[Dialogue] Abe Ulangca's hospitalization

[Janice & Abe Ulangca]

Dear colleagues,

Many of you are very much like our extended family, so we wanted you to know.  Forgive the medical detail; this is copied from an e-mail to Abe's far-flung family, which includes several nurses.

Abe is in intensive care in Binghamton General Hospital.  Tuesday he experienced very severe abdominal pain, getting worse constantly.  It was good to get to the hospital & get pain relief -- but it took 24 hours & several tests to chase down the pain cause, a large gall stone blocking things.  Thursday he had an ERCP procedure; this is a flexible tube about diameter of a pencil with a tiny camera attached  that is inserted down the throat and down into the digestive system.  The camera takes pictures, and the doctor can also do a number of procedures through the tube.  Thursday's procedure showed three bleeding ulcers in the colon, one of which had broken through the colon and overlapped with the sphincter muscle which the doctor needed to enlarge in order to bring the gall stone out. So the doctor had to install tiny tubes to drain the bleeding, and schedule another ERCP for Friday, the next day.  During Friday's ERCP the doctor was able to remove the gall stone (and remove the tubes inserted Thursday), and the ulcers are being medicated.  However, Friday night Abe had what the cardiologist calls a "substantial" heart attack - his third - probably caused by stress related to the procedures.  There was no choice about doing the ERCP procedures -- and Abe and I are both very happy with the care he is getting and very, very thankful for the skills (and even good humor) of the doctors and nurses.  The ERCP process is amazing, and the young doctor who did it is terrific.

We have 2 goals:  to get him stabilized long enough to move from intensive care to the cardiac floor at General, and then if possible to be able to care for him at home, perhaps with help of Hospice.  He's comfortable, dozing a lot, with his usual spark when he is awake.  How great that is!  He's not up to visiting much; we hope he will be later.  

Janice


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Abe & Janice Ulangca
3413 Stratford Drive
Vestal, NY  13850
607-797-4595
aulangca at stny.rr.com
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