We made it home yesterday from the fourth procedure. Very exhausting night Wednesday after the procedure. The doctor placed 5 bands and discovered that one of the varices in her stomach is showing signs of ulceration (getting ready to bleed). The gastric (stomach) varices will not be treated unless and until they rupture. Banding the gastric varices can cause many more complications than leaving them alone and it is too great a risk.
Reilly vomited twice after the procedure, losing one of the bands in the process. Losing the band is not necessarily that big of a deal, but the vomiting itself was very unsettling. So far, this was the roughest procedure yet. She was very nauseated throughout the night and was placed on medication to help reduce the gagging and coughing. Any kind of strain placed on her body (through coughing, vomiting, lifting, playing hard, etc) can be a catalyst that causes the varices to rupture as it places too much pressure on/in the veins that have already been weakened.
She will have another procedure in three weeks. Of course, should anything rupture between now and then, we will have to return to the ER for treatment. 95% of the varices in her esophagus have been treated, however more can appear at any time. 3/4 of her esophagus is looking good, with a few spots that have signs of possible varices forming - which will be treated if/when they appear. The reason for banding the varices in her esophagus is this - should they rupture, she could aspirate.
Dr. Noel (GI) has spoken to Dr. Karpen in Houston and now we are waiting for insurance approval. Dr. Goss (surgeon) and Dr. Karpen (GI / Hepatologist) are going to arrange their schedules to meet with us and examine Reilly on the same date / time to make the appointment more informative and effective. Dr. Noel had a friend and surgeon visiting from Johns Hopkins while Reilly was in the PICU and wanted his friend to meet his "very special patient with the infectious personality". How very nice it is to have your treating physician want to show off your daughter to his friends!
I will post again later today, so stay tuned!
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