mcwgoat

Hi everyone,

Well another bad turn of events for me. I had my second SBRT treatment yesterday. However, after the treatment they did blood work, because I’m jaundiced, and my bilirubin came up high so they admitted me and had a CT scan done to see what was going on. It seems the tumor is squeezing the bile duct, not allowing for any drainage from the liver – hence the jaundice. Now they have me waiting around, still in-patient, to see about putting a stent or catheter in. Since my only symptom is jaundice (no fever, infection, itching), there is a possibility they could hold off on the stent or catheter and proceed ahead with finishing the SBRT treatments. The gastro doctor is getting together with my radiation oncologist and medical oncologist to make a decision. Hopefully, I’ll know something soon as I just started to get my appetite back yesterday and now they have me fasting in case they do this procedure!

Can anyone share their experience of having a stent put in the bile duct in liver?
The catheter sound so drastic to me with the bag on the outside and all the home care you have to do. I’m a pretty active person and this would really get me down. I told them I don’t want a catheter. They said the only reason for a catheter would be if they weren’t able to open up the bile duct for the stent – then they would have to go with the catheter. They wouldn’t know that until they actually go in.

Any advice would be so helpful right now!

Mary

Thanks Gavin. I did get out for awhile yesterday and did some walking. Feeling better today but still tired which may be for stress. I’m a bit jaundiced and am so worried about that and what is going on with my liver. I have my second SBRT treatment tomorrow and hope to get through that and the remaining three after that. I’m scared I’m going to get so jaundiced that they’ll have to put the stent in which will affect the SBRT because of the fiducial markers (gold seeds) in my liver. I feel like the SBRT is the best chance for me right now and I’ll be really down if it has to be stopped before completed. My appetite isn’t that great but I’m trying to eat a little something each day. I’m drinking lots of water.

Just praying I can do all SBRT treatments!

Mary

Thanks Kris. The Lourdes trip is a once a year pilgrimage sponsored by the Order of Malta (a lay organization of the Catholic Church) but maybe they’ll invite me next May. I agree – better this happened before I left the U.S. I wouldn’t want to be that far away from my doctors and start having these symptoms.

Thanks for your prayers and keep them coming!!!

Mary

Thanks Lainy. I’m not doing chemo. SBRT is a form of guided imaged radiation. I had gold seeds injected into the tumor in the liver and the SBRT will shoot the high dose radiation there, using the seeds as markers. I’m scheduled for five treatments.

I’ll let you know how I do.

Thanks,
Mary