Bile Duct Diaries V

….or….’The Mysterious Case of the Travelling Stent’


Since my last report, I have had two internal infections, marked by fever and shaky shivering. The first time this was managed with antibiotics, but the second time the yellow skin (jaundice) and intense itching recurred. Mr. Sharma assumed this was related to the area around the stent, and he was worried this could blow out of proportion, so he arranged for me to go into hospital to have the old stent removed and a new one inserted with the ERCP procedure. Because this was done urgently, I had to be shifted to UCH, the new hospital on Euston Rd. It’s a magnificent place. Very spacious, bright, obviously done with the aid of interior decorators. As long as you are not remotely interested in parking, it is number one on our Rough Guide to UK Hospitals.

Now, regular subscribers to this diary will recall that the pancreatitis I have been wrestling with originally flared up following the original ERCP at the Radcliffe Hospital, so at the front of my mind was the worry that more messing about with stents would trigger more pancreatitis. I had the ERCP procedure this morning and so far, 6 hours later, I am feeling pretty good, but a little superstitious about saying ‘good riddance’ once and for all to pancreatitis…..but at least I can do the diary!

When the surgeon went in after the stent he couldn’t find it at first. His terminology was that it had ‘migrated’ further up into the bile duct, and he had to work for some time, including some incisions to get it out. Following that, he was confident that the new one is well placed. Lest we ‘laypeople’ become overawed by the medics terminology, I thought as an antidote, you might enjoy this excerpt from the surgeon’s formal report: ……‘Unable to engage stent with basket or balloon, but eventually stent grabbers succeeded in removing stent’. It does make you wonder what he was going to try next….a paper clip?

I have certainly learned the limitations about anticipating the future, but we do now have a PLAN. (Joke: How do you make God laugh?.......Tell Him you have a plan.) It is to do the laparoscopy next Thursday, followed by a final CT scan, leading up to the operation some time after the 18th. My morale has lifted a bit today and I feel now that there is a little less pain and something definite to aim for, I can tackle this next period leading to the operation.

By the way Jane’s nephew set up a weblog for me if anyone wants to check from time to time, but I can’t guarantee how I will keep it up to date. Address is: davidcampbell340.blogspot.com

It is incredibly touching how expansive you all have been in thinking, and acting, on ways to help us through this situation. We have paused to wonder how this experience fits together for all of us, you and us, many times.

Love

David (and Jane)