Thanksgiving 2016

Today is 24th November 2016. Thanksgiving day is here, and while I am very thankful I no longer work retail, that isn’t what I am thankful for. What I am thankful for is the countless Months, Days and Hours that the many different Doctors, Nurses and Aides have gone through to assist my wife during her battle with Crohns to be healed enough to be here at home, by our families side on this Thanksgiving day. So many people whom are involved that I can’t even begin to name them all, but to the medical professionals and staff who kept things going on a Daily round-the-clock basis. 

• Rex UNC Hospital
• Wake Med Cary Hospital
• UNC Chapel Hill Hospital
• Duke University Hospital 

Our fight with her Crohns is far from over, while it is a terminal disease, we daily look for positive signs for a better treatment or yet a cure. We had a follow up on Monday the 21st and while it was a long visit, it was a turning point in my life, that I never expected. After the visit I came home and did a lot of research online for not only to understand what’s ahead but to just feel at ease, I guess. What I can say with out a doubt is our doctor is by far an amazing woman and a master of her craft. Dr. D.  Sudan is a Professor and she’s the Chief Abdominal Transplant Surgeon. She has many published articles on what she does and the progress Duke has pioneered in for bowel transplants. 

Ick, that “T” word again, Transplant. As a kid growing up, the only Transplant I knew about was done on a skateboard, and no I never could perfect it. See, Becke has so little small bowel left that she has SBS (Short Bowel Syndrome), which means she will have TPN (Total Protien & Nutrition) for life. Sure she can eat normal foods like others but it just comes out how it went in, around 10 minuets later and drains into her ostomy bag. Kinda cool yet weird and gross at the same time. In fact I think Elephants have that same process due to their diet. 

So we have now come to a point where Becke will be undergoing the starting process of transplanting. This is ofcorse all in due to comparability with matching a donor. See if Becke’s Crohns is active and diseased all of the remaining Jejunum then she will receive the new Jejunum, Ileum and Colon. Becke has about 6 inches of her colon left. Everything else was removed. Mind you that we’re born with around 25-27 feet of intestines, Becke has less than 6 feet remaining. If the disease is into the Duodenum or stomach, they would have to transplant everything, stomach, pancreas, and full bowel tract. Which could mean she wouldn’t have an ostomy anymore and she would poop like anyone else with out an ostomy or if her remaining colon and rectum are not graftable then she’ll get a new ostomy. 

Not only is this all a reality for us now, she may be a guinepig for a new procedure that’s in the works. Duke is in the process of doing experiments for full Abdominal Wall transplants. What this means is the skin, tissue under it, fat, and muscle that makes up our glorious 6 pack abs or in my case my mini-keg, would be transplanted. See Becke’s had so many surgeries over the years her belly is shaped like the Grand Canyon (and I mean it’s got a deep creveas). The donor could be Male or Female. White, Black, Hispanic, Asian or alien for all we know, but it could help recreate my wife to have a smoother and flatter stomach with no scaring or Abdominal wall issues. 

So on this day of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the breakthroughs in modern Medical Science. The passion people have to help individuals like my wife and or those in worse conditions. Because of your selflessness we have amazing medical science technologies and procedures that are indescribable. 
So thank you for giving me this day to be with my wife and my family. 

Happy Thanksgiving,

-The Lewis Family