]

Sean drawing

http://i.imgur.com/Idj2e.jpg

He was moved out of ICU for 2 days, then he will be back

[dbest671]

Does Sean have insurance? I know we had to go "doctor shopping" ourselves because Baptist hospital dropped the ball for Don's heart surgery. I ended up doing lots of research and finally contacted a doctor @ Vanderbilt Medical Center. I would look @ Vanderbilt if you can, great hospital with great doctors.

[vr4chick]

Does Sean have insurance? I know we had to go "doctor shopping" ourselves because Baptist hospital dropped the ball for Don's heart surgery. I ended up doing lots of research and finally contacted a doctor @ Vanderbilt Medical Center. I would look @ Vanderbilt if you can, great hospital with great doctors.

Yes, he has a HDHP. He met his deductible earlier this year so everything is free of charge to us. He can only be transported by a medical transport and at this point that is iffy. The more he's in an ambulance, the more stress it puts him under. Blount had to wait to transport him on Friday because there was too much traffic. The can't life flight him until the embolism is removed. They might try to clot the embolism but that might be a little bit too risky. If they miss it will rupture.

[vr4chick]

Sean's first "real meal" in 10 days...He was soooo happy to actually consume food. They wanted to see how his pancreas would do, since the gallbladder is irritating his pancreas. Its ha heart healthy meal. Low fat, low carb, no sodium.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c117/lindahaas/seanhossy.jpg

[green-lantern]

That's good to hear, I've been pretty worried about him.

[vr4chick]

That's good to hear, I've been pretty worried about him.

Call me today, when you can.

[vr4chick]

Sean is a little over an hour into a second attempt at surgery. I'm waiting for word from his parents. He's been hospitalized since the 15th...

[HilbillyHomeboy]

Praying it all goes well. Keep us updated, please.

Jeremy

[vr4chick]

A little update...Sean had an ERCP done today. It has officially been confirmed that Sean was born with a deviated pancreas.

[AdamVR4]

A little update...Sean had an ERCP done today. It has officially been confirmed that Sean was born with a deviated pancreas.

Okay... so the ERCP was used to determine the problem. And apparently the pancreas isn't where it's supposed to be...

You said there's an arterial embolism and blood collecting in his Pancreas. Is it safe to assume this is all connected? I'm picturing a stretched, longer, narrower artery leading to the pancreas that was more prone to blockage than a normal one.

[IronmanTT]

Don't personal know you both but prayers and positive thoughts for his quick recovery...

[vr4chick]

Okay... so the ERCP was used to determine the problem. And apparently the pancreas isn't where it's supposed to be...

You said there's an arterial embolism and blood collecting in his Pancreas. Is it safe to assume this is all connected? I'm picturing a stretched, longer, narrower artery leading to the pancreas that was more prone to blockage than a normal one.

You have a duct that runs through your pancreas. At birth one section of your pancreas flips 180 degrees....allowing the internal ducts to line up. When sean was born the section that is supposed to rotate 180 degrees only rotated 58 degrees...so his pancreas has never worked right....after years of doctors blaming his pancreatic issue on alcohol, now they know the real reason.

Embolism will be confirmed tomorrow...

[AdamVR4]

You have a duct that runs through your pancreas. At birth one section of your pancreas flips 180 degrees....allowing the internal ducts to line up. When sean was born the section that is supposed to rotate 180 degrees only rotated 58 degrees...so his pancreas has never worked right....after years of doctors blaming his pancreatic issue on alcohol, now they know the real reason.

Embolism will be confirmed tomorrow...


Is this reasonably good news? Surely this is correctable/treatable?

[vr4chick]

Is this reasonably good news? Surely this is correctable/treatable?

Its bad because there is 40 years worth of damage to his pancreas...luckily hes under a good docs care and they may be able to correct it better thanits ever been.....

[TwIzTeD_3kGt]

Hope you get better man! My father in law went through a similar thing with his Pancreas and pulled through 100%. Good luck!

[vr4chick]

Sean is in recovery. His surgery time was approximately 7 hours...now were just waiting for a room...they are very unsure how long he will be here. Could be a week...it could be 2 months.

[BladeOmega]

Best wishes for a swift recovery.

[vr4chick]

A quick explanation of what they found during surgery on Sean. Initially they thought he was going to be in the OR for roughly 2 hours. The surgery ended up being just over 7 hours.

The doctors found a pancreatic divisium:


Pancreatic divisum is a congenital anomaly in the anatomy of the ducts of the pancreas in which a single pancreatic duct is not formed, but rather remains as two distinct dorsal and ventral ducts.

So basically the pancreas was never formed into 1 piece. It remained 2 separate pieces all his life.


The human embryo begins life with two ducts in the pancreas, the ventral duct and the dorsal duct. Normally, the two ducts will fuse together to form one main pancreatic duct; this occurs in more than 90% of embryos. In approximately 10% of embryos the ventral and dorsal ducts fail to fuse together, resulting in pancreas divisum. In utero, the majority of the pancreas is drained by the dorsal duct which opens up into the minor papilla. The ventral duct drains the minority of the pancreas and opens into the major papilla. In adults however, this situation is reversed whereby 70% of the pancreas is drained by the ventral duct. Therefore in pancreas divisum, where fusion of the ducts does not occur, the major drainage of the pancreas is done by the dorsal duct which opens up into the minor papilla.

The end of the "tail of the pancreas" developed a pseudocyst, or hemorrhagic pancreatitis. The hemorrage started to bleed within itself. Because Sean was on the thinner side and he maintained a healthy diet. The surgeons believe that is the only reason Sean didn't pass away. He was in grave danger. We knew that emergency surgery was going to be needed. That very long week took forever.

