Hi everyone:
Joe spent last night with Kathleen, and I've been spending the day with her. She's been feeling pretty miserable, in large part because of the distension of her stomach.
The CT scan results showed no visible cancer in that region, although Kathleen's oncologist noted that there was a significant volume of fluid trapped in her abdomen (not in the stomach itself, but in all the surrounding tissues and cavities).
The medical staff has been scrambling today to drive up her platelet levels so that they can safely do an ultrasound-guided paracentesis, which I just heard is going ahead. In essence, this involves numbing her abdomen and then inserting a long needle that drains the fluid. The fluid is then sent to the lab for analysis, including a check for infection or floating cancer cells.
I need to sign off because things are getting hectic here; I'll provide another update when I can.
Love,
Brian
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