Alexandria L.

About Alexandria L.

My grandfather had Prostate Cancer. He raised me and was my HERO! I lost him January 23 2021. Right after losing him my husband and I was told in March he had an 7.3 aneurism in his aorta. Surgery was scheduled for April 19 2021 in Charleston at MUSC. We arrived on the 18th. Little did we know that was the last day our lives would ever be “Normal” again. The surgery was supposed to be 4, 4 1/2 hours. It ended up being 9 hours and 50 mins. The next day while he was in Cardio Vascular ICU I was called and told I needed to come sign papers for a emergency surgery because he had not produced any urine since before the surgery. They had to stent his kidneys. The next day I was called to sign again so they could put in a port for dialysis. Every time they called I was on the way or had just entered the cafeteria. I still had not eaten since the last time we ate together. The next day same thing happened. I was in the cafeteria they called. I had to sign for a colonoscopy. You wont believe it but the same thing happened the next morning! They called and needed me to sign because he had gotten compartment syndrome and had to rush him in the OR to perform a fasciotomy on his right leg! (Please if you don’t know what a fasciotomy is only look up if you have a strong stomach!) His was extreme they were not sure if they could save his leg. From the knee down. All that was left was the bone and about a 4 inch long strip of muscle. His leg was completely hollowed out! (I have pictures for proof.) And yet again the very next day he had to go back to the OR to release more pressure in his leg and debris it. And Saturday was his Birthday! Even though he was in CVICU and on a ventilator and a dialysis pump 24/7 and not coherent I told the doctor to his face he wasnt touching him today. I told him it’s his birthday because he came in saying he needed to go back to the OR. I told him he wont die before tomorrow or Monday he needs to rest so that’s what happened. To speed things up a little bit he spent a month and a half in ICU and 8 days in step down. They ended up doing another 4 surgerys and killing his kidneys. They will never come back! Hes now considered chronic in his medical files. Even though we were “PROMISED” to our faces by 2 different doctors that it was just temporary and his kidneys where just in “shock” and they would revive. They need up cross clamping them for way to long during the very first aorta surgery. When we got back home we had a home health company come out. They had a doctors order to come out twice a day. However they said that his insurance wont cover it. Well I called his insurance to complain. They navigator told me that was not at all the case and she called the home health on three way and come to found that was a lie. So I confronted them about it and all of 15 mins later I got a call from the home health company telling me they dropped him as a patient because they said he was different. I had to quite my job to stay home and take care of him and take him to dialysis Monday, Wednesday & Friday and stay in the truck on them hot summer days. The entire 6 hours he was in there in case I had to take him to the hospital. Tuesday and Thursday was full of doctors appointment. Cardiovascular, dialysis access, Renal, Primary Care, Cardiologist, Orthopedic and the random midnight hospital runs to get transfusions because his hemoglobin was between 5 and 6 every week when dialysis got his lab results in. Something was wrong with his body it wasnt making blood and we couldnt figure out why. And since losing my Grandaddy in January of 2021. I have since buried my brother my sister several aunts and uncles and cousins, my only best friend. My first horse I got for Christmas when I was 7 passed away November 16 2021 and our guinea pig passed the very next day November 17 2021 of a tumor and then November 18th was my Grandmothers birthday who passed 7 years before and was my Grandaddys wife. In total I have lost 18 family members & friends and 7 pets since the beginning of 2021 till today January 27 2022. My husband just had is 19th surgery since April 19 2021 and we have come to terms with it. It’s unfortunately just our new way of life. However I’m very greatful, thankful and blessed he’s still alive and God gave me him to take care of. Hes still on dialysis and oxygen and his leg is deformed and he has no movement in it from the knee down. His foot has since fallen into a very unnatural position and dose not move at all. Be cant even wiggle his toes and he’s still not out of the woods for amputation. All of this has taken a huge toll on us mentally, physically, emotionally and financially! I love working but cant for having to take him to and from at the very least one doctors appointment a day and because he falls while I’m here. No telling what could happen if I’m not here. I’d never be able to live with myself if something happened and I wasnt here to help him. I’m literally in tears right now its 3:05 in the morning I stay up all night just to make sure hes okay while sleeping and when he wakes up I go to bed for a few hours. I have gained 60 pounds since April of last year. I’ll be honest I do blame it on all the stress and becoming extremely depressed after coming home from Charleston and trying to except our lives will never be the same . My husband was never the kind of Man to sit at home and do nothing he was always building or fixing something or outside fishing and now he cant do anything he loves anymore. I know we are not the only ones with a story. I also know no one store is better or worse then the next. I just wanted to thank you for all you are doing and a genuinely appreciate you allowing me to tell our story. Thank You! Alexandria P.S. it’s only allowing me to upload one picture. I’d love to share more. If there is another way I can send them to you please let me know.