From there, it went downhill.
On the 23rd, I didn't go to church, and stayed home. My stomach was distended, and when Brian came over, he basically made me go to the ER.
Upon arriving, long story short, they drained 11 liters from my belly. It felt great, I have to say!
The oncologist on call (Doctor Bushnow, who works closely with my main oncologist) said he had talked with Dr. Smith, and the next step was to try a different regimen. After looking at my most recent scan, they shared with us that the tumors have not shrunk. So we are trying a new regimen, basically replacing one chemo drug (Oxaliplatin) with another (Irinotecan). This started Wednesday. That ran time-wise as usual, except the side effects are much different - instead of cold sensations, I get hot flashes!
So that ran through Friday. When I was in the office Wednesday, they gave me a Fentanyl patch to try to moderate the pain better, instead of Dilautid all the time. By the time Friday rolled around, Lisa was afraid I was dehydrated, and she said I was acting funny. SO...back to ER, via her dad.
We got here, they did bloodwork, and an ammonia test in the ER, and it was very high. I got a room right away. They wanted to do a slow drip IV, to keep me hydrated and also wanted me to take lactulose (a synthetic sugar used to treat constipation - it worked really well). However, I became altered, and was getting confused. Eventually, they wanted an MRI. They wanted me to take Atavan, a sedative, to keep me still, as I was being a little weird.
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| How I felt on Atavan... |
(story break here)
Dilautid, in small amounts, can cause hallucinations. When they administer it via IV, it works quicker, but that means my body actually burns through it faster. The Fentanyl, must have just been reaching peak strength at the time that they gave the Atavan. While on the Atavan, they put me in the tube for the MRI. Apparently it didn't do what they wanted - I remember thinking I was in some video game, crossed between Total Recall and Caddyshack. But I was in the MRI tube. Lisa said I moved a lot in the tube, because I was trying to take my helmet off! I was doing things way beyond my "normal." That's "the funny" part of story.
(end story break)
They brought me back to the room, where I had a few hours. At this time I had a ton of guests, and it was nice to see them.
Eventaully, they ordered a CAT scan, just to make there was nothing going on in my brain (uneventful - it took five minutes). I personally think was just a trifecta of medicines that made me act that way. I had a few more visitors that evening, who brought comfort just by being here.
It is now Sunday morning, and I am sitting in a hospital bed, waiting to see what happens today. We expect to hear from the doctor about the CAT scan, and possibly more draining of my abdomen. Would like to be discharged today, in the world of medicine, I have learned that can change easily!
Many have asked what they can do for us. A big thing is to just visit with us. Whether it's in the hospital or when we get back home. Once spring hits, there will be outside work to do - cleaning up branches, mowing the lawn, etc.
At any rate, waiting is the name of the game right now. I miss being at church, and home. It would be nice to see either right now.
God, give me patience. God, thank you for putting people in my life who can help me make informed decisions. Thank you for the friends who come see me, and boost me up. Thank you God, for everything.
I will keep you updated soon.
2 comments:
My mother has liver disease. Her fluid retention is constantly fluctuating ...when she retains a lot of fluid, her ammonia level spikes and it causes confusion and she just isn't herself. With the amount of fluid you had retained, I wouldn't be surprised if you had the same thing going on. She takes lactulose to keep her ammonia levels in check.
I hope that you are feeling some relief, and are home soon! We are praying for you and your family!
Wayne, Janice and I are praying for you. It saddens me to see a great guy like you go through such a trying time. Godspeed!
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