Replacing the stent

Here I am back in Stanford Hospital sooner than expected, due to an unexpected complication.

Back in April, the first sign that something was wrong was symptoms caused by blocked bile ducts .  An exploratory procedure called an ERCP (Google it if you're interested) was done to discover why the ducts were blocked. That's when it was discovered that my pancreatic cancer was the culprit. During that procedure, a stent was installed in the bile duct so that bile would flow as it should again.

This weekend, the stent got clogged and a bacterial infection in the backup of bile developed. I spent Saturday at home with an increasing fever, chills, nausea -- all the signs that SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG, Went to the Stanford ER Saturday evening  and stayed overnight while the cause of my symptoms was diagnosed and antibiotics to treat the infection were injected.

On Sunday morning, they transferred me from the ER to the the Hospital. On Sunday afternoon, they performed another ERCP  to replace the clogged stent. That went fine with no problem, the antibiotics are doing their job,  and I feel quite well again.

The big procedure -- the Whipple -- will still be done on Friday, as far as I know.   I have a consult with the surgeon on Tuesday, where that will be confirmed.