Paracentesis questions for those of you that have had one done.

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michellecairn
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2015 7:09 pm
Facebook Username: Michelle Pulera
Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin

Paracentesis questions for those of you that have had one done.

Postby michellecairn » Tue Jun 13, 2017 2:51 am

For anyone out there that has/had ascites and had a paracentesis could you possibly give me some information on how it went?

I'm curious to know if your fluid was I guess for a lack of better words thick or thin? How long was the procedure, and are you awake for it? If the fluid was thick, was there difficulty in draining it?

My main reason for these questions is because I have a very large amount of ascites and I'm told it is thick like gelatin or mucus. My onc doesn't want to drain it unless absolutely necessary. She says that it will come back (which I know) and that I could possibly become malnourished. The last CT I had in May states "In the abdomen and pelvis there has been an increase in a now massive amount of pseudomyxoma peritonei resulting in increasing mass effect/displacement of solid organs and bowel."

I've never been a big eater, but the last few weeks I literally have to force myself to eat something. Everytime I do eat, I'm uncomfortable for an extended period of time. I just feel so bloated, and there's so much pressure in my abdomen that I'm not sure how much more of being this uncomfortable I can take. It's never been this bad before. And because I'm not eating enough I'm dropping weight, and I've gotten way too thin already. I weighed 160 lbs in January, and I'm now down to 136 lbs. I've never been this thin before - and before my dx I basically had hovered between 180-190 lbs for years.

I guess I'm just afraid that the time has come to actually drain it, and I feel like I'm going to be a huge baby about it if that is the case. Granted I would like it drained just to get a little bit of relief from all the pressure and bloated feeling that I've been dealing with basically since my dx even if it's just for a short period of time.

Best wishes to everyone!
Age: 39(38 at dx), married, mom of 2
Stage IV
DX: 10-7-15 colon cancer (signet ring cell)
CEA: 10-4-15: 9.5, 2-8-16: 42.5, 3-7-16: 22.6, 5-26-16: 18.8, 7-27-16: 14.3, 10-20-16: 21.1
abnormal MSH6 and BARD1
KRAS: wild type
MSI High
Lynch positive
11-16-15: 1 round Folfirinox/5FU, 5 rounds folfox/5FU , 4 with Avastin
2-8-16: Chemo not working
3-7-16: back to folfox/Avastin/5FU
3-24-16: Keytruda
2-23-17: FAILED Keytruda
3-2-17: Erbitux
3-30-17: Erbitux + Irinotecan
5-25-17: FAILED Erbitux + Irinotecan

[Ana & Alex]
Posts: 96
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 5:14 pm
Location: Austria

Re: Paracentesis questions for those of you that have had one done.

Postby [Ana & Alex] » Tue Jun 13, 2017 3:41 am

Dear Michelle,

I'm sorry that you are going through this.
I cannot give my personal experience as a patient, but I can offer you my experience as a nurse who as worked alongside some patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis who had regular abdominal punctures to alleviate the symptoms of ascites.

I've seen the procedure done by the patients bed and in the or. If you are really anxious about it maybe you could ask for a sedation during the procedure? If some difficulty is to be expected could they perform the procedure in the or?

The procedure itself is relatively simple and fast. You would be given a local anaesthesia so that the puncture itself isn't to uncomfortable. The drains are sufficiently large so that thicker output would be drained as well. You can lay in bed and turn around afterwards and you can sit up as well.

The duration of the procedure is individually established. If you are aiming for comfort maybe a couple of hours. If you want a better outcome maybe an afternoon or longer.

I witnessed different kinds of output, thicker and thinner, but always liquid and never experienced and obstructed drain or difficulties in the drainage.

The patients I acommpanied were awake, had no pain, were able to talk, read, eat or drink, or sleep. They were comfortable. The relief from the procedure was also noticeable in the first couple of hours. Better breathing, less nausea and heartburn, better mobility are a few of the things I experienced right away...

I'm sorry to give you so a unpersonalized answer.. but I thought you deserved some insight. I hope that I could ease your fears at least...

It is a very difficult situation to be in, but there is a lot one can do to stay comfortable throughout the days. Please consider a palliative care team, if you already didn't do so. It makes such a big difference to have someone always making sure you have all symptoms in check and van enjoy the little good things you still may have today.

Thinking of you,
Ana
Dx @ 29 yo. Mum (2 y.o.) & Wife

12/2016: Rectal AdenoCa G2. CEA 4.3. RAS Wild. MSS. IIIB.
01 - 03/2017: 28 RTx + CHT 2,5 g/d Capecit.
03 - 06/2017: Suplemments and Cimetidine.
05/2017: TME/TAMIS + permanent Colostomy CEA 0.5
05/2017: ypT2N2aM0 (4/15), good cCR, limited pCR
06 - 8/2017: 4x CapOx 3,5 g/d (2x Oxi reduced to 80%)
09 -11/2017: 3x Capecit. monotherapy 4g/d
12/2017: Aspirin, Vit. D3, Curcumin, Multivitamin.

Fighting4hubs
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2017 1:13 am

Re: Paracentesis questions for those of you that have had one done.

Postby Fighting4hubs » Tue Jul 18, 2017 5:43 am

Hi,

I really hope you don't mind me messaging !

I'm afraid I don't know much about what you're asking by
Looking at your signature and history I believe you have a similar cancer presentation to my hubby of 37.

We are a young family too with a 3 year old and baby due in 7 weeks!

How are you doing? What surgery have you had and treatments? I'm trying hard not to read too much about Signet Ring Cell as it all seems so awful to read!

I hope you didn't mind me messaging.

Warmest regards

Sarah
Husband age 36 Dx 25.05.17
Mucinous Adenocarenoma sigmoid with signet ring cell
CT Scan showed Para Aortic spread
PET scan showed separate primary testicular cancer
18.05.17 bowel re-Sec sigmoid colon 25-30cm, testicle removed, Aortic Biopsy
03.05.17 results 2 PRIMARY CANCERS - testicular cancer is Aortic spread
12.05.17 Path report post surgery - peritoneal bowel spread (low volume 2mm studs)
Grading for bowel T4aN2bM1(peritoneal)
Folfox for both cancers due to start, possible added in Cetuximab

jortego128
Posts: 288
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2015 7:47 am

Re: Paracentesis questions for those of you that have had one done.

Postby jortego128 » Tue Jul 18, 2017 5:54 am

Michelle, the fluid can perhaps vary a little, but my moms was a thin, clear, bright yellow fluid. Almost like urine. The paracentesis was a simple outpatient procedure. After a couple paracentesis procedures though, we elected to have the catheter installed. It was very easy to use the drainage kit and drain from home.
DM 57 yrs old dx 6/8/15 T:4a N:1b M:1
KRAS G12D and TP53 C242fs mutations
Poorly Differentiated, Prominent Signet Ring Component(~50%)
Microsatellite Stable, 3 of (13)lymph nodes positive
15 Liver mets, largest 3.2 cm
Prim. Resection, Right Hemicolectomy 6/21/15
Start Chemo 7/20/15
2 rounds FOLFOX, 1 round FOLFOX +Avastin
CT 8/28/15, met growth, largest 4.5cm
4 rounds FOLFOX+Avastin
CT 11/06/15 mets stable, lungs clear
Begin FOLFIRI+Avastin 11/17/15, Stop chemo 1/26/16
Entered Paradise 3/11/2016


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