Connie (Hep93) - Surgery status?

Thanks for your efforts on my behalf re: the tea tree oil, JoAnn.  I will be going to Walmart in a few weeks, as that is where I get my disposable contacts, but I will probably just go ahead and get it at WD next week.  I am getting so low on money now that I told my cleaning person to skip this week, and we will resume next week.  I'm sure it will take at least several weeks to get any help from the Agency on Agency--if they even think I qualify.  Due to the hernia surgery, I'm restricted from a lot of things for 6 weeks, so they may do it temporarily.  Even a few times would be a help.  I had money set aside towards returning to NYC in late Aug. or early Sept., but have to use it this week for expenses.  It's going to get too expensive to eat the way I should, and have been, if prices keep going up. 

The Paxil only worked for 2 nights.  I had approximately 3 hours sleep last night.  I was still cramping and just not feeling well.  I was up and down all night having to tinkle.  I finally got up at 7 and had some O.J. and green tea.  I had Sleepytime tea last night, and it did settle my tummy some.  I think the side effects from the high dose of diuretics are causing me to not feel well.  I am going to cut back today to 40 of Lasix and 100 of Aldactone.

Hugs,

Connie

I was just wondering are the hernias due to having hepc? It seems like several people have hernias that post on here? Probably a dumb question but I still dont seem  to know that much about the disease..                  

I hope that you are get to feeling better!               Soonerfan

Thanks, everyone, for caring.

Well, I went for blood work in a Mayo lab I'd never been to before.  I told them immediately that I am a "hard stick."  Three different people tried to get a vein and couldn't.    I then told them to stop--that I was going over to the Davis Bldg. lab, as they know me there and there are a couple of phlebotomists who have no problem drawing blood from me.  Sure enough, when I got the guy that knows me, he got it on one try.  What a relief!  I will never go back to that other lab!  I then had 2 hours to kill, but went to have something to eat in the cafeteria and browsed in the gift shop.  I finally did see both the P.A. and the surgeon.  The surgeon wants me to have another drain placed with "big tubing" on Thurs.  They actually wanted this done today, but by then it was after 3 and I didn't have enough time before the van was due to pick me up.  Tomorrow I have plans to go to the bank and grocery shopping, so we made it for Thurs. for the drain.  A culture will be done of some of the fluid, as he wasn't sure if I have an infection or not.  My white count is normal and I have no fever.  I will start prophylactic Levaquin Thurs. AM.  The P.A. called it in to my pharmacy and I'll pick it up tomorrow.  She will be away from Thurs. until Tues.  The surgeon will be in Italy all next week.  Problems/procedures always seem to take place on a weekend or holiday.  At least I will get some money and some groceries in the house before becoming basically homebound (due to the tubing, which does not fit under regular clothes.)

My sister said that if she and her b.f. come down from SC this weekend, it will be on Friday.  However, they will stay at their friend's house as he has a spare bedroom.  That's good for me, so I won't have to cook for them or entertain them.  They/she will just come visit me for a couple of hours while they're down here.

Hugs,

Connie

Carol, if a phlebotomist knows what he/she is doing, it shouldn't hurt at all beyond the initial stick.  One of them yesterday hurt like you are describing.  I told her I thought she had gone through the vein.  My veins are tiny and superficial.  Anyway, I learned my lesson and will never go to that lab again.

I got a call early this morning from Mayo Scheduling, saying I need to be there at 8:30 AM tomorrow.  The procedure will be at 9:30.  It's soooo hard for me to get up early, but I will when I have to.  I have requested the interventional radiologist who performed my chemoembolization and TheraSphere treatments, if he is available, because he has such expertise that he never causes pain.  I'm not looking forward to this at all.

I'm just waiting for my neighbor to get home from work to take me on my errands.  Also trying to reach my cleaning gal to see if she can come tomorrow instead of Fri., since my sis will be here on Fri. at some point.

If I don't get a chance to visit the forum over this long weekend, I wish you all a peaceful holiday weekend with no emergencies!

Hugs to all,

Connie

Thanks, Carol and Lucy!

Lucy, I waited because I had specifically requested this doctor.  He is the one who did my cancer treatments, so I knew how skilled he is.  This doctor had another procedure prior to mine, but waiting for him was fine with me, since this was last-minute scheduling.  Ordinarily, though, if I had a set appt. with a certain doctor and he/she ran very late...I would not be a happy camper.  Happens all the time with my primary care doc.  She has NEVER taken me on time in the 14 years I've been seeing her.

ETA:  I am concerned right now because there has been no drainage since I got home early this afternoon.  The radiologist did not use the wide tubing that the surgeon had wanted...this is the same fine tubing as the last time.  I'm afraid it's become clogged already, though it seems a little soon for that.  It could be that he pulled off so much fluid that there isn't anymore right now.  I hope that's the case.

Is anyone else watching the new show, Hopkins?  It's about daily life at Johns Hopkins...the real thing, not fiction.

Hugs,

Connie

Post Edited (hep93) : 7/3/2008 8:38:07 PM (GMT-6)

Hi, Carol.  I just got off the phone with my NYC friend who is a nurse.  She called to see how I am doing.  (We are both night owls.)  She said not to worry too much about there being no drainage, as there just might not be any amount of fluid in there now to drain.  I hope she is right.  My tummy is still hurting and a little upset, so I'm having some herbal tea.  The drainage tube was supposed to be larger, but I suppose the message didn't get conveyed.  I was too nervous to even think about that, and was looking away until it had been placed...so didn't know what he was putting in.

Carol, glad you and Terry were able to get out for awhile.  Maybe one day you can have a caregiver come and go off by yourself to have some "me" time.  That's important, too, you know.  ;)

I've forgotten which channel Hopkins is on, but it's one of the major networks at 10 PM ET.  I think it might be ABC.

Hugs,

Connie

Post Edited (hep93) : 7/4/2008 12:10:56 AM (GMT-6)

I had my appt. with the surgery P.A. today and she removed the drain!  Whoopee!!      I was so sick of that darned thing.  It really had no drainage the prior 24 hours.  I hope that will be the end of it and the ascites.  So I am done with the surgery dept. for now, but need to make an appt. with my hepatologist to discuss possible treatment for my hep C and arrange for follow-up of my liver cancer with regular CT scans and MRIs.

It was such a relief to not have to be worried about the drain and unable to sleep in certain positions, that I came home and slept for several hours and am headed back to bed in a few minutes.

JoAnn, I got the tea tree oil, but the stuff stinks so much I don't know if I can bring myself to use it. 

Hugs to all and many thanks for helping me get through this frustrating period in my life,

Connie