Something that seems benign can be a sign of something much worse.
About a month ago, I noticed my urine was becoming more heavily yellow, and even dark-yellow (like amber). Whereas before, my urine is usually light-yellow or clear.
The week I first noticed it, I had garlic bread that mom bought for me. So maybe the heavy yellow urine is from the yellow of the garlic bread.
But the following week, I had no garlic bread, but still had heavy-yellow or amber colored urine.
I still had chicken soup, which I've been eating for decades.
By the 3rd week, I noticed yellowness in my eyeballs.
At that point, I knew it was time to call the doctor.Even then, I doubted that the yellowness of my eyeballs and the amber-colored urine were mere coincidences.
My usual primary-care physician was booked that week so I booked my appointment for another one that worked with my insurance (Kaiser Permanente)
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Thursday, September 26, 2024.
As I talked with the doctor, I mentioned all the symptoms I've been noticing. He mentioned that the yellowing is a sign of jaundice. He also ordered a blood test to check for liver enzymes.
Only hours later, he left a voicemail and an email urgently telling me to go the emergency room to get a liver imaging. My blood had way-above-normal levels of liver enzymes.
By the time I got the message, it was circa 17:45 (5:45 pm in the evening).
The nearest emergency room that took my insurance (Kaiser Permanente) was the Kaiser Moanalua Hospital. It takes 2 buses to get from my home to there.
I got there circa 19:15 (7:15 pm).
When I first entered, I talked with the security. As part of the entry procedure to the emergency room, he asked if I had any vapes, knives, pepper sprays, needles, scissors, etc? Well, I did have a pepper spray and a scissor so that got confiscated. He placed it in a bag only to be returned when I leave.
Then I checked in, with a printed copy of the email from the doctor telling me to go to the emergency room for liver imaging.
The nurse asked a series of questions, took my blood pressure (slightly above normal) and weight (less than I expected but still more than my ideal).
And it was to go a room where I lie down, wait, talk to a bunch of medical professionals, wait some more. More waiting and more waiting.
Then it was time for the liver imaging, then back to my room.
The liver imaging showed a tumor blockage near my pancreas.
I will have to stay overnight.
Then circa 23:30, I was transported to another care unit within the hospital.
When there, I was bombarded with questions which I thought Kaiser already had answers to (meaning I could find them myself when I log into my account).
IT was questions after questions. They also inspected my belongings, confiscated the meds I had in my bag (presumably so they don't interact with whatever meds they will provide during my stay).
Presumably to cover their end, they also asked what's in my wallet, how much cash I had, and what's in my bag.
I'm sorry but being that I live alone, I'm not accustomed to people being all up in my business. But Kaiser has to cover their end, so that they don't get accused of losing my personal possessions.
Friday, September 27, 2024
By the time the check-in and the questions were over, it was already Friday.
By 0:30 (12:30 am), I could finally rest and go to sleep.
5am, it was time for vitals (blood pressure, temp checks).
So much for getting a long period of rest in the hospital.
My parents came by to visit. We talked with medical professsionals about the plans.
The plan was for me to have an ECRP, a procedure where they put tubes through my esophagus, one tube with a camera, and another tube to chip away at the blockage at my pancreas.
There are only a few doctors in Hawaii that know how to do the procedure.
And to have that procedure done, I couldn't eat or drink anything for hours. So I was hooked on IV's nearly all day.
By the time late afternoon came, I was told that they didn't time for me to get the procedure for that day. I would have to wait for Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, I could be unhooked from the IV's and I could eat.
I had chicken soup and rice :)
Luckily, I bought my smartphone and charger.
I notified my social networks about being in the hospital.
I got jaundice with unusual yellowness in my eyeballs and skin. Did a blood test and found high level of liver enzymes. Did a scan and found a small tumor near my pancreas. Will have to wait until Sunday for the procedure to remove the tumor. That's all the details I'm willing to share for now. I'll provide updates when I'm ready to do so!
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Saturday, September 28, 2024
Basically a day of waiting.
Being that procedure was on Sunday morning, I could eat all I want on Saturday, all the way until midnight.
Living it up with
- breakfast (rice, turkey sausage, toast, applesauce)
- lunch (rice, shoyu chicken, toss salad, corn, raisins)
- dinner (chicken soup, rice, roll, raisins)
I also spent some time watching TV (college football, news) and taking naps throughout the day
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Sunday, September 29, 2024
There would be no eating or drinking from midnight being that the ERCP procedure required hours without food or beverages.
My parents came to visit circa 7:30 am.
Dr. Wong (who was going to do the procedure) came circa 7:50 am.
It was time to transport me to the surgery room.
At the surgery room, all the health professionals there introduced themselves and talked about the procedure.
