Update from Tom - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2009 06:27 PM, CST

[Guest guest]

It wouldn't be a weekly visit to town unless some new issue arose.I've been having ongoing issues with pain in my belly and other gastrointestinal problems. We're going on three months post-transplant this coming Wednesday, so things in that area should be settling down. They aren't.

Since the problems persist, I went in for a CT scan this morning, and the scan identified a couple issues: First, I still have ascites in my abdomen. Ascites is a fancy medical term for a fluid buildup. This has been an ongoing problem, and much of it has been resolved, but there remains a fair amount of fluid in me. The concern is that the fluid may have stagnated and caused infection, hence the pain. I'm back to town tomorrow to have some of the fluid extracted and cultured to rule out any infection. I won't go into details on how they get the fluid out. Just imagine a LONG needle. What a great way to spend a Friday!

Next, there was some thickening of the colon, possibly indicating a flareup of the Crohns/Ulcerative Colitis. My gut has been quiet in that area for a couple years, so if things were going to flare again, I'm long overdue. We'll know more next Thursday after a colonoscopy...my third in twelve months. While the thought of three scopes in a year may be distasteful, I don't really mind it. With all I've gone through, the thrill of a colonoscopy is gone, and this will be a piece of cake. It will be just another day at the office.

So, here is the teachable moment: You may look good and feel pretty good three months after transplant, but issues can still crop up. Don't get overconfident. Stay disciplined and never stop fighting. I plan to run over this bump in the road and keep on going.

Tom

 

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