Medical Update [A diagnosis!] (Patreon)

Hello all!

I'm sitting at home after a 3 really horrible days in the hospital.

On Wednesday I was no longer able to keep anything down, not even the measly sips of Gatorade I'd had that day. I was very weak, and felt like passing out after standing for more than 30 seconds. So we went to the ER once again.

This time the doctor I got seemed less eager to just fix me and go, and opted to start testing various nausea meds on me while trying to contact the GI department for my biopsy results and a plan of action. I am so grateful to her!

She let me know that what I've been dealing with is drug-induced cholestatic hepatitis (Liver disease). Hearing hepatitis was concerning of course, but it's a broad term that is caused by a lot of things. In my case they managed to narrow it down to two likely suspects: Propofol, used during the sedation of my wisdom teeth removal, or (less likely) Sertraline, my recently prescribed anti-depressant.

Anyway, she fought for me to stay in the hospital overnight for close monitoring and gave me fluids to help build up my strength. It was a long night with people coming in to draw blood and take vitals constantly, but in the morning I was feeling a lot better. I stayed another night since I still felt nauseous, and am now on a very bland diet, mostly what's called a clear food diet (jello, broth, water, juice, etc)

The good news is that this isn't permanent!  Some forms of hepatitis are with you for a lifetime, but mine will eventually heal itself. Bad news though, it can take MONTHS to go away, they estimated 3 for me, based on my current blood tests. I'm not sure how much i'll be able to work in this time and once again urge those who can't afford to stay to go, otherwise I'll probably have some sketches to post as I'm trying to get out of bed more and more.

I'm on some new nausea meds, and that, plus the new diet, should make it a lot easier for me to function. I hope so at least. Right now i'm mildly nauseated, but nothing in comparison to how it was.

I'm really grateful to that doctor. I genuinely think I would have been sent home with no results otherwise.

Anyway again, all this just to keep you all in the loop! I'm feeling alright, and am going to listen to some music, and doodle now. <3 I love you all