Donita stopped by Mom's room this morning. She is a constant breath of fresh air, and we are grateful to have her knowledge and friendship in our lives.
Dr. Goswami is back from vacation today and stopped by a bit ago. Mom's inferior vena cava, from the bottom of her xiphoid process (that little hangy-down between your ribs) to the top of her pelvis is 100% accluded. No blood or fluid is moving anywhere. Dr. Goswami says that the clot formed so slowly that Mom's body formed new/enlarged old vessels to return the blood and fluid, which is why she didn't have any edema in her legs. It is amazing what the human body can do - it sensed it's inability to return blood to the heart and formed new ways to get it there.
At this point, the benefits of doing surgery and removing the clots do not outweigh the risks. Many people live their entire lives with clots in their lower body (though most of them are in their legs). Mom will continue to give herself Lovenox (blood thinner) shots twice a day, but at a lower dose than before. She will go to Effingham or Olney for periodic blood tests (Anti-Xa) to monitor clotting factor ten. Hopefully, this will allow the doctors to keep her blood in a safe range of not too thin and not too thick.
She can resume her chemo whenever she's ready. If it starts causing more problems with her platelets (which are up to 108,000 today :), then she and Dr. Goswami will reassess.
Mom is headed home today. They should have discharge orders finished very soon. I know she is happy to go home, but still apprehensive. She has a list of symptoms to watch for that may indicate clotting/bleeding, so hopefully that will help catch these episodes quicker.
Thank you again for your prayers, thoughts, and good vibes. Please continue them as Mom regains her strength and sense of normalcy in her life. We are so thankful for Dr. Goswami. His compassion and genuine care for Mom give her new hope each time she sees him.
Written/Posted by Jenn.
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