Looks like I should probably get another CT scan, since the last one was unclear to the radiologist. I guess to the untrained eye it looks smaller. (I should see this thing for myself!) When we scheduled the CT scan originally, it was going to take place about 10 days after my treatment was done, but then all those complications happened that kept delaying my doses of radiation, so in the end the CT scan happened when I still had 2 doses to go. This means that the liver and surrounding areas would have been still been inflamed (probably still are), so it is apparently hard to tell the difference between inflamed tissues and a tumour. It may have also been unclear because I vomited up most of the contrast liquid I was supposed to drink before the scan.
Thus, when I meet with my Radiation Oncologist tomorrow, we should definitely schedule another scan. They are very busy withthe CT machines, so I hope I can get one reasonably soon. I also need to ask my Oncologist how long I need to keep injecting myself with Fragmin (blood thinner) - can I stop now? is this for the rest of my life? It depends how much of my problem was due to chemo and how much was due to the tumour choking of the major blood vessels going to my lower abdomen and legs. All I know, is that it is an annoying part of my day. But I will certainly live with it to avoid more clots that a) disable me, and b) could move into my lungs again.
I am also meeting with the surgeon who did my ERCP to remove my left stent. I'll ask him if I can cap off my bile bag for now. He already said (depressingly) that I could never remove that external drain, but I might be able to cap it off until some emergency happens. I flush it every day, and it seems fine - draining both internally and externally.
I am trying to move toward a semi-normal life as much as possible. Now that treatment is over, I am in a hurry to achieve some modicum of fitness so I don't feel like the walking dead so much. That said, apart from moving around the house a bit more, I haven't done much towards that goal. Although, it was only 3 days ago, on Thursday, that I was knocked down in bed, vomiting, and feeling terrible, so I should give myself a small break.
