Well, Kaitlyn sure does like to make life interesting! After 4 days in the hospital, she was discharged home. During her stay, she had countless tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans and daily blood work. Stay with me here: she has a fibroid covering 50% of her uterus which “could cause problems in the future”, she has a large cyst on her right ovary which “if it bursts, could cause a serious infection”, and she has a significant amount of inflammation around her incision which is “causing adhesions that she may need to have surgery on in the future”.  Turns out none of these things are responsible for the pain over her liver, just new things to pay attention to. They decided to hold on any surgery to avoid infection. 

In attempts to see if her pain was related to musculoskeletal issues, they performed a pain block including an anesthetic into her abdomen with what Kaitlyn explained as a 5 inch needle. She had no relief and they tried it again the next day. Still no relief. They have trialed oxycodone and fentanyl on top of this, but her pain remains an 8/10. As of now she is on a high dosage of steroids to help reduce the inflammation in her abdomen. She is also adding gabapentin to her medication list to help with the nerve pain in her stomach and sharp pains down both of her legs and into her feet. They are hoping these things will break through the pain within the next couple of weeks, otherwise they will have to explore more options. 

Kaitlyn’s discharge home was bittersweet because she is left without answers yet again. She left with the same pain she started with, even on strong medications. And we have no explanation about why her liver enzymes increased. Her doctors said they did everything they could for her and that they weren’t sure what else to do, so she was sent home. Her medical team at UNMC is the most evidence based, comprehensive, and extraordinary care that we all as medical professionals have witnessed. The absolute best of the best! We believe in them and have no choice but to believe that they aren’t missing anything. I pray that Kaitlyn finds comfort in the unknown and doesn’t have to live in fear and pain every day. So this is where we are. This familiar place of appreciating every day and every memory together. The prayers don’t stop here. Life is a fragile thing and that’s what makes it so beautiful. And if you’re on Team Kaitlyn, every day is a good day! #KaitlynStrong