Thomas Arthur Schaefer
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Friday, April 29, 2011

You Seemed So Near Sighted Excited

A photo to send to my nurses... included it in a card I sent them. I was known as that guy with the Red Sunglasses who walks down the hall.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Seeing The Bright Sides

The 1 week check-up. Still have tubes coming out of my abdomen and they aren't removing them this day.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

There No Talking About Air

For almost 2 weeks I ate nothing but crushed ice. It was entirely a diet of ice, IV Fluid, blood thinners and Morphine. They wouldn't even let me drink water... the ice police always replaced the ice cup when it melted to water too soon "Only Ice!" I was told. Then on what was to become me next to last day there... they let me eat finally! Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I ate grits for breakfast because it was a choice of that or oatmeal... and I hate oatmeal... and I hate grits. But it was one or the other and it was one of the best things I ever ate I thought at the time.
LUNCH - Chicken Fingers and Mashed Potatoes
DINNER - Turkey & Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy, Green Beans and Carrots
I found out after getting home I had lost 20+ lbs from this ordeal. These pics sum it up in a way. The blood thinners kept me from being able to shave the entire time too. Guess they thought I'd bleed out if I nicked myself.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Never Waken To The Day

They removed the stomach pump tube from my nose today... finally. That thing was a nightmare.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Promises To Fulfill

Day after my second surgery. I am alive and I still have this tube up my nose running into my stomach. Can't talk, can't swallow, can't breath at night. My main mission was to get this horrible thing removed as soon as possible, because it wasn't helping me recover any faster.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Feed You With Soft Fingers

Had a stomach pump tube inserted into me this morning via my nose. My digestive system has shut down over the last few days and they need to pump the bile and such out of my stomach because I am not able to process it like normal. I vomited green all night long before they could get this thing into me. I am going in for a second emergency surgery this evening. I didn't think I'd come back from it though... I was in serious pain and knew I was in trouble internally.

Saturday, April 09, 2011

Hopeless Promotion

It had been (3) days of serious pain at home denying anything was wrong with me. Then it was 6 hours at the hospital after I decided something was wrong before they gave my my first injection of pain medicine. I think this picture was taken just after they administered it. I can't begin to describe the stupid sort of pain I was in. It was something close to being shot in the belly a number of times and having some idiot with a hot knife trying to dig out the bullets. I was insane and I must be a serious hard-ass or fool to have dealt with it that many days without medical attention.
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At this point in the game my appendix had already burst (I assumed on the 7th) and as CAT Scans would reveal I needed to be rushed into surgery before it spread everywhere and I'd be in serious trouble.

Monday, April 04, 2011

To Live Without Stump Judgement Boxers

They could eat off their tables like stubs. And best of all no one would get dizzy again.