When a Man Almost Dies: Tangled Hairspring/Re-Bushing Needed

[maitai11]

My Dear Brothers:

I kept the “I’m thinking deeply about something” bubble as part of the topic icon, and for good reason. I’ve been in the midst of some very, very deep thoughts these last several weeks.

I nearly met my maker; joined the Great Horological Society, Heavenly Chapter #001; Had coffee with Sir George Daniels; You get the point…

Had certain things taken another wrong turn, I would not be here speaking with you today. Had certain things NOT been done for me by a set of some caring, skilled surgeon’s hands, I would have been somewhere outside of life, as I know it. I would have departed this world and certainly would’ve missed all of you.

But, I’m here. For that, I am very, very thankful. It was not my time. It was my time to become ill, go to the Emergency Room for a very non-traditional reason (which, probably saved my life,) and place my life in the hands of a crack surgeon who’s seen so much in his 25 year career, that by now, my case (a jumbled hairspring) was nothing more than a walk in the park for this guy – and that pretty makes me a very blessed chap who is sitting here talking with you.

On May 2, 2105, in the very early morning hours of 2:00 a.m., I awoke to feeling waves of nausea coming over my body. Not wanting to embarrass myself at a friend’s house, and knowing I’d need some Pepto, I slithered out to go to the drugstore. Not 1/4 mile down the road after obtaining and taking those stomach aids, and after more nausea, then copious amounts of saliva filling my mouth, I found myself on the side of the divided freeway having a one-man projectile vomiting contest – and I won. I found myself driving in the direction of the ER (when’s the last time YOU went to the ER after vomiting once???), and then checking in. I’m glad I did. After one round of IV fluid and antinausea medicine, I had the doctor looking at me (Oh, boy, was the ER doc a cutie:) )saying, “Are you…? Something’s up… I think I’m going to run some tests and a CT Scan…” She was right. I had a twisted small intestine and a blockage to boot. Time for Timmy left on planet earth? 12-24 hours, without surgery. Every hear of going “all in” ? You bet your bottom dollar I was all-in! Then, I met the surgeon. A crack, 5-star technician with ZERO bedside manner (think I want him? YOU BET I DO! – Those are the BEST KINDS of surgeons!)

So, yeah, in horological terms, this guy was going to detangle my hairspring so as to get that balance running smoothly again! I called my Dad to my bedside, and leaned on him during the times when I felt the gravity of it all hitting me. He was so great through my whole ordeal. “Come and get me, Dad,” I asked him at 6:00 am after waking him up (with three hours’ sleep, haha…) “OK, I’ll see you shortly…” and he was there in about 20 minutes. So, as we waited for the team to be assembled, Dad stayed with me and made sure I didn’t go insane. What a comfort. What a solid rock. What a great Dad. As the tears streamed down my face, and as he and the surgeon comforted me, and told me I’d be fine, the doctor then pivoted and turned to Dad saying, “You know, you should go get some rest. He’ll be fine…” and as they wheeled me into the OR, tears still streaming down my face, mostly due to the relief I’d felt that this would all be fixed from this point on, they plopped a warm O2 mask on my face, told me to dream of a nice place to go to, and that had me drifting off into obscurity – and the first feeling of wellbeing and safety I’d felt in 8 hours since this whole ordeal began. My surgeon detangled my “hairspring” (small bowel), then also “rebushed” my navel after finding an incidental umbilical hernia that I never knew I had. I was tip-top from that point on. A VERY successful surgery!!!

So, my friends, to make this very, very long story short, I spent the next six days in the hospital, and was blessed to be able to return home to Honolulu on my assigned date and time, avoiding crazy penalties. While in the hospital, one of the absolute highlights was falling into brother’s embrace and sobbing – partly as a release over this whole ordeal, and partly because we’d finally gotten to see one another after embarking on this new and exciting horological experience of a lifetime together, that has done so much to bring us closer together as brothers as a result. And then, Joe took me back to my bedside and we shared some pocket watch stuff with each other; him, really sharing with me, because of my still-anesthetized state one day post-op – but it was so soothing to talk about it, share a loupe, look at a movement together, be together as brothers and watchmakers, it was definitely one of the highlights of…of my life with brother Joe (Tukat on this site, noobs )!

