Updates

Health Update from the Past Few Days

These past three and a half days have been the biggest challenge I have faced so far. I said something similar in one of my last health updates, but this one takes the cake. Sorry if this is overly detailed, but this is also my journal to reference to when I am Cancer free. I will start off the story by saying I am feeling better today. So not to worry.

When I woke up on Sunday, I knew something wasn’t right. I was having the worst feeling in my stomach. It was a burning, swelling sensation that felt like acid. I couldn’t stand up straight. I waited a minute to see if it would go away, but it didn’t. My parents and I got in the car. It was hospital time.

We only made it a mile before I had to quickly open the door and unleash the beast (vomit). Not a good feeling. The pain got stronger and stronger. As soon as we arrived, I was admitted to the emergency room. They did a CAT scan and found that I had Pancreatitis as a result of the Chemo. There are all different types of Chemos, and my body didn’t respond well to the particular one I was on.

Because of the enlarged pancreas, which causes a ton of pain, they had to drug me up pretty good. I was in the ER for the day, and having trouble pushing words out. I was super weak. As the pain continued to get worse, they admitted me back into the hospital. Apparently I didn’t get quite enough fluids in the ER, which wasn’t anyone’s fault, just the situation at hand. So now I was fighting the effects of the Chemo, pancreatitis, major dehydration and a heart rate of 160.

Monday was basically a very painful blur. I remember it, but could not really tell day from night. I was just sleeping, and rolling around trying to fight through this. It was all very confusing and frustrating.

Unfortunately, the only way to fight pancreatitis is by having no food or liquids until it goes away. So I have gone three full days without eating or drinking anything, which can actually drive you a little bit nuts. I am getting all of my nutrition through an IV. The hospital wound up going from one-liter IV to a full gallon yesterday. So I’m slowly getting the hydration part back, as well as a very sexy lady’s figure. Just when I thought I was skinny enough…

Late in the day yesterday, I was finally able to have ice chips, but only six or seven pieces. Ice chips are just that – they are pieces of ice. But I will tell you what. They never tasted better in my life. Since I didn’t get nauseous, I graduated to four ounces of Gatorade. Then, finally, the best thing I have ever had in my life: chicken broth. Just water and a little flavor. It tasted so good. I hadn’t had a single drop of anything in three full days. It was amazing.

As of this morning (5:34 am), I am going on my fourth day without actually eating food. I am (and I don’t like this word much) HOPEFUL that today I will be able to have some noodles or something. I really need some food. The swelling has gone down, I can sit up again, and feel a hundred times better than on Sunday.

I have learned that treating Cancer isn’t as simple as going through Chemo, and dealing with the effects. It also involves figuring out which medicines help or hurt your body. Every person is going to react differently to the drugs, and we found one that my body didn’t like, in a big way. It was a major bump in the road, and a pretty scary few days.

But I’m fighting through it, and am ready to go to the next round. Ding Ding.

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