NF Survivor - Heather Dukes

Heather Dukes' Survivor Story

My name is Heather Dukes and I am a 31 year old NF survivor, a mother of three and I live in San Antonio, TX. I contracted this horrible disease on April 26th, 2005, when my small intestine was nicked during a tubal ligation. I knew something was wrong when I woke up after surgery from the pain and the blotches of red about the size of marbles around my belly button. I kept telling my fiance and the nurses that something just wasn't right, that it hurt too bad. After a few hours we finally convinced them something was wrong, so the doctor took me back into surgery to see if I was bleeding internally. When he didn't find anything he sent me home. I was only home for about 8 hours when I awoke from excruciating pain. I was then readmitted overnight into the hospital. At this point the blotches were about golf ball size. The following day I was released again, only to be readmitted after being home 2 hours with a high fever, severe pain and blotches the size of grape fruit. When I arrived my heart rate was 172, fever of 103 and vitals all over the place. They were afraid that I was going into cardiac arrest, so I was hooked up to a heart monitor, IV's and rushed to CAT scan. The doctor there knew from one look at my abdomen that I had NF, she rushed off to call a surgeon. When the surgeon arrived he told my fiance (Eric) to call my family, that I was probably not going to make it through the surgery. I woke up in ICU looking like a marionette hooked up to 4 different antibiotics, a central line, tubes coming out my nose, and various other places . 12" of my small intestine removed, my appendix removed and a hole (where my belly button use to be) that measured 27cm X 19cm. I went in for debridement 3 times over the next couple days. The last debridement they attached the VAC. I spent almost 2 weeks in ICU. I then spent 1 month on the surgical floor. Eric and my mother were my rocks they spent every day and night, making sure someone was there with me in the hospital till I went home. I began getting VAC changes twice a week, it hurt so bad to have the bandages off they had to use conscious sedation. When I was released I had to go to the hyperbarics chambers 3 times a week for 3 months for VAC changes. On July 19, 2005, I went in for a skin graft surgery because the wound just wouldn't shut on its own. They did leave the VAC on for 2 weeks to help in healing the graft and to keep the 27 staples in place. On December 15th, 2005, I went in for reconstructive surgery because the skin graft just didn't turn out the way everyone hoped it would. I now have a 12" scar that looks like a large C-section, no belly button and no feeling what so ever on my abdomen. I thank God every day for the doctor that diagnosed it and the surgeon that saved my life. They are definitely my guardian angels. I would not be here today if it hadn't been for them and the other specialist that helped me through this. Thank you for hearing my story. God bless all of you that survived and may God be with those that are left behind from the ones that didn't.

Heather Dukes
monkey3172@hotmail.com
San Antonio, TX USA
March 2006

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