Hanging out on oncology

Wow! It's amazing the changes a few days can make. A lot has happened since I blogged on Thursday. I'm sitting here on this Sunday morning of Canada Day from my hospital bed on the oncology ward. Hospital bed? What!? I know, I know but the story starts back on Friday morning.

I woke feeling pretty bloated with ascities. I figured I should call for a paracentesis appointment, figuring I'd get in on Tuesday, after the long weekend. Within about 30 minutes, my oncology nurse Bonnie called asking if I could be there in half an hour. Of course, I jumped at the chance for relief and was there in the allotted time.

Last time I had paracentesis, the interventional radiologist said my abdomen wasn't that blocked and complicated, and the draining should be possible in the cancer centre. Fair enough. But the only doctor available was the doctor with whom I had a very bad experience before. I bit my lip and agreed to try his technique again. And, I have to say, it went rather smoothly with 3.6 L being drained from my belly. Using my usual comparison technique, that would be like strapping two 2L bottles of Coke to your abdomen (minus a great big glass from one of the bottles).

So I went home Friday night, enjoyed the pleasure of a visit from two good friends and indulged in a smorgasboard of munchies. They were delicious and my tummy was less squished so I went a bit overboard. As a result, my tummy hurt afterwards.

Saturday morning, it still hurt. Then I started throwing up; three times before 10:30 a.m. After last weekend where I had two days of not keeping everything down and the loss of all the fluid the day before I knew I was at risk of becoming dehydrated. So I headed to Emergency with my sore, nauseous tummy.

They got me in a stretcher right away but it took hours to see a doctor. Then Michael happened to run into the same doctor who did the paracentesis on Friday to ask him about my symptoms and he came into the ER and took over my case. He's taking good care of me.

So last night I had x-rays and they're being repeated again today to see if the slight bowel obstruction (I think) is gone/better (This doc has a strong African accent and is sometimes hard to understand). In fact, I'm just waiting for the porter to come and take me down to x-ray.


Brief interlude

I'm back and my doc already read my x-ray (almost instantaneously) and it (whatever it is he was looking at) is better. So I've been okayed for clear liquids and I'm sipping on my diet ginger ale as I write. Since it's noon, no lunch for me (no time to get it organized), but I'll get some broth and jello for dinner. ("Yum," she says sarcastically). It's clear fluids first to see how I tolerate them, and then I'll move onto solids.

I have no idea how long I'll be in here, but this is the second long weekend in less than a year I'm spending in the hospital. I'm missing my sister-in-law's birthday and the cake that accompanies it.

But don't feel too sorry for me, I've got good care and Michael's here to keep me company.

Tina