For the past week, the doctors at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital have been searching my body for a rogue group of bacteria that have been causing infection (and subsequently fevers). They've cultured my blood - drawing samples from my port, my right arm, my left arm. They sampled my urine, my feces, my bile. With the exception of a bile sample, everything came out negative. But we know they're in there - somewhere in the caves of my liver. When I arrived at the hospital last Tuesday, the basic war strategem was to carpet-bomb my body with all kinds of antibiotics.
Besides penicillin (which I'm allergic to), they infused me with every antibio I could think of, and some I've never heard of... For awhile, no combination worked well.
My fevers finally started to subside when we got my liver drainage working properly. It took some manipulation. They placed and external drain in my right lobe. My left lobe needed another ERCP to exchange the plastic stent that is currently there. The right lobe then started getting blocked again - or at least leaking like crazy. Back to the procedure room. This time, they were able to fix the external drain and even go in a little further and place an internal stent to mirror the one on the right.
So now, I feel like we're hunting Taliban. We sort of know where they are, but not exactly. Somewhere in the caves... Hopefully, they got scared off from all the missile attacks.
Besides all that, I decided to develop a pulmonary embolism, a little pneumonia and a strong distaste for hospital food. The PE (blood clot) could be deadly if it wasn't so small. It caused a rapid heartbeat and made it very hard for me to breath. This was the first thing that sent me to the hospital after my chemo treatment last Wednesday. They did a chest xray where they found the PE and also some fluid - which was eventually drained through thoracentesis. That's a story for another time. And I probably don't need to get into the food comment.
I'm back at home. Resting, recuperating, taking antibiotics, trying to eat food, which is mostly unappealing right now, and using my inspirometer (sp?) - this thing where you breathe in and out to make a marble float in a tube. It's supposed to force you to expand your lungs - definitely something I need to do now.
I'm not in much pain right now... a little shoulder ache, and some aching in my upper abdomen. My biggest problem over the next few weeks will be gaining weight back and energy. I am officially off the second clinical trial of chemotherapy and I'm going to use the next few weeks to recuperate and make some decisions about how I want to move forward with my treatment... or without it.
So glad to see you are back on the computer and giving us all updates. You may think no one reads these because they don't make a comment but you are wrong - EVERYONE checks EVERYDAY so PLEASE keep writing. I'm also glad to see you still have your warped sense of humor. We all love you and hope that you can finally relax a little - eat a little - and feel a "little" better - when you are up for company - give a shout out - we'll be there!!!! Love Auntie
Posted by: Aunt Donna | August 16, 2009 at 02:54 PM
Agreed...I check for updates every day. Casey and I are trying to find a day (that's best for you) for us to visit. Give him or I a shout whenever. Love ya.
JT
Posted by: Jon Thomas | August 16, 2009 at 11:04 PM
yes it's true...people from your past also read...you give all of us strength through your amazing fight, and also agreed sense of humor...hang in..
peace ~ d
Posted by: danielle markiewicz | August 17, 2009 at 03:25 PM
We check in on you everyday too since we don't see you at the hospital anymore its finding out how you are doing so I pester your Mom thru email. We miss your (always) smiling face and your strength. Keep fighting we are all fighting with you. Love Yash & Erma
Posted by: Erma & John Maciolek | August 19, 2009 at 02:47 PM