So, now I am here in Hawaii, convalescing. I’ll still need to get an unrelated hip problem fixed, but that will be an non-emergent, routine, and fairly garden variety procedure done before they will cut me loose and return me to my fire truck, lieutenant’s seat, and my men. Until then, I’m here, resting, working on watches (my 2nd and 3rd jobs!) and you’ll be hearing from me on some of the things I need to accomplish in order to complete those jobs. Some questions, some benchmarks, etc.

And I look forward to caucusing with all of you in our great little audience that we have in a little slice of Heaven called Tascione’s. An audience where everyone can raise a hand, share some knowledge, hell – even raise a glass from time-to-time

Chat soon, fella’s, it’s great to be here and with you all

Kind Regards,

Tim

[stevefitzwater]

WOW, what a trip you will not forget for a long time! Good to hear your ok and back home on the mend, after a long stay in the hospital it is always nice to get home into your own bed!

Good thing you went to the ER, heck I know I most likely would of just called it the flu. Also getting a doctor that correctly identifies the problem quickly, then getting the news, that news is a shocker, I know when they finally figured out I had a tumor, the shock (and by that time I was soo sedated, I am told I laughed about it). But I still remember having to walk out with my doctor to my wife, son, and Dad and tell them what they found. Some day I will have to write that “intro” about my self, but it would bore everyone to death…

Good to see some more activity here as well, it has been pretty slow here

Take it easy follow your doctors limits, and in a few months, you will feel like new!

[bernie weishapl]

I think Tim that is the problem with a lot of us and that includes me. We always think Pepto, tums, or asprin will cure all. My MIL passed away from your very problem. FIL said she sat there and ate Tums, Rolaids, etc like candy. One minute she was better and then the next she was hurting. By the time she thought she ought to go to the doctor it was to late. Glad it all worked out for you and you are home on the mend. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.

[arutha]

Glad you are still with us Tim
You wouldn’t like George Daniels, he was a bit of a “popmpus git” and that is straight from the mouth of one of his horology teachers
Paul.

[Bob Tascione]

Tim I’m very happy to hear you’re doing ok. That had to have been terrifying for you.
Rest a bunch and recover quickly amigo mio!
Bob

[willofiam]

Hey Tim, good to hear your voice. I know how painful that can be only because my wife suffered for 2 1/2 years and $30,000.00 worth of tests before they figured it out, she too had a lower bowel blockage, in the end they caught it just in time. makes you appreciate flatulence 😆 . Stay healthy. William

[gerene]

Glad to hear it all ended well Tim!

Jan

[maitai11]

Hey Fellas,

Thanks so much for all of your responses:

Steve: I’d be interested in hearing your story That I went to the ER after only one episode still boggles my mind. Truth be told, in my mind, I’d just kind of said, “I’m not doing this,” and just found myself driving toward the ER. It really is amazing. Your point about remembering everything so clearly is so valid. This ordeal was like it was in slow motion, Technicolor, 3-D, virtual reality, all with a narrator. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. Thanks again.

Bernie: So sorry to hear about your mother-in-law, and I’ve heard about so many others who had my problem, too. One guy lifted his shirt and said, “I had one of those, too!” By the way, Maurice AND Robin Gibb (two of my 1970’s heroes) died of it, too. The other thing is that my surgeon saved every inch of my small intestine – and ran all 33 feet of it – twice. No tumors, no masses. A couple adhesions, but other than that, all good. The adhesions most-likely caused the “left turn.” Haha

Paul: You are over-the-top hilarious – you got me on that one, buddy. Haha. I had wondered, after seeing him in film a couple times, whether he was a curmudgeon or not. Guess he was Maybe I should just fix my sights on meeting Roger W. Smith? Thanks again

Hi Bob! You nailed it. It was terrifying. I mean, I’m a 45 year old man (I know, young by everyone else’s standards here 😯 But there was a moment I didn’t mention – when the tears were streaming and my Dad was telling me how I’d be OK – right before that, he was facing away from me, and when it gripped me, I literally reached out, grabbed his shirt by the arm, tightened up, and pulled him into me. That’s when he saw just how scared I was. But, throughout this experience, I also felt other amazing feelings of trust, comfort, even “letting go.” Thanks so much for stopping by to say hi

HI Will! You have no idea! Farting has become a central theme in my life. I’m celebrating often – like every five minutes! Come on fellas, celebrate a little bit with me! Haha. Great hearing from you.

