Quick Update

Since my last surgery over a month ago I’ve been dealing on and off with a fluid buildup in the left side of my abdomen. I’ve had it drained a few times but it keeps coming back. This past week we tried aggressive oral hydration (3-4 liters per day) and absolutely no IV fluids to see if that makes a difference, since there seemed to be a correlation between getting IV hydration and the fluid building up. So far it appears to be working. I haven’t grown any more uncomfortable or distended, so as far as I can tell there isn’t a significant increase in fluid, and it’s been a week now. So, this Thursday I’ll head back to Sloan Kettering and they’ll drain it yet again, this time under general anesthetic, which will doubtless be a bit nicer than just a local numbing agent. If you’re really curious, you can look up “paracentesis of loculated ascites” to get an idea of what draining this fluid involves, but the basic idea is pretty simple; stick a needle into my belly and drain it all out. Once the fluid is out—I estimate there’s just under one liter to be drained—I’ll be a lot more comfortable, and hopefully by continuing to drink like a camel and not get any IV fluids it won’t come back this time. We’ll see!