The surgeons went in and disconnected a section of Sean's smaller bowels and hooked it up to the smaller section of his pancreas. The theory behind this is to create 2 separate pancreases. They removed 1/3 of his pancreas and his spleen. They removed the spleen because it shares a main artery with the pancreas. There are complications that could arise due to the surgery but this was the best way to give Sean the best quality of life. Sean will face the risk of being in constant chronic pancreatitis (pain) and diabetes. The good thing is since this was caused by a birth defect...if Sean becomes a diabetic, he is eligible for a pancreatic transplant or islet cell transplant...:eek5:

[EZnTn]

Healing thoughts go out to Sean.
You're dedication through all this has really given Sean unfathomable strength Linda.
You are really a blessing to him.

[vr4chick]

Healing thoughts go out to Sean.
You're dedication through all this has really given Sean unfathomable strength Linda.
You are really a blessing to him.

Thank you for the kind words. I love Sean more than I can describe.

[AdamVR4]

There are complications that could arise due to the surgery but this was the best way to give Sean the best quality of life. Sean will face the risk of being in constant chronic pancreatitis (pain) and diabetes.

The alternative makes those risks look pretty darn good! :) Any idea how long before he can go home?

[vr4chick]

The alternative makes those risks look pretty darn good! :) Any idea how long before he can go home?

As short as a week and as long as 2 months...hard to say. depends on his recovery

[j2k4]

Fingers crossed, thoughts, prayers...the works, Linda. :)

[vr4chick]

Next up on the Sean saga...A blood infusion. Between the blood he lost during surgery and what they have extracted, his hemoglobin count is way down...

[beepbeep]

What's it at? How is he feeling? Other than the infusion, what's he looking at next?

[vr4chick]

What's it at? How is he feeling? Other than the infusion, what's he looking at next?

From 700s to the 500s overnight...well in a few hours. He's currently receiving his infusion...The infusion was unexpected. He's getting solid food tonight...so hopefully this will be the last step. They left in his gallbladder...they thought it would stress his body too much.

[vr4chick]

Just to give you guys an idea....


Hemorrhagic pancreatitis.
Frey CF.
Abstract

An experience with 68 patients with hemorrhagic pancreatitis identified at operation or autopsy is reported. Sixteen of the patients were subjected to operation, and 6 survived after celiotomy and peritoneal irrigation. There were no survivors in the unoperated group. Death when the pancreas is hemorrhagic and due to pancreatitis occurs an average of 10 days after the onset of symptoms or within 7 days of hospitalization. In eight patients who presented in coma, the diagnosis was not established before death. Early recognition of patients with hemorrhagic pancreatitis can be facilitated by the routine use of amylase and methemalbumin determinations and peritoneal lavage. Translocation of large volumes of albumin-rich fluid from the intravascular compartment to the retroperitoneum and pleural and abdominal cavities is in part responsible for many of the signs, symptoms, and complications of hemorrhagic pancreatitis. These include hemoconcentration, hypotension, tachycardia, tachypnea, ascites, abdominal distress, respiratory insufficiency, and renal failure. Adequate initial resuscitation and intensive follow-up are probably the most important elements in the management of patients with hemorrhagic pancreatitis. Careful monitoring of fluid and electrolytes and blood gases is required to avoid shock and renal and pulmonary failure. The need for careful monitoring is emphasized by the number of our patients in whom inadequacies of fluid replacement and ventilation were often not appreciated until the patient was in extremis from shock or respiratory or renal failure. Antibiotics are indicated in patients with biliary tract disease and penetrating ulcer in whom the risk of secondary infection is considerable. Associated diseases that initiated pancreatitis and that in themselves may be life-threatening, such as acute cholecystitis or cholangitis, should be promptly treated by operation. Diagnostic and therapeutic lavage are justified in the treatment of hemorrhagic pancreatitis. Resection of the necrotic pancreas should be considered when the patient fails to improve after lavage and nonoperative resuscitation.

[vr4chick]

Yay!!!!! Sean is home :D

[J-Groove]

Wow, I missed this whole thread. Great to read through it and find Sean is now home!!!

God speed on the remainder of his recovery! :)

-John

[IPD]

get well soon!

[stealthee]

Awesome news.

[beepbeep]

Since Sean's been home a little while now, how's he doing? How is he healing? Does the surgery seem to have helped any?

[vr4chick]

Since Sean's been home a little while now, how's he doing? How is he healing? Does the surgery seem to have helped any?

Sorry, we've both been MIA.

Sean has been doing okay. Unfortunately, it appears as if Sean is going to live with Chronic pain from the surgery. Medical technology isn't advanced when it comes to treating the pancreas...basically taking it day by day. Been thinking about trying to contact someone at the Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins to see if they have any pancreas experts :(

The surgery that Sean had is so rare, most surgeons won't even get a case of his magnitude :(

[green-lantern]

They need to quit giving him something with acetaminophen/tylenol. I can't believe they have been doing that in his case.

[beepbeep]

Well, that's poopy. Absolutely call around and find other experts who may be able to offer relief. Was hoping to hear better news, but we'll take what we can get.

[Echo419]

not gonna lie I saw this thread and thought....
http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2012/0518/espnw_ap_shawnjohnson_200.jpg

[vr4chick]

They need to quit giving him something with acetaminophen/tylenol. I can't believe they have been doing that in his case.

I agree.