Back Pain

Things have been pretty uneventful here for the past few days, but yesterday my pain really started to get worse. It was a pretty tough day. The doctor upped my pain medication and it has been better today. I had a nice visit with a friend who rubbed my back while we visited. It helps the back pain, and I thought it felt good enough that I would be able to rest afterward, but when the massage stopped, the pain came back. I did not nap today, and I am hoping I will sleep tonight. Some nights I can sleep, others I am up a lot.

I got my results from my last blood test and my bili count was 13. That is pretty high and Dr. Abrass said that I can't have chemo with a count that high. He also said that there is really nothing he can do for me. The week after next I will go into St. Mary's to have these stents redone. Other than that, I don't have anything medical scheduled.

I have had some delicious food brought in this week, thank you to everyone for such yummy food and for the kindness shown to my family and me.

Out of Bed

I have felt pretty good today, which is a whole lot better than I felt a few days ago. I have tried to stay out of the bedroom. I spent three days in my bed and I don't care to spend much more time in there than I have to right now. I have been in the chair and on the couch in the living room. It's not as comfortable as my bed, but I really don't want to be in my bed. I enjoyed a visit from a friend and I spent some time watching TV. I have been watching these cake decorating shows that are pretty amazing. I especially appreciated being at home instead of in the hospital today, since I was scheduled to be in there today.

No Surgery

Today has been about the same for me with the pain in my back and abdomen. I went ahead and increased the amount of pain medication I am taking, but I am still feeling about the same level of pain.

I am not going to my surgery appointment on Monday. My right side is draining like it should and the stitches are holding up well and not pulling out at all. I think I can wait three more weeks and go in when I am scheduled to have all of these redone. I had my blood tests done on Friday, but I didn't get any results yet. I'm pretty yellow, so I don't know what think about my bili count. Thank you for the prayers, I appreciate them!

Draining

Today has been a really bad day for my pain. It's strange how it had been getting a little better each day and then take such a turn for the worse today. It is so bad in my back and abdomen. It cramps up so that I can hardly move. I am doing what I can to manage the pain, but I know this is part of the progression of this disease.

On a brighter note, last night I looked down and noticed one of my bile bags was filling up and then I realized it was my right bili bag that hasn't drained for almost 3 weeks! This is the one I am supposed to get fixed on Monday. I had to empty it three times last night, so I don't think anything is wrong with it now. That is good news, but now the top one has stopped draining. Given this turn of events, I'm not sure what will happen with my appointment on Monday.

More Surgery

I went in today for blood work. I am scheduled to go in to St. Mary's for a re-do of my right bili tube on Monday morning, so I had to get these blood tests done today. I am glad to only be going to Reno for this, but I am not looking forward to yet another surgical procedure. When I asked them what I should expect in the way of recovery, they said it will be just like the other times I have had it done. I was hoping it might be easier since they just did it, but I guess that doesn't make any difference in how I recover from it. I've had enough experience with this surgery that I am kind of scared. But my right side is not draining at all, so something needs to be done. Other than dreading Monday, I am doing about the same. My back pain is still there, not great, but not the worst I've had. I've also been able to get some rest lately, so that is a good thing.

Feeling Better

My pain has decreased again today. I still feel it, but it is way better than a few days ago. I had a nice day today. I had a visit from a friend who brought flowers and hot chocolate. It was a perfect day for that and I enjoyed watching the storm. It was a pretty quiet day for me with not much to report except that I am feeling a little bit better.

Drainage Tubes

I called the doctor in San Francisco and shared with him my concern that the stent on my right side is not draining. He then called the doctor in Reno to see about re-doing this drain. The plan is to schedule it at St. Mary's to save us the burden of travel. They told me that the tubes clog easily, but it hasn't even been 2 1/2 weeks, so I didn't expect to have to do anything more with this so soon.
One more worry for me is these stitches that hold my tubes in place. They are pulling out and it's kind of gross. David taped one up where the stitches were starting to come out, and the doctor said that we can tape them up or I can push the stitches back in. Eeeww! I spoke to this doctor twice today, and he was very concerned about my discomfort. Although he said what I am expereincing with the stitches is normal, he did have a thought about the pain I've been having. He says it comes from the tumors pressing on the tubes in my liver. There is not much they can do about that, but they could replace one (not all three) of these plastic tubes with a metal tube. There is no guarantee that this would help, but it's nice to know the doctors are still trying to come up with ways to improve what I'm dealing with.
My day was good despite the pain that persists in my back and side. It is still bad enough to wake me up at night, but it has been decreasing since last Wednesday. I had friends come give me a back massage and paint my toenails. It was nice to be pampered. The continual kindness shown to my family is amazing. Thank you for your prayers, meals, and kind thoughts.