Note: this is a more technical post about what I've been going through in the past 3 days, it includes descriptions which can seem disgusting as they deal with stool and urine, reader discretion is advised.
Things have been changing recently. Change isn't very good. A few days ago , on Friday, they've found liquid in my abdomen which was causing me pains and nausea. In addition, tests showed that there was stool content found in my urine. Put together it didn't paint a great picture - the Cancer was causing small perforations where liquid was flowing into my abdominal cavity - from the liquid they are giving my IV in, but also from my small intestine. For a while it was collecting in my feet, so I started wearing compression stalkings, which moved some of the pressure into my abdomen as well, which in turn was giving me compression pains. Some of the liquid made it into my bladder and consequentially I have been urinating stool .
Around my abdomen there is a sheet of cancer tissue which in some ways might have been serving as a protective layer in some ways.
On Friday , when all this was happening the doctors came in to my room and had a long discussion with us about what was going on and the risks involved. It seemed like we were getting to the end. They suggested that I have my abdominal cavity drained - basically have a doctor use ultrasound to identify the biggest pocket of liquid in my abdomen and drain it with a special needle. It would probably not heal anything, but at lease make the bloated feeling better and gave them a better idea what the liquid is made of. There were risks involved. I could perforate something during the procedure and not even come fully out of it. We were worried, we were having a scare. Family members were called, flights were booked. With much trepidation and with consultation with my family I agreed to go ahead with the procedure. Later that day I was wheeled into a separate starting room where I was given local anesthesia and using ultrasound a very qualified doctor identified and drained the largest pocket of liquid in my cavity.
They were able to drain 2.6 liters of mostly clear liquid out of me. When my regular specialist doctor heard of it she declared it the best possible outcome.
They said it was a good sign, and with that sign came a sigh of relief. We called off the scare, family members rescheduled flights, good stuff were happening. Until today.
As today started, things appear again to be bad. Earlier today I had what looked like more stool content in my urine. Also, I started coughing. I had been coughing before, but this seems worse - I have been bringing up phlegm, which I haven't been before. I have been on the strongest antibiotics so far, as a prophylactic and as treatment. If there is no stronger antibiotic for this cough then it could potentially develop into pneumonia and take over my systems quick. I wasn't sure about it meant, and as the doctors took time to come see me, I was getting more worried. When I finally saw someone they said that what I thought was stool content is probably just some blood and not that bad, not worth even taking a sample. They suggested a urinating medication that will reduce the bloat in my feet and abdomen, which I agreed to and seems to be working well. I was told the cough is probably just the lungs clearing themselves and not a source of worry either, and it does seem to be better since. All in all the symptoms are looking better, which is a positive. My mental state though is not doing that well.
But i'll write about that in a separate article.
Note: I am going to post this update on my blog but not on Facebook, because of the nature and content of this kind of article. I'll post probably a separate article about dying on the platform which I will put on Facebook separately.
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