The Next Chapter in My Saga

So…

Tony drove me to the hospital. They took me immediately because my doctor had called ahead, and all kinds of tests were done. Over the course of the next few days, they told me that I needed to see a gastroenterologist. I was completely exhausted by now and the symptoms were getting worse.

I book the appointment and go see the gastro doc and we still haven’t arrived at anything seriously problematic with the liver; they were more focused on the ulcers I developed in 2017 and the words “alcoholic hepatitis” were tossed around.

Yada, yada, yada. I’m blowing up like a beach ball and my legs, ankles and feet are so swollen that the only shoes I can wear are my slippers/moccasins. At one point I swear I looked like I was at least nine months pregnant. And it was all fluid.

Now it’s Christmas and I’ve actually been in the hospital again since the first time. I’m now itchy all over and I’m getting nosebleeds A LOT. Totally symptomatic of liver disease.

The winter is in full swing and I’m still not properly diagnosed even though to my primary care physician, it was more obvious than it was to the gastro doctor.

They decide to treat the acites (swelling in my belly and upper legs) with a paracenteses treatment. This is fun! They numb you up with lidocaine and stick a needle in your belly to draw out fluid. The first time they did it, they drew out 10 LITERS of fluid! That’s five large soda bottles. I kid you not. (Over the course of the next several months, I probably had at least 25 more treatments, with varying amounts taken from three liters to five – never again would they do ten because it’s not that safe.). That’s because the body keeps producing fluid that is usually redirected inside the body where it’s needed, but when your liver is failing, it doesn’t know how to direct the fluid to its proper places.

I felt better after the procedure, but I was still so swollen because there’s really nothing they can do for your legs, ankles and feet. I felt like Fred Flintstone with painted toenails. 😊

I’m sick, and I feel absolutely crappy and then……my husband died.

Stay tuned for chapter 3.