ianunderhill vs. cancer (RIP Nick)

Hang in there Ian and kick the cancer out your ass

Keep it up!

Things are looking up on the end of my folks having sorted out the accommodations issue. There's a non-profit called the IMD (Illinois Medical District) Guest House which was on a list of some places to stay that the hospital had provided me with, and I'd emailed that list off to my parents after I found out I was in need of surgery. They finally managed to get in touch with the IMD Guest House and have made arrangements to be here from just before my surgery up until the end of the month if need be. The great news is that, being a non-profit, the rates are insanely low versus other area lodgings, and so they'll be spending hundreds of dollars for the duration of their stay instead of several thousand, despite the fact that they'll only be two blocks from my hospital.

I'm glad they got this worked out, though it's a reminder that they really aren't inclined to look into this stuff themselves (their original take was: "City hotels are expensive, we're going to have to stay in the burbs and drive in every time we're needed! There aren't options!") and need an outside nudge to investigate possibilities. Yeah, I know - it came off a list the hospital gave me, but on the other hand, my own inclination on finding out someone was in a hospital at all would've been to just contact the hospital and ask about the best options for lodging for out-of-town visitors should the need to visit arise. That's not criticism, mind you, it's just a marked split in the way they deal with things versus how I deal with things. It's ultimately a reminder that I'm still going to have to find people around me to aid in really pushing them to seek help in any other issues they may be dealing with through the course of my surgery and subsequent treatment. Still, it's a weight off all of us, and that counts for something.

For those curious, there's a requisite tear-jerker human interest segment about the IMD Guest House from WCIU here.

Glad to hear they got that figured out. NEMC in Boston has something similar that me and my parents were able to make use of when my brother was in for bone marrow transplants. Was very cheap and extremely nice for the money. It was actually connected to the hospital itself so it couldn't be more convenient.

Today, I've learned that some of my oldest and closest friends here in Chicago are organizing some sort of benefit/fundraiser thing locally, likely with bands and such. No specifics yet, but I'll definitely post specifics when I know more. It's just very touching to have so many people going out of their way on all this. My disbelief at the continuous outpouring of support well exceeds any feelings of doubt surrounding the disease. It's a pretty great feeling. Here's hoping I can continue to hang onto that notion in the weeks and months to come.

We're not going to let you go through this alone, Ian. Just so you know. Don't make me go all the way out there to have barbeque just to prove it.

ianunderhill wrote:

Here's hoping I can continue to hang onto that notion in the weeks and months to come.

Going to poop all over that cancer.

Back in the ER. The pain from the abdominal distension/fluid accumulation was so bad I couldn't sleep last night, so I had a friend drop me off a good forty minutes ago. This hospital is super efficient. I'm hoping they can squeeze in an ultrasound/paracentesis combo today so I don't have to be here overnight but I'll take what I can get.

More to come...

Hang in there. One day at a time.

ianunderhill wrote:

Back in the ER. The pain from the abdominal distension/fluid accumulation was so bad I couldn't sleep last night, so I had a friend drop me off a good forty minutes ago. This hospital is super efficient. I'm hoping they can squeeze in an ultrasound/paracentesis combo today so I don't have to be here overnight but I'll take what I can get.

More to come...

Sorry to hear that, man. Hope that resolves soon!

Thanks everyone. If anyone needs a push to get in on the GWJ donation drive, I think I could tip their hand by giving your support as an example of why they should. I can't get over how helpful you all have been. This is such an amazing community and a day doesn't go by where I don't consciously think about how glad I am that I found it last year.

ianunderhill wrote:

Thanks everyone. If anyone needs a push to get in on the GWJ donation drive, I think I could tip their hand by giving your support as an example of why they should. I can't get over how helpful you all have been. This is such an amazing community and a day doesn't go by where I don't consciously think about how glad I am that I found it last year.

IMAGE(http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma2dymPcZS1ql17wq.jpg)

In the context of community and knowing that sadly you aren't first one to deal with cancer even recently here nor unfortunately the last one, maybe it would be good to make a thread that consolidates some of the great support material you've discovered already.

How are things going?

Just caught up on the thread, ianunderhill. Keep strong, looking forward to hearing more.

Wound up staying overnight and getting pumped full of morphine every few hours. They finally got me in for another paracentesis at 1pm. Today's drainage constituted 7.8 liters. Rumor is I'll be discharged today, which is great cause I have an insane want for pizza.

