Belly Achin’
Some of you were familiar with Winston, the black cocker spaniel LeAnn and I owned back when we were first married.
I say owned, but that’s really not the way it worked. Winston was one of us. He truly believed he was a human, not a canine. When other dogs came around and start sniffing, Winston didn’t really know what to do. He seemed put out by it, as if he was trying to figure out why this whatever-it-was found him so interesting. We never had to get him “fixed,” because he ignored other dogs and kept to himself.
Anyway, Winston did have a few bad habits. One of the funniest was that he was an absolute pig when it came to eating. He never fully trusted that his dog bowl would be full again the next day, so if he found something worth eating, he would gulp it down voraciously until it was gone. I was able to teach him an incredible amount of tricks based upon his love of food.
On several occasions, after LeAnn and I had bought groceries but left a few items on the counter, Winston would make his move. He would stand on two legs, natch, lean up over the counter, and pull an entire loaf of bread onto the floor. Ten minutes or so later, when we returned to the kitchen to put away the rest of the groceries, we would find Winston lying on the floor, passed out with his stomach protruding out as if he were in the ninth month of pregnancy.
He had eaten the entire loaf of bread! When we touched his stomach, it would be rock hard, as if it had been a loaf of cement rather than bread. Winston would be in misery for the next day as a result of these antics. But if given the opportunity, he would surely do it again.
Which brings me to, well, me.
Several weeks ago, I spoke of new pains that had been forming in my abdomen, pains that worried me as I went for new tests in Houston. Thankfully, those pains had nothing to do with the cancer inside me. They had more to do with side effects relating to the treatments I’ve received. But with some new meds prescribed, I would hopefully be feeling better soon.
Except I haven’t felt better. My stomach has kept hurting. It is tight and bloated, like Winston’s after his bread buffet. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. And yet I’m suddenly gaining weight.
Gloom, despair, and agony on me.
Last week I found out my liver enzymes were at a higher level than usual. I was also nearly dehydrated, because I haven’t been able to drink much.
So this week, it’s been back and forth to the doctors. Blood work. An ultrasound. Turns out some fluid has been building in my stomach/stomach cavity. Hence the Winston effect. Hence the pregnancy look. Hence the reason why my belly button may soon be an outie.
Tomorrow, they’ll go in with a needle and remove the fluid. And hopefully, unlike Winston, I’ll finally be able to sleep.
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Comments
OUCH-hope all went well and you’re on the mend. You haven’t been eating loaves of bread, have you?
Hope you’re resting well and getting a good night’s sleep!
Hey Jim, how did it go? I hope it helped.
I’ve been dipping into your poetry books this week. I forgot you had written some sonnets. They are really lovely. Beautiful! I read them again this morning.
Feel better soon.
Oh goodness, another ouchie. I’m so sorry Jim, that it has taken so long to discover the cause of this pain, I hope the procedure worked the way you wanted it to do so. Have you been able to get more and less painful sleep? Maybe this will also help you to eat as well.
Teddie Seeley
Portland, Oregon
Jim,
I am concerned with your new symptom – ascites. Stay positive and on top of getting treatment for this symptom.
It is reversible when caught early.