Hi again,

OK, it looks like Heather might be coming home tomorrow. The abdominal pain was probably because they didn't hook up a drainage bag after placing the new J-tube. She had a lot of residual fluid in her stomach which caused her quite a bit of discomfort. She still has some pain, but according to an ultrasound, everything is fine. If it doesn't clear up in a few days, we will have a different doctor check it.

The swelling in her arm is being caused by a small blood clot above her lung at the end of her PICC line. They are going to put a new PICC in her other arm and take this one out. Supposedly, when they pull the line out, the clot will break up and dissolve. They say this clot will not go to her lung. Only clots from the lower extremities travel to the lungs, not upper body clots. She will start taking lovenox again to prevent further clots.

They are putting her back on steroids for the swelling in her face. It is on her left side which is where most of the cancer is. Between the cancer, the chemo and the infection with the fistula, it just periodically swells. I will be keeping a close watch on it at home.

Rainbows & hugs, wink
Rosie

Was primary caregiver to my daughter Heather who had stage IV base of tongue SCC w/ primary recurrence. Original diagnosis August 21st, 2002. Primary recurrence March 18th, 2003. Died October 6th, 2003.