Hospital visit (
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/davidfallen/journal/view/id/58b5d315106ca02e118b4786)
The following account of my visit to the emergency room at Reston Hospital is graphic, so if you are of a sensitive nature please be warned.
On Thursday February 23, I was at the Dog Park with my dog Maggie, early as usual, and my friends there commented on my pallor. They said I looked horrible. A neighbor a day earlier had said the same. Emme contacted my primary care giver and made an appointment for that morning and off we went.
At the doctors office it was determined to admit me immediately to Reston Hospital emergency room. It was determined that I needed a CAT scan. The scan discovered a tumor on my pancreas that was blocking the bile ducts from my liver, hence my jaundiced appearance. The result was a preliminary diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. They also found some sort of mass on my right lung and another on my liver.
The next day a procedure was performed that placed a stent between my bile ducts and my lower intestine allowing the ducts to drain. They let me go home on Saturday. I no longer look like zombie, well, at my age (76) looking like a zombie is not that unusual. I have appointments scheduled with various doctors including an oncologist.
There is no 800 lb gorilla in the room. Pancreas jokes are permissible. I will try to answer any questions anyone might have. I have been encouraged by my daughters, my friends and my wife to do this journal and be honest about my journey. Please leave comments, I look forward to hearing from you. I will update this journal on a regular basis as soon as my treatment begins.