I may or may not come back again prior to surgery for another paracentesis. I'm currently waiting to hear what the doctors think. We discussed putting a drain inthiss morning so I could empty things out at my convenience, but there's apparently a lot of upkeep involved. Risk of infection strikes me as a fine way of unexpectedly delaying vital surgery, so I said no.

ianunderhill wrote:

Wound up staying overnight and getting pumped full of morphine every few hours. They finally got me in for another paracentesis at 1pm. Today's drainage constituted 7.8 liters. Rumor is I'll be discharged today, which is great cause I have an insane want for pizza.

I may or may not come back again prior to surgery for another paracentesis. I'm currently waiting to hear what the doctors think. We discussed putting a drain inthiss morning so I could empty things out at my convenience, but there's apparently a lot of upkeep involved. Risk of infection strikes me as a fine way of unexpectedly delaying vital surgery, so I said no.

IMAGE(http://www.arcade-museum.com/images/118/118124215799.png)

Tanglebones wrote:
ianunderhill wrote:

Wound up staying overnight and getting pumped full of morphine every few hours. They finally got me in for another paracentesis at 1pm. Today's drainage constituted 7.8 liters. Rumor is I'll be discharged today, which is great cause I have an insane want for pizza.

I may or may not come back again prior to surgery for another paracentesis. I'm currently waiting to hear what the doctors think. We discussed putting a drain inthiss morning so I could empty things out at my convenience, but there's apparently a lot of upkeep involved. Risk of infection strikes me as a fine way of unexpectedly delaying vital surgery, so I said no.

IMAGE(http://www.arcade-museum.com/images/118/118124215799.png)

That game takes on a much more sinister tint if you assume that every glass is filled with drained fluids from cancer patients.

SOYLENT ROOT BEER IS PEOPLE.

To be fair, it looks much more like cider. Same thing though: special = stick to bottles if you must.

ianunderhill wrote:

To be fair, it looks much more like cider. Same thing though: special = stick to bottles if you must.

Does it ferment? Ianunderhill's Special Brew!!

ZaneRockfist wrote:
ianunderhill wrote:

To be fair, it looks much more like cider. Same thing though: special = stick to bottles if you must.

Does it ferment? Ianunderhill's Special Brew!!

Hurry! Six days left to sign up for the The Goodjer American Beer Exchange 2!

Note that my friend Greg's beer fundraiser idea mentioned upthread does not involve ingredients from my body.

Home at last. What a day. On the plus side, no trying to find content on TV tomorrow. Wouldn't wish that on anyone. Not even my f*cking cancer.

$3,100 now...yeeeeee

ianunderhill wrote:

Today's drainage constituted 7.8 liters.

Man. How are staying hydrated??

Yup, pretty great. Thanks again everybody!

At the least, I now have three months of rent and (non-medical) bills covered, which is great, because I've already missed two weeks of work, and combining that with post-surgery recovery is likely to see me at nearly two months in total. Figure in some more time lost for the time around chemo treaments and I'm not going to be outright destitute for several months at least. It's definitely a start and quite a huge weight off. Subsequent donations, whether via ChipIn or via various other efforts friends are engaged in (and there are a few, as far as I know) can now be looked at more as contributing towards whatever the actual burden of medical expenses looks like.

Re: that, I got a phone call from financial assistance at the hospital, called back just now, had to leave a voicemail. I'm eager to talk to these folks and make sure everything on that end - my impression has been they're doing all they can to hook me up with as much help as I qualify for, but as it's been just shy of two weeks since I got my application in, I'm getting a bit anxious and am definitely wanting some answers.

Chumpy_McChump wrote:
ianunderhill wrote:

Today's drainage constituted 7.8 liters.

Man. How are staying hydrated??

The fluid isn't fluid in my bloodstream or anything, it's from ascites, which is a type of fluid build-up that happens in the abdominal cavity. The drainage they've been doing via paracentesis has worked like this: ultrasound to see where the big pockets of fluid have accumulated, guide a catheter in based on ultrasound data so you don't hit any organs, and then drain the fluid (which is a brownish-yellow color). They've followed each of these with intravenous supply of an amount of albumin equivalent to the amount of liters drained so as to discourage immediate re-accumulation of fluid. I still drink water, juice, etc. like normal.

Hydration in the body is a matter of concentration, not volume. That's why drinking salt water makes you more thirsty, and why the best hydration fluid for getting hydrated is still water, unless you need to make up electrolyte concentration as well.

Ascites can be secretory or hydrostatic. In ianunderhill's case, I think it's secretory, which implies that it's possible for it to be as concentrated as average body fluid concentration. If it's being replaced volume/volume with albumin, it's likely not to be an issue, either by way of reducing body fluid concentration, or by way ORIF reducing blood volume.

I realise I may be late to the party here but have you thought of cooking crystal meth?