Thursday, September 5, 2013

Holy 215 pounds, Batman!

Have you seen a missing persons report for a 215 pound person? If so, he or she is bio-medical waste, having been removed from my body liter by liter since 12/12/12. For the kicks of conversion, that is 26 7/8 gallons of fluid. I told Derek that since this was the 8th one he's done, after two more I get my free one. He wasn't so sure Avera has a punch card program. And the paracentesis hurt today, too. It usually doesn't (although why having a hollow nail shoved into your side, attached to tubing, a suction unit and countless collection containers should hurt is beyond me).  If you want visual, go to the blog.

http://www.funkyliver.blogspot.com/2013/01/not-today.html

Then the appointment with Dr. E. That went much better today. Dropped a whole one point on my MELD, now at 22.  I'm trying to push my next paracentesis two weeks out since I have to re-MELD then anyway. Admonishment from Derek about not making myself miserable. Is it weird to call a doctor just by his first name? He's just so casual, and that was how he introduced himself.

Next month will be a marathon appointment. Paracentesis, MRI, Dr. E, then Dr. San (so many docs with 'S' names I'm out three letters on their names now). I refused the MRI, but he doesn't want to do a CT because the contrast dye used is hard on the kidneys. They don't want to cause any further damage to mine. So I agreed to open upright MRI. No go, since he doesn't feel the image quality will be sufficient. He offered drowsy meds. I countered with totally unconscious. They are checking with anesthesiology and will get back to me. I hate that tube. Of course, the one time they tried to put me in it, I was encephalopathic and convinced they were going to put a monkey liver in me while I was in there. 
Today I had to show the doc my abdomen and ask what was going on. The muscles down the core have been forced apart from the pressure of the fluid, so sometimes the stuff that should be behind them pops through. Thus the MRI. Double drat.
 
Ok, enough for today. I need to find something to eat since I wasn't hungry at dinner time. I needed to rest after the 19+ pound fluid loss.

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