The anesthesiologists put the needle in me to get me to fall into a deep sleep.
Then hours later, I woke up and the procedure was over. The blockage was removed! They placed a stent from my liver to my pancreas.
I was on IV's for a few more hours,
I could only eat a clear liquid day for the rest of the day.
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Monday, September 30, 2024
Woke up with nausea (vomiting, liquid stools) and heavy hiccups!
Was on IV's all day.
The IV machine makes irritating noises when my arm isn't positioned the right way.
In the afternoon, it was time for liver imaging again.
IT confirmed that the blockage near pancreas has been removed. But now the pancreas now has inflammation (an expected side effect).
could only eat a liquid diet.
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Tuesday, October 1, 2024
1st of the month
Started with a liquid diet. When my parents visited while "eating" my liquid diet.
The IV's were removed circa mid-day.
Still had nausea (liquid stools) and upper abdominal pain (from pancreas inflammation).
Took a nap
Watched the vice-presidential debate (will comment on politics in a future blog post).
For dinner, I could have a solid diet. I ordered chicken noodle soup and rice.
Under normal circumstances, I could chow all that down easily,
But normal circumstances are OVER. I couldn't even finish.
This was merely the beginning of my decrease in appetite!
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That evening I posted this on social media
Update on my hospital stay. Sunday, i had a procedure where a blockage (noncancerous) was removed from my pancreas. A stent was placed to flow the bile from my liver to my pancreas. There was some expected inflammation of the pancreas, though that's an improvement from having all those liver enzymes flowing to the wrong places. I'm still in the hospital for rest and recovery. That' all I plan to share for now
Then, I just went to sleep.
Circa 20:15, this weird nurse named Nelson came in, saying I didn't have to wear my shield or mask, and attempted to remove my face shield. I told him off! He backed off!
Nurse Nelson is one of those people who think we should act as if we're in 2019 again. Everyone else I met in the hospital knows better.
Especially since every night I was there, I kept hearing the same guy coughing really loud over and over again.
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Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Woke up early. Read the Sunday newspaper which I couldn't finish earlier.
Still had nausea (feeling of wanting to throw up; still had wet stools).
Still had low appetitie. I couldn't even finish a toast I ordered for breakfast.
Health professionals still nag on me to eat every meal
For lunch , I ordered baby carrots and raisins (usually just a snack for me) and I couldn't even finish that!
But because I can walk, no longer needed IV's, and I wasn't dying, I could go home.
I got all my confiscated items (pepper spray, scissors, meds)
That afternoon, my dad drove me home.
I could finally lie down in my own bed and I no longer had needles in my arms.
But this was merely the beginning of my recovery
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Other Reflections on Having Jaundice
As mentioned earlier in the blog post, the first signs were my urine getting more yellow and even amber-colored.
Then my eyeballs were getting yellow.
AT that point, I couldn't notice it on my skin so much being that my arms are exposed to the sun and therefore brown colored. Makes it harder for jaundice to be noticed.
But when I was at the hospital, I noticed the skin on my hands, feet, and chest was getting more unnaturally yellow.
Based on my experience, I highly suggest that if you notice your urine is changing color (even if it's a slightly different variation of yellow) to contact a doctor ASAP. Ask about blood tests for liver enzymes. The sooner you ask, the sooner you'll be on the road to resolving this issue before it gets worse.
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Other Reflections of being in the hospital
As mentioned earlier in the blog post, be prepared to be asked about the belongings you bring. The hospital has to cover their end.
Leave anything that could be used as a weapon at home. Hospitals tend to have a worst-first mentality when it comes to stuff like that!
But definitely bring your cell phone (if you're into that kind of thing) and a charger with you. You'll have a lot of downtime, and you can use it to entertain you while you are waiting. Plus, you can still communicate with the world. You don't have to be in pure isolation.
Also, bring dental floss. My hospital provided toothpaste and toothbrush, but not dental floss. Just bring them all just in case.
The room I was in could fit 2 patients, but luckily I had it all to myself.
But definitely expect a lot of interruption from the medical staff while you're there.
Be prepared to be flexible. They may say they'll come back in 20 minutes. Don't take it too literally. There is constant change of events in the hospital, and emergencies can happen at any moment.
This can be hard for those who are more accustomed to a regimented living. Being that I work in schools, my daily work schedule tends to be regimented. Life in the hospital is NOTHING like that!
Expect lots of questions! Hospitals want to know as much about you so that they can best care for you. Some of us don't even share intimate details of our lives even to closest friends or family, making it feel like a shock when hospitals ask all these questions. Be patient with the medical professionals, they have to follow guidelines and ask those questions even when patients are annoyed by them,
Anyways, that's all I have to share for now. My next blog post, I plan to describe my life at home recovering from all this.
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