Jan: Thank you very much for your welcome back and sentiment.

Thanks again Guys. It’s good to be out of the hospital (right, Steve??) and in my own bed. See you soon.

Best,

Tim

[stevefitzwater]

Well Tim, I had two of those moments, first one in 98, being a 37 yr old with a severe lose of energy, always fatigued, after 2 months of tests, I was told they needed to scope the heart, my dad had gone through this a year before, so I was not worried about it, actually expected it, but what they told me next made me catch my breath… I was told I had less then a 25% of survival, they told me my heart was in such bad shaped, that they refused to do the procedure, so I was left in limbo, two kids about 12 and 13, and I have to tell them that Dad needs a surgery, but they think if I have it, I will die. That was a tough conversation, finally they found a doctor that agreed to do the surgery. When you go into a surgery knowing that if you survive it you have beaten the odds, that is tough.

Now these doctors were part of the state “Heart Center”, (we have a teaching university with a few worlds top doctors), this was not some lil hick hospital, but some of the “top” in the state, so I made my peace with god, left letters for my kids and my wife and had the surgery to find out absolutely NOTHING was wrong with my heart, it was healthy as a 20 yr old is what the surgeon said afterwards.

Now going through that gives you different perspective on everything.

This was the second of three mis-diagnoises for the true problem, a pituitary gland tumor which will eventually be found the day before my 39th birthday by an eye doctor who would not give up until he figured out what was going on.

[maitai11]

Dear Steve,

You have a very compelling story, and as you alluded to, once a guy or gal goes through something like the potential for loss of life, it does kind of change things. In my case, it was a bit of a dual-edged sword. First, if they didn’t do anything, it was guaranteed that I would die. I would die. Just hearing myself say those words is beyond surreal. But, the second part of it was, “Hey, don’t worry about it, you’ll be fine! You might need a colostomy (I did not,) or a re-section of the small bowel (I did not,) but things are going to be OK!”

You have no idea (or, Steve, maybe you DO) just how much those words meant to me, from the doctor, AND from my Dad. Go ahead Dad, lie to me, tell me things are going to be fine even though you and I both know it may not be true – because what’s needed right now is simply for me to be comforted, to settle down (in my panic, I had screamed at the doctor more than once already,) and to place my life in the capable hands of this surgeon. And that’s what happened, thankfully.

What strikes me about your case so much is, besides the poignant “discussion with your little ones,” and those letters you left, was that eye doctor. I think I can tell, just from that little bit you wrote, that the eye doctor was some kind of special person. His focus is not pituitary glands. His focus is not tumors other than in the eye. But he persisted and looked at other possibilities – and became the SCIENTIST that all doctors are supposed to actually BE. BRAVO to that eye doctor!

Thanks for sharing that part of your life with me Steve, I really appreciate you giving of yourself in that way.

Best,

Tim

[tmac1956]

Tim:

I’m glad everything worked out for you. Now you can suffer along with the rest of us as we continually screw up one movement after another just to learn this stuff.

Hang in there my friend!

Tom

[maitai11]

Tom,

Thanks Bud, next screw-up at the ready!

It must be my month; I’m just coming off a week or so of anesthesia/pain meds for a hip procedure I had last Thursday. I’ve never had the experience of going through surgery twice in (about) the same month, but now I know how it feels.

Fella’s, I DON’T recommend it!

But I gotta say, and I have probably said this much before, previous to this particular post, and it is this: Had I lived in any other time, even 40 or 50 years ago, I’d have probably died, and in my latest case (torn hip labrum – the outer ring cushion) become a cripple. We just live in amazing, amazing times of having the ability to put people back together like no other time I’m aware of.

You guys have been great. I appreciate all the well-wishes. I have a couple watches on my bench calling out my name; today will be the first time in awhile that I’ll have the opportunity to get in there and just “be” with my watches.

And, I’m so happy to be getting back to it, slowly, but surely.

Hope all are well.

Best,

Tim

[randy]

Tim,
Glad to hear that you’ve survived another round in the OR.

Sorry to hear that you’ve had so much on your plate…but happy to see that you’ve endured.

Take it slow brother…the healing part is important..and too often we rush.

