Friday, May 04, 2007

Updates - 4 May 2007

We had a rather busy morning (and afternoon) meeting with Dr Leong and Dr Cythia Goh (Palliative Medicine) today.

Jo's Lethargy & Bloatedness
The above symptoms that Jo has been experiencing for the last month can be diagnosed with the following solutions:

a) Blood Transfusion - to increase her low haemogloblin count. Doc will decide whether this is required on Monday.

b) Thyroid Hormone Replacement - since she has low thyroid hormone production (due to her Radiotheraphy to the neck in 2001 affecting her thyroid gland located in the neck) The medication (Levothyroxine Sodium) serves to increase the metabolic rate of cells of all tissues in the body. In adults, thyroid hormone helps to maintain brain function, food metabolism, and body temperature, among other effects. She should feel less tired in the future with this medication.

c) Abdominal Tap - see below

Jo's Monday (7 May) Procedure - Peritoneal Tap / Abdominal Tap
Jo will undergo an outpatient procedure called the abdominal tap @ NCC on Monday. The following has been extracted from Healthline.com to better explain this process.




Definition
An abdominal tap is a procedure in which a needle is inserted through the abdominal wall to remove fluid from the abdomen. Normally, the abdomen contains only a small amount of fluid. In certain conditions, large amounts of fluid can accumulate in the abdomen.

How the test is performed
This test will be conducted in NCC. The puncture site will be cleansed and shaved, if necessary. The patient receives a local anesthetic. The tap needle is inserted 1 to 2 inches into the abdomen. The fluid is then withdrawn into a syringe. The needle is removed, and a dressing is applied to the puncture site.

Why the test is performed
An abdominal tap may be performed to diagnose the cause of fluid accumulation, to diagnose infected abdominal fluid, or to remove a large amount of fluid to reduce abdominal pain.

Prayer Request
a) That there will not be any complications with the Abdominal Tap procedure.
b) Jo's energy to return.
c) Jo's appetite to increase.
d) Jo's faith and spirit to remain like a strong fortress - unwaivering.

Thank you and may the Lord Bless you all.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey... welcome back and thanks for the update. Will pray for Jo and yourself.

See you in the morn matey.

Jas aka paced said...

Jia you!

Anonymous said...

Yes. We will definitely keep her in prayer. May you also be strong in the Lord! "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Hebrews 12:2

Anonymous said...

Hi Jo & Alex,
We will keep both of you in prayer.
Remember what Jesus told us in Matthew 17:19-20 when he said "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, `Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Alex said...

Hi Gerald & Janet, Kel & Geena! Long time no hear from you folks. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. We continue to live by Faith..because when it comes down to this...you realise that there's nothing more you or I can do to change any situation such as this. God Bless.