My mom was supposed to get chemo this morning.  We were almost out the door, and the chemo nurse called.  Since she got so little drained, the oncologist decided it was time she got a shunt inserted in her abdomen to drain the ascites more naturally. So the chemo is on hold for now.  Has anyone heard of this?  I do know it's just an overnight stay. I didn't read the literature they gave my mom, but she did, and agrees it's a good idea.  This procedure isn't new, because the article the chemo nurse showed her was from 1989.  I'm sorry, but I don't know the official name of this procedure.

Has anyone had this done?  Does it help?  I know the shunt is supposed to drain the ascites back into the body naturally, so she doesn't have to go back and forth to get drained. My mom is scared of the needle (she still feels it even though they numb her).  But it's more stress.  We don't know when she's getting it done.  On Thursday, she sees the gyn/onc who's going to do the procedure.  At least we know her.  

The gyn/onc can maybe only answer this, but do you think it's possible for her to try and remove some of the cancer while she's got my mom open?  I mean, with all that chemo my mom's had, the tumors HAD to shrunk, some! Sorry for all these questions, but this is very new to us.  This is another thing my mom has to worry about.  But she can't go on the way she is, either.  She really looks about 9 months pregnant, and it's almost impossible for her to walk, and she's always out of breath walking a short distance.  She only got drained Thursday.  This is ridiculous!