Healing Out Loud With Crysta

09/11/2026

First night home…
I’m struggling. I’m in the recliner but I’m not able to push the handle up to adjust positions..it’s a sudden rush of pain attempting to get up, HORRIBLE pain Soooo I’m needing to get the feet down in the recliner….what could help without buying a recliner… suggestions please
Also, crazy proud of how Jake managed his time while taking care of me. He pushes him last when he needs to prioritize himself .. happy to wake up and see him Asleep from listening to his friends play.

09/10/2026

Was supposed to be going home today… but my bowels are barely moving, still unable to eat or really drink. So we’ll see how tomorrow goes. Pray my intestines start moving and my guts starts digesting.
They’re saying it’s my gastroparesis 🫠🙄… can’t lie and say I’m not scared with the immense pain and inability to eat

09/09/2026

My man ❤️❤️🥲

09/09/2026

After being in the hospital for a week after my big resection surgery… with a massive wound vac… I can easily say tonight has been the worst night I’ve endured through all of this.
I am so worn down… so beaten down. Physically, mentally and emotionally… I am exhausted.
I genuinely don’t know how one person can be in THIS much pain from their body simply trying to pass output into an ostomy bag. The pain this past night/morninh has been unbearable… I just desperately need relief and rest.
Please pray for me tonight/this am… for strength, comfort and relief.
But please… please pray for Jake too. He has been right beside me through every second of this… watching me hurt, trying to comfort me, taking care of me and carrying so much while he’s completely exhausted himself.
Watching someone you love suffer and knowing you can’t take their pain away has to be its own kind of torture. Please pray for strength, comfort, peace and some much needed rest for him too as this morning carries on

Here’s a pic of my heparin belly… shots every 6-8 hrs

09/07/2026

Just the Index finger deep sized hole we are praying a wound vac can heal.
Jake hasn’t left my side once. I haven’t ate in 3 days… today was the first day he’s eaten in days too.
If you feel inclined, my Venmo is in the comments. Jake’s ran out of vacation time and I know feels as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders.
I love you all, please keep praying

09/06/2026

Puking twice on your surgeon trying to put an ng tube in to help clear the blockage.., definitely something I never want to remember. My bowels are somewhat moving overnight. So thankful. Even more thankful of my hubs staying glued to me despite how foul I was from being delulu and physically sick. Nervous how today will be going considering all yesterday I puke straight p**p for hours. Today is supposed to be asking change day on top of it is.

09/06/2026

09/04/2026

Today's update is overall a good one. Crysta is doing all the thing she should be, one Dr. said she's "checking all the boxes." She is of course still hurting and trying to balance the pain with staying awake and doing everything they need her to do recovery wise.

She had her wound vac dressing changed for the first time today, and although it was painful she did really great with it. She even took pictures and a video, so fair warning... some of you maybe receiving some dicey messages once she's back to her self😬

Going forward the plan is to get her pain a little more under control and medications switched to a regime she can do from home. Im gonna leave it at that and hope she has a smooth night with no hiccups. I'll keep you all updated if anything else changes.

Side note: I'm pretty sure the barista at the little Cafe is getting tired of seeing me. Eventhough it's a pretty easy one to remember, they already know what im ordering when I walk up.

09/03/2026

Crysta has told me at least 10 times that I need to "make a post," so while I have time I am gonna give a quick update. Day 2 post op has overall been a better day. It started out rough, many attempts from the care team to adjust treatment but as the day winds down, we both feel good about where she is at this moment. This is not to say she isn't still struggling, but she is managing better than she was.

We just met with the surgeon and went over the next steps. Tomorrow will be a big day as they change her dressing on the wound vac for the first time. We should have a better outlook on recovery time after that. Crysta is pushing through, has made a couple trips walking around the hospital wing floor, and has found her "comfort meal" from the gi soft diet.

Throughout the years of being pushed(reffered) to Cleveland because of her complexity, it is such a relief to find a surgeon here locally that we can trust and genuinely feel has her best interests at heart. I could physically see a difference in Crysta once she saw her walk through the door.

Once again, we appreciate you all and hope to have Crysta back to her normal, goofy posting self soon. Its funny how I've been on Facebook since it was first founded, but I feel so lost trying to make these posts. 😂(introverted millennial uploading here) thank you all again

09/02/2026

Hey everybody, Jake here. First off, thank you all for the prayers, well wishes and gifts. We truly appreciate them all during these tough surgeries and hospital stays. I had wished today's post was going to be a little better news for you, but the fact is this surgery hit Crysta hard. We expected it to be tough, but not necessarily in the way it was. Thats the beauty(or ugly truth) about these type of conditions. She was in recovery for 8 hrs before they had here stable enough to finish admission to her room. Last night was rough, like no sleep for either of us rough. Fortunately they were able to shift her treatment plan and the rest of the day has been better. She is still in a lot of pain, and nowhere close to feeling herself but is at a much more manageable spot. Naps have been a big part of our day, even if they are short. 😂 I know she hasn't been very active on her phone, so if you have reached out and not heard from her just know she is managing and will hopefully be back soon. Thank you all again!