Healing from cancer is not like other journeys. In the morning you might feel good, then in the afternoon you might get new pain or reliving pains that had gone away a week ago. Many days it doesn't feel like you are making any progress. My liver has not been happy with being subject to the parasite that has decided to make it its new home. One of the problems that started about a month ago was the itching. No rash or hives, just random irritation all over my body that seems to get worse at night making it harder to sleep. This is caused by the high level of bilirubin that is normally excreted through the bile ducts from the liver into the small intestine. It could be due to a blockage or inflammation cause by the livers response to the cancer and can also can cause yellowing of the skin and eyes. Interesting, I have only a hint of noticeable jaundice and it appeared to be getting better.
Yesterday I had a blood panel drawn and I was suppose to get the results this morning. My liver enzymes are up, cholesterol is high, and bilirubin is up. All of these are indicative of a compromised liver. What is of concern to the doctors is a bilirubin level this high can cause neurological disorders and even death if it is not treated. This was disappointing news, another detour.
I could wait and see how my treatments bring down the bilirubin level, but I have made the decision to stop my treatment and get a stint. It is a step backward, but my best option to continue to heal. The surgical procedure seems straight forward and takes about 50 minutes to perform. Afterwards I can go back to my treatments in a day or two. Unfortunately the spa does not do surgeries, but they have partnered with the local hospital. Actually this works out well since I can recover at the spa with the care of the doctors and nurses while the adjust my treatments.
I will blog again after my recovery. I keep in my heart that all your prayers and love will continue to help me get through this.