Sunday, February 25, 2007 around midnight, before falling asleep a very sudden feeling of nausea presented itself. That salty taste the precedes vomitting. Got to the bathroom in time for a rush of vomiting and diarrheal. Sat on the toilet with my face in a plastic bowl. Returned to bed, but repeat attacks followed. Finally only bile was left to come up. I became severely dehydrated. Paul called the Granger rescue unit to take me to Medina Hospital ER. I was there until about 11 a.m. the following day. Later I found they did an ultra sound and other tests, but because of the medication they gave me I slept through until mid-morning.
About a month earlier I had a similar attack, although not quite as severe, and went to the ER for that. Followed up with family physician, Dr. Hoynes, who suspected a flu bug going the rounds. The second attack gave him second thoughts and he recommended I see a local gastroenterologist, Dr. Bashour, in Medina.
Saw Dr. Bashour on March 6. Upon examination he said he suspected a blockage somewhere in the biliary tract--perhaps by an errant gallstone. (My gall bladder was removed in 1975). He also suggested possible hepatitis or even liver cirrhosis, based on my having had a blood transfusion in 1983 at the time of my hysterectomy. He wanted me to have a ERCP at Medina Hospital and set it up for March 12. I told him I had developed a sore throat and the feelings of a cold, but he paid no attention to that. He sent me to Medina Hospital for blood tests, but did not order xrays or scans. The blood tests revealed no hepatitis, but the scans revealed an enlarged liver duct.
The next day a full blown cold appeared and developed into a lung infection and near pneumonia by the end of the week. I canceled the ERCOP! I then had a chest xray done and that showed the lung infection. During the two weeks for the infection to go away I did some thinking and decided not to return to the Medina gastroenterologist and contacted the Cleveland Clinic where I got an apointment for June 4.An assistant there told me to have Dr. Hoynes order Cat scans and an ultra sound, and I had them done at Medina hospital. Dr. Hoynes said he would try to get me in sooner, but not hearing from him in two weeks I called the Clinic endoscopy department on April 3.
A very helpful assistant, Rachel, said they were booked weeks ahead. I told her how difficult it could be for me caring for Paul properly after his lung surgery--probably two weeks hence--if my gastro problem had not been dealt with. The following morning she called and said she had managed to get me a slot with Dr. Vaccaro on Monday the 9th. She said I had sounded so stressed she just had to help me out.
On the 9th in the morning I will have a consultation with Dr. Gregory Zaccaro gastroenterologist, followed by an endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS). Hopefully we will get some answers to why I had the two attacks and what's going on with my liver and esophagus.
The following day, Tuesday April 10, Paul has an all-day visit to the Clinic, seeing an oncologist, having heart stress tests, etc., and consulting with Dr. Sudish Murthy in the afternoon. Hope I'm able to go along with him.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment