Describing what happened:

I was fortunate to have a PA (physicians assistant) that took an interest in my health and me.  He fought tooth and nail; sometimes against his boss, the Doctor to look for what was causing my symptoms.  All anyone ever said was it's a puzzle.  

He sent me to a local hematologist/oncologist who decided I had bleeding somewhere probably in the stomach.  So my PA, Eric, sent me to a gastroenterologist.  He did the usual upper and lower gi scopes.  Nothing.  An MRI showed a mass in my left side within the stomach.  So they went further with an ultrasound endoscopy mainly to check the small lesion on my pancreas.  It was decided that it was benign but would have to be watched.  Still no bleeding.  Then I got to swallow a pill shaped camera which found a small ulcer but no bleeding.  All this time the gastroenterologist was monitoring my lab reports as was the PA.  Still nothing.  After 10 trips to Flagler Hospital for blood infusions and 4 iron infusions, I was slowly going down hill.  Could not eat without throwing up.  Lost 68 pounds over that 9 months.  Looked like I was a living skeleton.  Had to have help to get out of bed, out of a chair etc etc.  I was giving up just like my body.

Then the gastroenterologist had me have another lab done and he was looking at all kinds of things.  Two days after I did the lab, he, himself, called me and said to go to the er at Flagler.  My potassium and sodium was non-existent and my hemoglobin had fallen to 6 (supposed to be 11 or 12).  I was scared.  All these doctors and PA's had batted around the C word.  But at the same time I couldn't help but feel that maybe this would be when they discovered what was wrong with me.

Tomorrow I'll cover the hospital stay.  Hope this is not boring to my few readers.  But it is doing me a world of good to write it down.