So, this installment will complete my missing upload for the month of June 2018.
It was near lunchtime when I started to feel difficulty in breathing, my nurse said let’s just see the symptoms for a while. Then the lunch came into my room, I tried hard to eat. I am starting to feel pain in my back up to my shoulders, I called in the nurse and she massaged my back and where it hurts. Then the pain started to grow all over my body, and my nurse was alarmed and phoned in Nagatsuji Sensei. At that time I am really having pain all over my body. Then the ECG machine came in, the nurses are having a hard time attaching it to my body because I was crying every time the touch and attach the wires.
Then X-ray machine came in, and other machines for the test. Many doctors and nurses came in for me. I am starting to lose consciousness. I can see the nurses and doctors, but I got to the point that I cannot recognize and understand them speaking Japanese anymore. I did even see the face of my mother and father, I said to myself “is this the end?!” Maybe I was speaking Filipino at that time.
Then someone came in, I got shots, I don’t know anymore. The one who went in came to my side, I saw his face, and he was Nagatsuji Sensei. He started asking questions, I was just like looking at his face, and nodding though I cannot understand I can recognize him. I am starting to regain consciousness, but still having difficulty breathing. So they decided to have me for a CT scan, Nagatsuji Sensei and the nurse took me to the 2nd floor for the test and Ichii Sensei was kind enough to be with us. I had the regular CT scans the then CT scan with an injection of medicine that will help further testing. (I really didn’t understand), but they said that it will make my body so hot under the laser of the machine. As they inject the medicine, again the pain was intolerable, as they touch me it really hurt. Nagatsuji Sensei held me close to him because I might violently.
I calmed down when I got back to my room, but still under observation. Then I got the news that I have to go under Plasma Exchange / Blood Dialysis (血漿交換, けっしょうこうかん) as soon as possible, so I need to sign the necessary documents after the explanation. They said that this is the ultimate procedure that can be done to treat lupus. It will be done for two months, June and July, and 4 sessions per set. So, that is a total of 8 sessions for 2 months. It was so urgent that I was scheduled the 2:00 pm JST the next day, June 21, then 22, 25 and 27, 2018. (What! so fast!)
Plasma exchange (plasmapheresis) is a way of separating plasma from blood cells using a machine called a cell separator. It is way to "clean" your blood. It works sort of like kidney dialysis. During the treatment, plasma -- the liquid part of your blood -- gets replaced with plasma from a donor or with a plasma substitute. Plasma exchange can reduce the amount of abnormal protein in the blood.
June 21, 2018, 1st session – It lasted for more than 2 hours because the doctors have to put the IV in my neck. This will be the way (in and out) of the blood. As Yamaguchi Sensei put on the IV, even though they put anesthesia, it really hurt, as if I can’t breathe. Also, they covered my face during the whole procedure so the air cannot go through freely. Luckily, Inoue Sensei was kind enough to put some bottles so that everything will not cover my face. And Kadosawa Sensei is looking under the covering to check on me. He was so funny, it’s like every after 3 minutes he was checking on me.
Then after the preparation, I was taken to the 12th floor, where the cell separator is at. The whole Plasma Exchange / Blood Dialysis (血漿交換, けっしょうこうかん) took more than the expected 2 hours. We have to stop in the middle because the placing of the IV was either too deep or too shallow, the doctors have to adjust it during the procedure. In the last 30 minutes, my body cannot take anymore the pain. They have to give me shots of anti-pain medicine. I am really crying because my whole body is hurting especially my shoulders to my hips. I was taken back to my room like lifeless. I cannot sleep because of the pain and also the steroids that I am taking were so high that I feel like I’m on drugs.
June 22, 2018, 2nd session – In the morning, I had to undergo a test for my intestines. Wherein a camera will be put in my mouth up so that they can see my intestines. The anesthesia and sleeping medicine will be by gargle. I gargled a special medicine that was strong, so strong that when it touched my lips, it felt numb so fast and I was feeling sleepy. Yamaguchi Sensei administered the procedure. I woke up still feeling something in my mouth (OMG!) the procedure was not yet finished. I still closed my eyes and went back to sleep. When I woke up, I was in my room, the nurses are starting the preparations for the Plasma Exchange / Blood Dialysis (血漿交換, けっしょうこうかん), I was taken again to the 12th floor, and started the procedure. I didn’t know what to feel anymore, I was groggy and my mouth hurts. But I cannot sleep because I have to watch out for any allergic reactions. I also felt the strong urge to vomit, so they gave me anti-nausea shots. But as the procedure end, I vomited blood and a lot. Until I came back to my room, I was still vomiting. It was night then, but my doctors still stayed for me, and the decided to do the camera test again.
When I woke up, I was in my room and my nurse was wiping my body and changing my clothes. I was so wasted that I can’t feel anything. The next day Nagatsuji Sensei told me that, they had put a clip in the torn intestine part to stop the blood. Then the clip will naturally be gone. Since I was so weak and I need the procedures and medicines to take effect immediately, I have to receive Steroid Pulse 500mg for 3 days.
June 25, 2018, 3rd session - Still the placement of the IV was a hindrance and also I was feeling really tired so my body didn’t hold enough the pain that the last hour of the procedure my body ached even though I took a shot of painkillers. I also felt dizziness and nausea so they have to give me anti-nausea shots.
June 27, 2018, 4th session – Somewhat after the multiple adjustments, they got the proper placement of the IV. Today the procedure only took exactly 2 hours. As I thought that I will not feel any pain or any allergic symptoms, my body ached within the last 30 minutes. I really didn’t know what to do, lower back abdomen really had a stabbing pain and I was really crying. The shots for painkillers were not enough to take out the pain.
(WOW) I was taken aback by what happened. Everything was so sudden that I can’t keep up with it.
God is really good.. He is always with you
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