This past Black Friday (11/29/2024), there were no shopping adventures for me.
It was all about the hospital that day.
It was a continuation of all the health issues I've been dealing with the past few months.
My previous blog posts on this
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/my-experience-with-jaundice-and.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/10/coming-home-from-hospital-and-road-to.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/more-health-drama-in-late-october.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/nausea-drama-for-early-november.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/wish-me-luck-this-black-friday.html
For Black Friday, the procedure was to be done at Pali Momi, the same facility as the 10/24/2024 procedure.
The doctor's original plan was to do another ERCP procedure where they'll do yet another biopsy of what's left the blockage that was cleared on my pancreas. Plus, check on the stent that was placed between my liver & pancreas.
But that was changed. I mentioned to that doctor (Dr Small) that on 11/04/2024 (at a different hospital - Kaiser Moanalua Hospital), they did a CT scan where they found a fluid mass (a pseduocyst) near my pancreas. At that point, the Kaiser doctor's decided to hold off on draining the pseudocyst.
The Kaiser doctors were supposedly in communication with Dr Small about my G.I. (gastrointestinal) issues, but apparently something got lost in the communication. They work for different organizations.
Well anyways, when I mentioned that issue on the Black Friday appointment, I thought Dr Small knew. Well, he didn't. He said he had he known about it earlier, he would've intervened earlier.
So it was a change of plans for Black Friday. It was now to focus on the draining the pseudoscyst via a stent to my stomach.
The original plan to do a biopsy would have to wait.
The pseudocyst wasn't going to be drained overnight. It is to be a slow process where the liquid was drained by stent to my stomach.
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Here's what I posted hours after the procedure on social media
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I did stay overnight so the medical professionals can check on my status.
While I was feeling some level of nausea, no vomit came during my time in the hospital. Just some continuous burping.
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However, after coming home from the hospital, it was a different story.
Starting in December 1st, it became daily bouts of constant nausea. Days of heavy vomiting. Some days it was mini-vomits, but then there were heavy vomits that came out.
It was just like early November, as I noted on https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/11/nausea-drama-for-early-november.html
However on Nov 25-30, I still felt nauseated but never actually vomited on those days. Just lots of burping.
But starting December 1st, whatever felt held in finally came out.
And it's now daily. Usually not so bad in the morning, but the volume goes up in the afternoon and evening.
On December 3rd, I called the doctor's office. The receptionist, then the nurse asked some questions. By the afternoon, the nurse called back and noted the doctor suggested going to the emergency room. My dad drove me to the hospital, where I got IV treatments and a CT scan. The CT scan noted the pseudocyst is draining as scheduled.
But where is all that liquid that was in my pseudocyst go? Apparently not into my intestine, because I'm not experiencing diarrhea and I'm not urinating more than usual (despite having to take meds for bladder control). If it's not going down, then it's going up. Up my esophagus and vomiting out.
Meanwhile, my appetite has decreased and I'm on a liquid diet. Since I don't vomit much in the morning, that's I when I eat, and even then my body can only take in a limited amount.
But having a 2nd meal? When my vomiting gets more intense in the afternoon and night? Forget about it!
I lost lot of weight, and also a lot of energy. I've become a shell of my former self. I take a longer time to do simple tasks. I take longer breaks between tasks.
But however, whenever I go to the hospital, it's always "your heart rate is good, your blood pressure is good, you seem very alert". OK!
At that point, I'll be back to the hospital soon to figure out my next step.
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PS: Someone wrote this to me on Facebook
I’d be very careful sharing any sort of medical stuff online. You never know what might happen.
I responded with this:
I have a different perspective. If people only share the good times on Facebook, it gives others the impression that their problems are unique to them because "everyone else on Facebook is having a good time". People have been sharing their medical issues in news stories long before social media existed. I rather be honest about what's going on with me, than hiding out of fear of what others think
