Thoughts From My Journal Part One

This weeks post is going to be about my musings from a small journal I started when I was diagnosed with End Stage Liver Disease. 

 March 23, 2018

Today has been a bad day. I couldn’t breathe very well. Got really sick. Had an appointment to check the oxygen level in my arteries. Being a hard stick, they had to poke me three times. 

At first it looked like a vampire bite me. Then tonight it looked like this. (starting to bruise).  After finally getting what they needed, I went to go get the test that shows bubbles in my lungs. I started talking to the tech. It turns out that her kids go to the same Charter School as my grandkids. She even knew them. That is so weird, because of the size of Salt Lake, to have someone know your family, is weird. 

Talk about weird, you should see me walk. I am retaining water in my legs and feet, therefore I have elephant ankles and legs and walk like a zombie.  Keep your kids away from the next pic, it may scare them for life. 

The photo on the right is what my feet look like today. 

March 26, 2018

Today has been a bad oxygen day.  I feel like I’m getting weaker by the day.  Food tastes like crap.  Especially meat.  I’m to the point that I eat soup more than anything.  Especially Pho.  Even my beloved Coke Zero doesn’t taste good.  I’m drinking really super cold ice water.  I’m limited to 2 glasses of liquid per day.

This cup is 550 ml.  I can only have two of these a day. 

I think I might start drinking hot green tea. Coffee just tastes awful anymore. My whole life has changed food wise. My husband keeps me on Boost and protein shakes. The doctors are concerned I’m not getting as much protein as I need. Well, if meat and eggs didn’t taste so awful, my protein would be better. 

I’m depressed today. I don’t like feeling like crap every day. But I do realize I have a very sick liver. I just hope I can get a new one someday. 

March 27, 2018

The best news of the day is they put me on oxygen. I’m supposed to sleep with it and use it when I’m walking. Even around the house.  The only time I don’t need it is when I am sitting.  It’s too much of a pain to take it on and off, so I’m just leaving it on.  The test they gave me the other day that tested the oxygen in my arteries came back as abnormal.  Which means the oxygen levels weren’t what they should be.  Who knew, oh wait, I did.  

April 3, 2018

Today I attempted to make some hamburger vegetable soup.  I got so weak that my husband sent me to sit down.  He did all the cutting of vegetables, frying of hamburger and getting the V8 juice into the pot.  When the liquid got warm I was able to do all the spices.  That even wore me out.  But the soup turned out so good with plenty to freeze.  Which is good because that is all I ever want to eat. The only salad I like anymore is the one you get from Olive Garden.

 I started drinking Diet Coke.  I know, you might want to sit down to get over the shock.  Coke Zero was starting to taste too sweet.  I’m not able to take sweets. 

My life as I knew it 5 months ago has totally changed.  The weight is falling off of me.  I wonder what else is in my future.