Now and Then

Now
I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired.  I have never recovered my original strength and energy that I had prior to treatments for cervical cancer that went from July to September 2010.  The radiation and chemo put me through the wringer. 

Then

In January, my issues with eating increased.  I was barely able to eat much.  I had so many issues with keeping food in me and my weight began to decrease.  I had already lost so much weight during the treatments.  I never thought I would be in a position that I needed to gain weight.  I saw my gyno oncologist during this time.  He referred me to a gastro intestinal doc.  I called to schedule an appointment - which I couldn't get in until February.

In February, I saw the gastro doc.  He suggested that I have an endoscopy and colonoscopy  All that came of that is that I had a polyp removed. He also suggested that I start drinking three Ensures a day.  I tried to get in three a day.  I felt like I was drowning and no one took it seriously.  I continued to have difficulties eating and with diarrhea.  Also about this time, the pain started.  When I ate, I would have rolling waves of pain up and down my abdomen.  It didn't seem to get better and continued.  I almost gave up most eating as it was less painful to eat.

In March, it continued on.  Towards the end of the month, one of my sons got a stomach virus.  I thought I had it also.  He felt better the next day.  But I continued to deteriorate.  By the end of the weekend, I could not take the increased pain.  My mom took me to the ER.  They gave me anti nausea and pain meds which helped immensely.  They did a CT scan of my abdomen and found a blockage in my small intestine.

They put an NG tube in.  If you never have experienced an NG tube - pray that you never do.  They moved me from the ER and admitted me to the hospital.  I got to my room around 8 pm.  Around midnight, two nurses came in and said they were going to put one in.  I had no idea what was going to happen.  They tell you to be still as possible and chew on ice and swallow it as they take a tube and shove it up your nostril and snake it down the back of your throat all the way to your stomach.  It sucks up the yuck that is not able to digest and gets stuck due to the blockage.

My gyno oncologist came in the next day with a general surgeon.  She said there my be surgery involved but they would wait and see.  The next day, a nurse came in and told me I was scheduled for surgery at noon.  The surgeon did laproscopic surgery.  She moved around my small intestine thinking the blockage had been dislodged and took out my appendix that she said looked inflamed.   I spent four nights in the hospital.  I was feeling better as they had sucked up all the yuck from my stomach and intestines.  So I went home and things got worse.

More later - Kelly