Medical Update…Again,

I guess I am overdue. As predicted, I am typing this from my hospital room.

As of the last posting, the bloodwork came back last Friday. It showed an infection, for sure. I was instructed to keep on with the antibiotic and hopefully it would kill the infection. However, the doctor warned me that if my temperature rose over 100.5, I needed to go to the emergency room. So, shortly after that phone call, my temperature rose to 101, and I reluctantly let Brian take me to Warren Hospital (I figured it was only an infection, surely they can handle it and send me home.) Upon arrival, I got prepped for a CT scan to take a closer look at the section around the hysterectomy scar. My cancer doctors at Robert Wood Johnson kept in very close contact with Warren Hospital, instructing that anything more than treating an infection would require me to be transported to Robert Wood. And, of course, the CT scan revealed fluid behind the scar, so off I was shipped.

Among other things revealed since I arrived at RWJ, was the fact that I am not just fighting the other infections…I also have an infection in my port! They started me on a heavy duty antibiotics to start killing these infections, only to have me break out in a full body rash. Yes, you guessed it: another drug allergy! So I needed to get hit with doses of Benadryl and steroids to ward off the allergic  reaction. Having antibiotic choices eliminated must really be frustrating my doctors.

On Monday, I went down for sugery to have the abdominal scar area drained (guided by ultrasound.) Very unpleasant, considering they made me be awake. 🙁 The fluid is being tested, and will take a few days at least to come back. Hopefully, it is just infected fluid. There is also a chance it could be cancerous fluids forming. (Or, it could be both infected AND cancerous!) Because the doctor performing the procedure said he thought it was just going to fill up again, so I now have a catheter and bag to collect drainage from this thing in my stomach. It needs to be flushed out daily…so I don’t think I am getting sprung out of here anytime soon.

Why do these things happen around holidays? At this point, it looks like I will be spending Thanksgiving, and probably my birthday here. *sigh* My kids can’t visit me because of the Swine Flu restrictions (forbidding hospital visitors under 18 from entering.) The only positive thing is that the cancer ward has  nice amenities: TV, DVD, VCR, wireless internet, etc. Plus, rooms are private in here, so I don’t have to worry about a room-mate.

Oh well. I will update more when we find out just what is causing all this.