All the best

Randy

[namonllor1953]

Hey Bud,
Glad to hear you’re doing better. Go slow, go far. Easy Does It!!! Healing from within is what’s needed my friend.
January of 2014 I thought I had a little stomach flu. Didn’t think much of it…two days later, I’m feeling pretty sick, can’t hold much down and getting weaker by the moment. My daughter talkes me into driving myself to the hospital. They’re not sure what’s going on and ask to admit me at once for observation but they had no beds and I’d be staying in the hallway. Well it’s a school day and being a single dad, I’ve got to drive the kids in from ten miles awaay (attending Aeronautical Academy…big deal). They send me home with medication and I’m figuring this stomach flu is kicking my butt but it will be over soon as they only last a couple of days.
That night I couldn’t even hold the medicine down. no sooner that I swallowed, it came back up ten fold.
Rush my tail to a second hospital, there they run a bunch of tests and admit me right away and a guy in a long white coat is waiting for me at the room and says, Hi there, I’m Dr. Q. and you are scheduled for surgery first thing in the morning.
NOT……My response was Who the hell are you and I want a second opinion. He said there is a blockage in your intestine and we need to go in. I stuck to my guns and thought I’d get a second opinion anyways. That night my large intestine burst. I felt it open up like a zipper from left to right across the abdomen. They rushed me into surgery and seven hours later I was crapping in a plastic bag hanging from the left side of my stomach. I lived off of morphine for 4 weeks when they discharged me. My eighteen year old daughter washed me and changed the bandaging everyday. I had a nurse come in twice a week and she’d look and leave. Two weeks later they removed the 49 staples holding my gut together and once I got home my daughter said to me, Dad, I think you’re leaking. I went into the bathroom and the entire incision had opened up from top to bottom. You could have taken me by the hips and wore me like a coon skin hat. Daughter wraps me up in Saran Wrap like a sauage and I drive back to the surgeons. Once the wound has opened there’s not much that can be done, except Hydrogen Peroxide three times a day and let the insicion start to heeal from inside.
I laid on my back for two months in a recliner in the living room.
Come July, I went back in and got the surgery to redo the internal plumbing and hook my butt back to normal.
Up until last month, I bled every day from the butt. I still leak and wear my daughters panty liners.
Yeah…I’ve got an idea of what you’ve been through.
I wish for you a speedy recovery and peace of mind.
Be well,

[maitai11]

Ren,

HOLY SHIT (Pun mostly intended…) and WOW, I am so glad you’re here with us. You sure do know what I’ve been through – and more. When the doctor told me I might have to have a colostomy bag (my father standing right next to him…), my first, final, and ONLY word was…F*****CK!!!!

You have me feeling for you over here, Buddy. No one, and I mean NO ONE should have to endure the kind of zipper-like pain you felt – but then, another part of me is like, “Well, had he not felt it, he might not have been here with us…” Maybe that would be true. I don’t know. God Bless your daughter for cajoling you into going to the hospital and thinking it over. I’m surprised they took you in the morning rather than right then and there. Hmmmmm…

And, I’m sorry for the bag. Happy that it’s over, and all zipped up, minus the wound. Oh, boy, that open wound thing must be a pain – but I believe it WILL close up and be OK. One time I had a doctor lance an abscess over the top of my upper lip. it was a diagonal “stab-down” incision. We worried about scarring, but I just went ahead with it – and no stitches, per doctor’s orders. As much as I tried to keep that thing open, it just closed up on its own! The body has an amazing capacity (and software package) to heal on its own in amazing, amazing ways. I may be overusing the word “amazing,” but I don’t think so. It just is what it is. By the way, there is no scar whatsoever, is there, Joe?

Randy, my Brother from the West. Thanks so much for pinging me – I’m still pondering that roller jewel, and I have some great information, thanks to you, to press on with. Much of my dismay and nervousness is just that – in other words, it has NOTHING to do with the final outcome of that roller jewel installation! I just need to (Nike, anyone?) JUST DO IT!

So, in the coming days, that’s what I’ll do I have some videos to watch and some books to read.

Thanks again, Randy, for checking in on me. You too, Ren, it was so good to hear from you.

Best, Lads,

Tim

P.S. On the edit – I roger that, and wilco on the healing from the inside out, etc. As I said, my body can do amazing things, and this healing thing is one of them. I couldn’t do it any better if I tried. Press on, Body!

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