March 16th, 2022
Bit of a rough few days here.
Last week Maria began experiencing severe pain beyond what her medications could control. She went to the ER three times between Friday and Monday, and received a barrage of tests, X-rays, and CT scans. While answers were mostly elusive, eventually on Monday doctors performed a paracentesis, draining 1.5 liters of fluid from her abdomen. The fluid buildup is a side effect of her medicines and chemo treatment.
She was feeling much better when she left the hospital on Monday, though she is still in some pain and exhausted. She (and Jerry) need lots of rest, and I'm sure they'd appreciate any uplifting messages.
On a positive note, her latest lab results show her CA 19-9 levels have dropped again, to 235. So, again, a good indicator that the chemo is doing its job—but chemo is also demonstrably hard on the body. We'll have more updates after she meets again with her oncologist later this week.