Cholangitis

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  • January 19, 2010 at 1:35 am #34797
    mlepp0416
    Spectator

    LOL, my husband Tom LOVES his external drain and bag. NOT! We thought it was gone forever when 7 1/2 months after his original resection it was finally gone. He loved it so much that we kept it and burned it in the campfire 1 years post surgery. Needless to say, he was devasted when his bilirubin level skyrockted to 24.7 this past December and they had to do an external tube and drain bag to get his bilirubin level down. (They could not get an internal stent in because the tumor is blocking everything) Come this time next year we may be having another drain bag burning!

    Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ that cancer!

    Margaret

    January 18, 2010 at 9:38 pm #34796
    devoncat
    Spectator
    marions wrote:
    Betsy….I can’t don’t recall anyone, on this board, speaking lovingly of a drain bag.

    Marion,
    I LOVED my drain bag and still dream of it. My life was not complete without the infections and pain it caused. I long for the day I get to have it again!

    Seriously,
    Good luck Bestsy with the procedure. It sounds amazing. I wonder why more people here havent had it done. Let us know how it goes.

    Kris

    January 18, 2010 at 9:13 pm #34795
    marylloyd
    Spectator

    Hi Betsy,
    Glad you’re feeling better. My husband had the procedure you’re having last February and has been without a stent since. They also took pictures and took tissue biopsies while they were in there dilating his duct. That’s something to ask the Drs about. Brushings aren’t always conclusive. They say if they come back positive then you definitely have cancer cells present but if they come back negative you still may have cancer, it’s just not showing up. The tissue biopsies are very reliable. How is your bloodwork? I hope everything goes well. We have been through a lot of episodes of cholangitis through the years. It gets very scary. Take care of yourself!!! Mary

    January 17, 2010 at 7:02 pm #34794
    marions
    Moderator

    Betsy….I can’t don’t recall anyone, on this board, speaking lovingly of a drain bag. Considering, everything you have already conquered, the bag is just one more thing to put behind. I am so happy to hear that your infection is clearing up. Hang in there.
    Hugs and best wishes,
    Marion

    January 17, 2010 at 5:54 pm #34793
    gavin
    Moderator

    Hi Betsy,

    Sorry to hear about your trip to the hospital, but I am glad that you are feeling a bit better now. I hope the angio procedure works well and I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

    Best wishes

    Gavin

    January 17, 2010 at 4:26 pm #34792
    betsy
    Spectator

    Hi Marion,
    My fever has broken and I am feeling much better. The doctor capped my drainage bag before I came home and I’m hoping it stays off until I go back in a couple of weeks. I can deal with the tube but the tube and bag really brings me down.

    How are you?

    Betsy

    January 17, 2010 at 1:59 pm #34791
    lainy
    Spectator

    WOW, Betsy that is amazing, thanks. By the way I love your saying about not going to a Doctor who has no live plants in his office. What about a Caretaker (me) who can kill an artificial plant???? Hope you are feeling better!

    January 17, 2010 at 6:55 am #34790
    marions
    Moderator

    Hi Betsy….sorry to hear about the bout with cholangitis. Has your fever subsided and are you feeling better?
    Best wishes,
    Marion

    January 17, 2010 at 3:04 am #34789
    betsy
    Spectator

    I think its similar to angioplasty (sp?) for heart patients. A ballon will be inserted into the bile duct and then expanded – the ballon has tiny blades on it that will cut through the scar tissue. Hopefully this will be a permanent fix to the problem.

    Betsy

    January 17, 2010 at 2:29 am #34788
    lainy
    Spectator

    Hi Betsy. Sorry to hear you took that trip but glad they feel it is scar tissue. I think Teddy is heading the same direction and I have been wondering if it is scar tissue, what they might do. Did he mention how they take care of the scar tissue?

    January 17, 2010 at 1:55 am #34787
    Randi
    Spectator

    Betsy,

    Sorry to hear you were in the hospital, but heartened to hear that they think it is scar tissue and have a plan of attack that will relieve your symptoms!

    -Randi-

    January 17, 2010 at 1:48 am #3086
    betsy
    Spectator

    Hi All,
    Just returned from a brief stay in the hospital. I developed cholangitis over the weekend and became incredibly ill very quickly…..high fever, chills, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. I had a biliary drainage tube put back in the problematic bile duct. My interventional radiologist says there is a tiny blockage in the bile duct that appears to be scar tissue. In 3 weeks he is going to do an “angio” to that duct with the hopes of clearing it for good. My surgeon has been watching this duct on all of my scans and said eventually something was going to have to be done about it. Apparently that time has come. They will also do a brush biopsy of the duct but feel pretty confident its scar tissue not a recurrence.

    Betsy

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