Calgary resident recounts Rockyview hospital stay after diabetes emergency, liver abscess and colon tumour discovery
A Calgary man describes his Rockyview hospital stay after urgent bloodwork revealed dangerously high blood sugar, a liver abscess and a colon tumour, and outlines the treatment that followed.
Immediate ER transfer after urgent blood results
The patient went to a newly assigned family doctor for routine bloodwork and was contacted the next day with urgent instructions to attend an emergency room. After arriving at Rockyview Hospital feeling weak and disoriented, he was fast-tracked to a bed thanks to a referral note from his family physician.
Medical staff quickly identified that his blood sugar was dangerously elevated and treated him with intravenous fluids and insulin to stabilise his condition. The swift response averted an imminent crisis and allowed clinicians to proceed with further diagnostic testing.
Diagnostic scans reveal liver abscess and abdominal shadow
Following stabilisation, the patient underwent a chest X-ray and a CT scan, which showed no pulmonary issues but did detect an abscess in the liver. The CT also identified a shadow on the left side of the abdomen that prompted additional investigation of the bowel.
Clinicians were concerned about a possible link between the liver infection and the abdominal mass, so they ordered a colonoscopy and MRI as part of a coordinated diagnostic plan. Those tests would determine whether the abdominal shadow represented malignancy and whether the infections were related.
Treatment course: drainage, antibiotics and procedures
Care teams inserted an external drain into the liver abscess to evacuate purulent material, a procedure the patient nicknamed “Potato” because the collection device sat at the bedside. The drain was emptied periodically by nurses while intravenous antibiotics and other supportive treatments addressed the bloodstream infection and helped the liver recover.
The patient also completed bowel preparation for a colonoscopy and later received a stent to relieve obstruction in the bowel identified on imaging. Hospital notes indicate a multidisciplinary approach involving radiology, gastroenterology and infectious disease specialists to sequence the interventions safely.
Pathology and outlook: infection versus cancer
Samples collected from the liver drain were analysed and, reassuringly, showed no malignant cells, easing the immediate concern that the abscess was caused by cancer spread. However, the abdominal shadow remained a clinical issue and was characterised as a tumour on imaging, necessitating further oncologic assessment and follow-up.
While the presence of a tumour raises the prospect of cancer treatment, the medical team prioritised resolving the infectious and metabolic problems first. The patient was told that the liver abscess and the systemic infection needed to be controlled before definitive cancer therapy could begin.
Discharge, recovery and community support
After nearly a week with the drain in place and multiple procedures completed, the patient was discharged home once his condition stabilised. Recovery included insulin injections to manage newly diagnosed diabetes, oral antibiotics and outpatient follow-up appointments to assess the tumour and remove the drain if healing progressed.
Family, friends and hospital staff played a prominent role in the convalescence, the patient said, praising nurses, porters and specialists for their attentiveness and good humour. He reported gradual improvement over two weeks, with renewed energy for short walks, photography and gardening chores.
Reflections on care and returning to everyday life
The patient compared the hospital’s sterile corridors and alarms to the natural sounds and sights he enjoyed once home, noting how small moments — budding leaves, sparrows in lilacs and spring insects — provided comfort during recovery. He emphasised gratitude for the medical team that stabilised his blood sugar, drained the liver abscess and managed the infection.
Clinicians advised ongoing monitoring of blood glucose and expedited outpatient oncology and gastroenterology assessments to determine the next steps for the abdominal tumour. The immediate medical victory, they said, was converting an urgent emergency admission into a managed, multi-specialty treatment plan.
Two weeks after discharge the patient was mobile, driving to errands and photographing neighbourhood blossoms, while continuing scheduled appointments and tests. He described his experience as a difficult but instructive chapter and expressed readiness to face the next stages of treatment with the support of family and community.
Life is a series of uncertainties, he said, and the medical response at Rockyview Hospital transformed a potentially catastrophic emergency into a pathway for recovery and further care.
