In the previous blog post, I explained my experience of being hospitalized for jaundice, high liver enzymes in the bloodstream, and a blockage near my pancreas. I went through an ECRP procedure where a stent was placed from my liver to my pancreas.
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/my-experience-with-jaundice-and.html
In the afternoon of Wednesday October 2, 2024, I was discharged from the hospital.
The following social media post describes my feeling post-release from the hospital.
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As mentioned in that post, I was experiencing high levels of nausea and fatigue when I returned home.
Return to work? That would have to wait!
The first few days home, I wanted to vomit but nothing could come out except a few spitballs.
Meanwhile, all stools were wet for the next few days.
It was only a few days ago when I finally had more solid stoools.
And just like the last few days at the hospital, my appetite really decreased.
In the first few days at home, I could barely finish 1 small can of soup, whereas under normal circumstance, I could easily chow down the contents of 2 cans of soup.
Or my some of my meals could only consist of leftover baby carrots and raisins that I couldn't finish at the hospital.
It would be days before I was able to finish 1 can of soup in one sitting.
It was only today (10 days after discharge) that I am able to finish 1 can of chunky chicken soup in 1 sitting.
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Add to that, I experienced upper abdominal pain due to the pancreas inflammation that was expected to occur after the ECRP procedure.
And sleep?
Due to the upper abdominal pain, I was too distracted to fall asleep.
I would literally be up for hours, tired enough to sleep but feeling too much pain to sleep. Some days, I would only catch 1-2 hours of sleep at night.
It was 10/7/2024 (5 days after discharge) when I finally took an afternoon nap, where I was able to make up for lost sleep time of previous nights.
I also took afternoon nap on some of the following days, which I was able to catch up on sleep.
The last 2 nights, I was finally to get a few more hours of night-time sleep.
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And through all this time, I had to fill out documents to ensure I can get the benefits to help me through this tough time.
Yes, my family was able to help out with some things, but my family isn't rich.
Meanwhile, every document I have to complete and/or submit has to be correct and error-free.
At the same time, the institutions reviewing those documents work at a slower pace than they expect us (the general public submitting those docs) to. Meanwhile, bill collectors aren't as patient.
Luckily, I have a computer, scanner, and printer at home, but some people can't afford that stuff. And they're the ones who need help the most.
It's experiences like these that remind me that we need a more humane and stronger safety net system. You can't "work hard" or "bootstrap" your way out of every problem.
I blogged more about that issue at https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2023/02/age-liberals-conservatives-hearts-brains.html
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I do have a follow up procedure scheduled later this month.
I'll explain more when it's time.
