Hi everyone:
Yesterday afternoon, Kathleen went through a second round of paracentesis to remove the fluid from her abdominal region. This time, things went much more smoothly and with far less discomfort. I was able to sit in the room as the procedure was taking place. The doctor showed us, on ultrasound, most of Kathleen's major organs. All were completely surrounded with fluid. When the doctor pointed out Kathleen's spleen, she said, "It looks bigger than I would have thought." The doctor replied, "It's a lot bigger than it's supposed to be."
In total, another 1.95 liters of fluid, which looks a lot like dark apple juice, was removed. One of the techs in the room said that fluid of that color typically means the liver is in some way compromised. This fluid, like the fluid from her last procedure, was sent out for analysis.
Here's the sucky part: almost all of the fluid is back this morning.
We're hoping to hear back about the analysis/cytology of the fluid from the first paracentesis procedure today. As soon as I know something, I'll share it here.
As you might imagine, Kathleen is pretty frustrated with being in the hospital.
Love,
Brian
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Some recent photos (part II)
Hi everyone:
Here are some photos we snapped tonight. Kathleen thought that some who hadn't been to the hospital in the past day or two might want to get a sense of just how much fluid she's been retaining on her abdomen. Patty said, "Anyone who wondered what Kathleen looked like when she was pregnant...here you go!" One of the things I love about both Kathleen and Patty is their ability to find some dark humor in what are less-than-ideal circumstances.
Some recent photos (part I)
Hi everyone:
I'm posting two sets of photos tonight. The first set (below) includes pics from Kathleen's visit to our home a few days before her re-admission to the hospital. Although she was weak, we caught her during a short burst of energy and snapped some shots. I even got her up for a short dance.
I'm posting two sets of photos tonight. The first set (below) includes pics from Kathleen's visit to our home a few days before her re-admission to the hospital. Although she was weak, we caught her during a short burst of energy and snapped some shots. I even got her up for a short dance.
Still hanging on to that fluid
Hi everyone:
Kathleen is still retaining a ton of fluid in her midsection, and is also puffy through her feet and ankles. She's been given diuretics, which are making her pee like a racehorse; still, the distension of her stomach doesn't seem to have been relieved much as yet. Our understanding is that she'll go through another round of paracentesis tomorrow, in hopes of providing some relief. This time around, though, she's going to agree to the treatment only if she's given appropriate sedation first. Before leaving tonight, Patty gave me stern directions that I'd better play the "heavy" on Kathleen's behalf if anyone suggests the sedation won't be part of things.
Kathleen's aunts Sue and Joan visited yesterday, which gave Kathleen an emotional lift. Today, she had hubby Don, her brother Kevin, sister MaryBeth, Patty, me and our son Connor keeping her company. She had a nice conversation with her son Sean tonight, which really seemed to perk her up. All in all, she seemed in pretty good spirits today, which was nice to see.
More (including some photos) soon...
Love,
Brian
Kathleen is still retaining a ton of fluid in her midsection, and is also puffy through her feet and ankles. She's been given diuretics, which are making her pee like a racehorse; still, the distension of her stomach doesn't seem to have been relieved much as yet. Our understanding is that she'll go through another round of paracentesis tomorrow, in hopes of providing some relief. This time around, though, she's going to agree to the treatment only if she's given appropriate sedation first. Before leaving tonight, Patty gave me stern directions that I'd better play the "heavy" on Kathleen's behalf if anyone suggests the sedation won't be part of things.
Kathleen's aunts Sue and Joan visited yesterday, which gave Kathleen an emotional lift. Today, she had hubby Don, her brother Kevin, sister MaryBeth, Patty, me and our son Connor keeping her company. She had a nice conversation with her son Sean tonight, which really seemed to perk her up. All in all, she seemed in pretty good spirits today, which was nice to see.
More (including some photos) soon...
Love,
Brian
Saturday, August 28, 2010
More...
Hi everyone:
The doctor just stopped in. Patty said that he told them that there's so much fluid that has built up in Kathleen's system they can't remove it all safely, and that it's encroaching on her heart and lungs. That's all I know for now.
Love,
Brian
The doctor just stopped in. Patty said that he told them that there's so much fluid that has built up in Kathleen's system they can't remove it all safely, and that it's encroaching on her heart and lungs. That's all I know for now.
Love,
Brian
Arrggghh!!!
Hi everyone:
Just spoke to Patty. She said that it looks like most or all of the fluid removed from Kathleen's abdomen last night has been replaced with new fluid by this morning. I wish we could understand what this means. What we've researched seems very unsettling...but we're not doctors, so we'll wait to hear what they have to say. Stay tuned...
Love,
Brian
Just spoke to Patty. She said that it looks like most or all of the fluid removed from Kathleen's abdomen last night has been replaced with new fluid by this morning. I wish we could understand what this means. What we've researched seems very unsettling...but we're not doctors, so we'll wait to hear what they have to say. Stay tuned...
Love,
Brian
A miserable evening
Hi everyone:
Kathleen had a miserable early evening last night. The paracentesis procedure, during which five pounds (2 liters) of fluid were removed from her abdomen, was painful and traumatizing. Most of her immediate family stayed with her through the evening, then Patty spent the night with her. We're eagerly awaiting the results from the analysis of the removed fluid; hopefully, we'll hear some answers that can prevent a recurrence. I'll post more after I get to the hospital later today.
Love,
Brian
Kathleen had a miserable early evening last night. The paracentesis procedure, during which five pounds (2 liters) of fluid were removed from her abdomen, was painful and traumatizing. Most of her immediate family stayed with her through the evening, then Patty spent the night with her. We're eagerly awaiting the results from the analysis of the removed fluid; hopefully, we'll hear some answers that can prevent a recurrence. I'll post more after I get to the hospital later today.
Love,
Brian
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