Biliary Examination

On April 29, 2010, at Fair Oaks Hospital I had a biliary tube and drainage bag installed to drain my gall bladder and liver.  For the past 21 months it has done its task without problems.  I have  kept a bandage of gauze around the entry into my side and  home health nurses, hospital nurses, Hampton, and finally I have changed this regularly.  After 17 months I was questioned how often I flushed it with saline.  I replied that it had not been flushed.  When the nurse recovered from shock, she suggested that I begin daily flushing.  Feeling that was a drastic change, I maintained weekly flushes.  That kept everything clear.

On January 20, 2012, I had a scheduled appointment to have the "system" fully checked.  It took most of the day to have it all examined and a new tube inserted as well as a new tube and biliary bag connected externally.  When it was completed the doctor then talked to Hampton and me about selecting alternative treatments.  I now have an appointment on March 8, 2012, with a surgeon.  He will determine what would be the safest way to continue my bile drainage.  My gall bladder is full of stones so something must be done.  There are several options.  Since my only gall bladder indication of problems has been my turning yellow on April 28, 2010, I am not changing my life plans to get this done immediately.

Very early in my pancreatic cancer stage 4 cancer treatments my oncologist recommended I continue life activities, particularly including travel.  I have done this throughout these 21 months since my diagnosis.  When I had my last orthopedic appointment, following my knee replacement and physical therapy, my doctor said "Get out and live your life!"  When I said the PT said I wasn't quite done with therapy he replied "I'm the doctor."  He'd explained earlier that he'd started to be an oncologist in medical school but had changed when he realized oncologists help their patients feel better while orthopedists can get you well.
The patient must do physical therapy but the doctor can take away the pain.  Cancer doesn't work that way just as it didn't when he was in med school 30 years ago!

The reason I made my appointment March 8 is because we're going to "The Greenbrier Resort" in West Virginia in February and Hampton's 75th birthday is February 23.  Everything is going well with my health currently so we're "living life!"  If you're interested in visiting the website for Greenbrier make sure to spell it with an e, not a as Virginians do!  The resort is celebrating "Tribute to the Virginias" currently with GREAT PRICES.

God has been right with me during this experience.  I appreciate the prayers which have been prayed around the world in my behalf!  May God be with all of us as we continue to "Live our lives."