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The bleed team scoped and found mom has esophageal varices. These are thin veins that formed because of the ongoing liver cancer. They form on their own via scar tissue and are sort of like a really nasty vine in my backyard. The vine chokes my flowers and takes over until I rip it out. It's back again, three weeks later.

That's what this mess is like. They think one ballooned and ruptured. The surgeon banded them but cautioned that they are very serious, even deadly if they are not immediately treated upon rupture. She could bleed out in a matter of minutes. 

She remains in ICU. 

After all this, my dad and I spent time researching this latest issue. There is very high rate of recurrence -- 70 percent -- once one rupture occurs. The surgeon was scary about it. The band might last three weeks, but not sure. A return visit is in the cards. I read that she can be prescribed beta blockers, but we really need a very precise POA for anyone encountering this problem again. I want her to just stay in Denver or get a referral here so we can get her to the ER. At home, she has to travel at least an hour. She would bleed out before arriving... Ugh. I can't think of it anymore after this day. We're lucky it happened at Mayo.