Thought I''d take a moment to update everyone on my condition. If you don't know, I went to the doctor and they ordered and ultrasound. The Nurse Practitioner called me back and said there was a mass on my liver and said she was referring me for a CT Scan. I spent the next days in severe pain and she wouldn't give me anything for pain. She told me to go to the Emergency Room.
That's where this picks up... So I spent a few days quietly panicking inside and being brave on the outside. Didn''t want the kids to be scared. But inside I was going down my list of things to do before I die. Rewrite my will to make it current, write all my blogs and crap down with passwords so husband can go online and inform everyone, sell a lot of my stuff, etc. I actually broke down and cried one night. I mean, it could be a number of things (abscess, adhesions, benign tumor, cancer and a list of other things)... but the possibility was too much to think about. I researched each thing about mass on liver and how each condition was treated.
I reached the cancer section and there were two types. One was treated by removing it, the other you have about a year to live. So I convinced myself 1) I have a few symptoms but not that many 2) I've had this pain for years... I'd be long gone by now! and 3) It is most likely infection or adhesions. But it still worried me that MAYBE... what if this was cancer? What if I had one year left? It nagged at me!
Friday after consultation (which went fine BTW) I ate a burger and fries, had a soda and then headed to the ER at Balboa.
The took labs and had me sit in the hall (they were packed that night.) to watch me. They did a CT Scan with contrast and dye and then finally got me into a bed. They told me they couldn't' find a mass on my liver. They had several doctors look it over... none of them could find one. Then they said they would do an ultrasound of their own but would give me dalaudid first. It's a synthetic morphine. Luckily, I am not allergic to that. Being out of pain was super nice! Once I was higher than a kite, they wheeled me upstairs to the ultrasound and ran it. Everything looked good. No gall stones or anything.
Back downstairs the doctor came back in and told me I have an enlarged liver. It's freaking HUGE. You know where your kidney's are? Well, mine stops half way down my kidney. Not half way down to it... go halfway down your kidney, draw an imaginary line across it... mine stops there. It also goes over quite a bit onto my other side.
Knowing that I wasn't going to die was a relief. They sent me home with vicoden. I called a friend of mine in Libby and told him about what they said. He said that he suspected it was caused by something else and went down a small list of things and mentioned my duodenum. I said "Hey, I've had problems with that for years!'' He was like "REALLY??" and then explained how he suspected that may be it. If it was swelling shut all these times, it could really wreck havoc on my liver and other organs. He told me to try taking Zantac 150 since it is as good as the protonix that they won't give me here (but would give me in TN... and it really worked).
Yesterday husband ran out and bought some as soon as I told him this. We figured it couldn't' hurt to try and if all else failed I would be heartburn free :) I took the first one as soon as he got back. The sensation was bizaare! I ate and then laid on my left side and I could feel EVERYTHING working. My duodenum relaxed some and I could feel stuff sliding through it (gee, wonder why I was never hungry) and then my liver tensed up, it felt like someone was squeezing toothpaste through my liver into my stomache, then my liver relaxed. This went on for awhile amid very loud gurgles and bubbly weirdness.
Later last night I took another and it relaxed more. My stomache emptied all the way finally and I was STARVING! I swear I felt like eating everything on the boat. I ate a big meal (for me) and then went to bed with the same sensations.
I woke up and was able to eat breakfast first thing without puking. A miracle for me! I have been taking Zantac for 2 days now. I'll spare you the gross details of today, but lets just say it is working! I am not in agonizing pain anymore. It still hurts and I feel bloated above my stomache area, but it's slowly going away. The pain is more annoying than anything now. I still get nauseous and have to take the zofran. But if I eat gently (brown rice, fruit and steamed veggies) I do okay and feel almost no pain.
And all this time it was my duodenum! I am getting a new doctor... but that's a rant for another time. I won't be going back to the doctor until I have a military doctor!
I'll keep you updated on my progress.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
We are back on the
We are back on the boat. Miles is breathing normal again. Had two neb treatments and new inhalers.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Another completed AC Assignment.
Faux Beef Stew
Need to make a beef stew? Don't have to make one from scratch? Here's a cheat recipe that will taste like you've slaved over a stove for hours!
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/2189545/faux_beef_stew.html
Faux Beef StewNeed to make a beef stew? Don't have to make one from scratch? Here's a cheat recipe that will taste like you've slaved over a stove for hours!
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/2189545/faux_beef_stew.html
Monday, September 14, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Monday, September 07, 2009
Beautiful door
I have a thing about pictures of doors. Here's a beautiful one.... with a cat in the window above it.
Peek a boo!
Ordering food at the Village Pizzeria... This is my absolute favorite pizz joint here! I love it! The pizza is awesome! We usually go in for the pizza by the slice.A little prayer for you...
Dear God,Please let there be money in this wallet when I open it.
Amen, Shalom, Blessed Be...
Inside the boy's racks
This is Miles' rack. His bedroom, so to speak. Not much room now that he is bigger.
A Mooring Field at Shelter Island
A mooring field is where people tie their boats to a mooring ball. The mooring ball is attached to the bottom of the harbor so the boat doesn't drift away. To get to shore, most people use a kyak or a dinghy. A dinghy is a small boat... this can be a rowboat, small motor boat, kyak, canoe or some other smaller vessel used to get to shore.Shelter Island
Mendel 2.0 enjoying the moment at the Shelter Island. We were right next to the shelter island mooring field.I love this picture
You see the BGB in the backround, a catamaran tied to a mooring and a bird flying right at us!BGB
BGB... Big Grey Boat! If you hear a 5 horn blast... MOVE! That stands for"YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!"
The dinette converted into bed
Here is the lovely Mendel 2.0 demonstrating the dinette's use as a bed. The table drops down and you put all the cushions on it, then it's a bed!
The Pizza Parlor!
Our favorite pizza place. It's on NAB Coronado. They have pizza, beer, calzones, beer, pool table, beer, TV's that are usually turned on, beer, Arcade games, beer, air hockey, beer, they are about a block from the free movie theater on base AND they have beer!Marina Shore Showers
Here it is. My completely NOT private bathrooms on shore. I hate having no privacy!
More boat parts
I've labeled more parts of the boat for you... except Mendel 2.0 isn't actually part of the boat :)
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