Wednesday, October 13, 2010

blog update

Wed. 10/6. Discharge from hospital. Vomit 1st thing I try to eat. It's late, I went to bed.

Thu. 10/7. Margaret and Craig arrive. They are so kind and loving and hard working. Eat just a little. Vomit.

Fri. 10/8. Craig takes me to the clinic and I see Dr. Aljitawi. All kinds of ideas which have been tried. Get some platelets.

Sat. 10/9. Eat a big breakfast that Craig cooked. Coffee cake and baked eggs. Then have a big supper that brother-in-law Mark cooked--bit of steak, carrots, baked potato. Followed by healthy serving of Mom's cherry cobbler. yum

Sun. 10/10. Mom takes over from Margaret & Craig who head back to Kentucky. She is on a mission to get food and drink into me. My throat is blocked somehow and I can only drink a couple of small sips without choking/vomiting. Same for food. Vomit often, with lots of blood. While taking ambien to just get rid of this day, begin vomiting violently with lots of blood and clots and 1 very large clot that obviously had been blocking my esophagus. I'm happy to be able to take a large gulp of water, not happy about going to hospital.

Sun 10/10. 9:30 pm. Get admitted to hospital. Room 4112. a nice big room.

Mon. 10/11. Much commotion because I've been given 2 units of blood with no corresponding rise in Hg count. "You are still bleeding internally somewhere." Rock and roll the GI docs and an endoscopy, meanwhile drawing blood about hourly to check levels. Scope finds a protrusion in esophagus which is not currently bleeding so took pictures and backed out. Vomited at end of procedure while still all trussed up, very messy. Doc said that was good, "all green bile no blood." (Have they forgotten the original problem is vomiting?)

Mon. 10/11. 7pm CT scan with contrast to check for fistula relative to protrusion located above. Extremely weird sensations go with that contrast. Overnight goal is to get platelets over 50 for another scope on Tues to fix it.

Tues. 10/12. No food or drink after midnight til everything was ready for the repair mission. Platelets 57, woot woot. Scope finds protrusion was another blood clot, easily removed. Completed scope but did not take biopsies (don't know a good thing when they see it.) However two recent scopes with biopsies showed no GVH.

Tues. 10/12. 5pm. Ate a bowl of cream of wheat and a pancake both of which tasted great. Watched Wheel of Fortune and The Biggest Loser. Got in bed and vomited. No blood.

Wed. 10/13. Vomited. Ate Blue Koi noodles for lunch. BMT doctor wants GI docs to step up and help diagnose the vomiting. Waiting on sonogram of liver. Expect to vomit again before then. However food tastes better, and the food appears to be digesting and leaving the stomach.

sorry updates are so long in coming. I feel pretty good right now, just frustrated and tired.
~Cathi

10 comments:

gail said...

And how do you really feel Cathi?? I hope the GI docs are successful in figuring out the cause and can find a way to put an end to it once and for all. You're moving into month #2 of throwing up often / daily. And I know how exhausting and frustrating it is for you.

I'm glad you have such wonderful caretakers helping out. We all love you and want only the best for you no matter if we're there or not. We're with you in spirit.

love, gail

donnabella said...

Hi Cathi, just a note to say hi, hope you get to feeling better soon. Am a former high school classmate of Gail. Am sending thoughts & prayers to you from around the world in Abu Dhabi.

Connie

Glen Moulton said...

Hi there, so sorry to hear about your vomiting and scoping....ugh. We are praying for you, I thank Gail for her diligence in keeping us updated, I shared your blog on the http://www.facebook.com/Whiterockcowboyfellowship fan page....
We care and hope you are encouraged.
Blessings on you today. Great weather here in the Sunny Central Oregon, very fall like.

Anonymous said...

Hi Cathi, I went to HS with Gail. Seems like eons ago :). I just wanted to send you well wishes. I hope they can find an answer to the miserable vomiting that you are having.I am a Radiation Therapist and have so much empathy for my patients & cannot imagine what you go through. Just know that there are a lot of people just like me pulling for you!
Patricia Ramirez Park

Anonymous said...

Cathi...My name is Brian Reed, and I grew up in Arkansas City. I graduated with your dear cousin Nancy. Nancy, Gail and Sara make me laugh often...as I do them.

I have been fighting Thyroid cancer which spread to lymph nodes for over 5 years now. Multiple surgeries and rounds of treatments. I, like you, continue to "fight the good fight".

I have been sitting here since 4:30 pm this evening reading over all of your posts...crying & laughing. You are such a strong and willful person, and in some sense I can connect a little bit with you. I know the nausea & vomiting can be very tiresome.

I wish the best for you and your family, my heart goes out to you & if it turns out to be an "end of life" situation...be ready, love those around you, and know that so many people care about you!

Anonymous said...

Cathi, am thinking of you tonight. You are a strong person and you can beat this! It is tough and I will continue to pray for you. I will pray for wisdom for the doctors so they will know what to do to make you well.....strength for your body to fight this disease.....friends and family so they will know how to make you feel more comfortable. God bless you!

Sara said...

Cathi and Brian Reed,

Blessings to you both! Brian, you can learn alot about this bedrock named Cathi, she's been an incredible source for 'good' in our lives and in the lives of untold BoyScouts in the KC area. People who live their lives as examples, many times leave us in the same inspiring way. It's the way all of us hope to live and die.
We are all pulling for Cathi, who has faced this hideous disease before, to be able to fight through it. We pray it is to be. I can't imagine how she is getting from sunrise to sunset with all the vomiting, but maybe she'll have some downhill days soon. We can only hope and keep sending her our love and prayers!

Sara Grier and Tom Pistorius

BAMc said...

Cathi - Thanks for the play by play updates. Know you are feeling miserable but you still find ways of presenting some humor in your posts. You are such a trooper! We are all with you. Stay strong in mind. Rest, restore and recover. Hope they can get you some nutrients to keep up your strength. All our thoughts and prayers for you!

Robbie Stanley said...

OMG what a week you've had! It sounds as if they're getting close to the bottom of what's going on, and you've cleared things out a bit yourself. Must be a relief to have food taste good again. Stay with it; we're behind you all the way.
xox

Unknown said...

Greetings from an Etap in Le Mans en route to Caen and the ferry home. Etap's the French equivalent of a HoJo!

If I recall correctly, you and your Dad and Wendel caught the boat to Caen on your WW2 beaches adventure.

I was also remembering Mark and the jelly on his 'crepes' LOL.

Hope you get to enjoy some more memorable times with the grandbabies this weekend.

Lots of love #2 GOT