Turning to the Pink Side

I was called into hospital to try to sort out the gall stones that were turning me a strong and strange custard colour on Monday 21st June for a day surgery “Procedure” – little did I know that said “procedure” involved pushing a Swiss army knife – with all the tools – down my throat. But I’m getting ahead of myself first off there was a “bloods” session and the outcome of that was that my blood was not clotting well – my INR was 1.7 - and outside the parameters for carrying out the “procedure” so I was given an injection of vitamin “K” and moved to the last in line for the “procedure”.......... The vitamin K had little or no effect on my INR and so towards the late afternoon the “Procedure” was carried out and most unpleasant it was too! But they didn’t find any gall stones – most odd ‘cos they had previously shown up on MRI scans and Ultra Sound scans but they did find a duct which was restricted in size and that had a stent put in it. I was then moved to the ward where I spent the night and was discharged on the afternoon of the next day.

Talking to the consultant, because of the missing gallstones and because of the INR being 1.7 the “procedure “ as planned was not carried out – I am now due to have an MRI scan in the next 2 or 3 weeks and a decision will be made then as to what to do next.

When I first turned yellow everyone jumped to the conclusion that it was related to the cancer – had it been that the outcome would have been a lot sadder than it is....... Now I am turning pink again and I feel well always fatigued though but I guess that I just have to live with that.

Custard and the ERCP

Well I am now a deep custard colour. Anyway yesterday the results for the scan were in and it’s good news – the jaundice is unconnected with the cancer and I have gall stones. I’m now waiting to hear when they can be treated but hopefully it will be the beginning of next week – the procedure is ERCP and will involve a couple of days or so in hospital.

It seems strange that we are pleased that I have gall stones – but the alternatives are too horrible to contemplate.

A Quick Update

I will be having an ultra sound scan on Wednesday the 16th and a visit with Dr "KS" on Thursday the 17th for the results and decisions on what to do next

Black Eyes, Lemon Skin and Red Urine

I woke up this morning with a black-eye – and I have absolutely no idea how I got it! But with a bit of surfing I think it’s related to the eye test I had last Wednesday at the diabetics clinic – With my glasses on and holding a shield in front of my eyes – at least that’s the only reason I can think of. It’s a real shiner!

I have been trying drinking beetroot juice – someone told me that it boosted energy levels. I don’t know about that but it does make your urine a most alarming colour.

Other stuff is not so good – as my General Practitioner – Dr. RB – put it - we have had a long plateau where nothing much has changed and now we have our first setbacks (and I love that he’s saying we!)........... Anyway

On Monday I saw Dr KS at Pricilla Bacon Lodge – she’s the palliative care specialist and everything was much the same as the last time that I saw her – we adjusted the “meds” a bit but there was nothing new really.

On Wednesday I had an appointment for my annual Diabetics Clinic check up and everything was well there – except that I was feeling really ill and I mean really ill – exhausted, nauseous and just plain ill. About the third sentence that the Doctor said to me was “What treatment are you getting for the Jaundice?” , I said that I didn’t have jaundice and he said that he could see it in my eyes and that my skin was lemon yellow.......

On Thursday I had some bloods done and on Friday I rang my GP Dr. RB – he looked at my bloods and confirmed that I was jaundiced – presumably from the liver metastasis. There were other phone calls and the upshot is that Dr. KS is trying to arrange an emergency liver scan so we can see what is happening – once we know that then we know what the way forward is....

I very nearly asked Gavin to walk Jack this morning – I’m still feeling rough – but I’m very glad that I didn’t – it was a lovely morning - and we saw Peter and his dog Flash – Peter asked if I had been on the sunbed and I had to tell him that my new lemon colouring was due to Jaundice – which I thought was funny – then he noticed my black-eye!