Wednesday, September 13, 2011

oh wow guys, where to start. today, 9:00AM, is my appt. to have fluid drained from around my lungs. It was started off, with the registration of course, and then five minutes later, i was called in, to be prepped for the procedure. First, the doctor, introduced herself, and then she had me sign a paper, (you know about the risk factors involved in doing this procedure). She then preceded by doing an ultra sound on my lungs, to see, how much fluid is around my left as well as my right. She viewed my right lung, and said that there wasn't as much on my right side, and then she continued by viewing my left lung, which indicated an excessive amount of fluid. She also told me, that she will only do the lung that has the most fluid, that being my left. She then tells me to undressed from the waist down. I also informed her, that i had a band on, to secure an existing umblicial hernia, and she said, can you take it off, for just about 1/2 hour. I guess that would be OK. She also ask me, when was the last time i took my aggrenox (blood thinner), and i told her Sunday, as i was instructed by her colleague, Dr. Miller. First, she numbed my back with a few injections of lidocaine, of course that hurt, but the medication itself, stung like the dickens, the needle sticks were a piece of cake, felt like a small insect bite. The needle was then inserted, and she told me, that i wouldn't feel any pain from the needle insertion, but there would be some pressure, as it was going in. While she began to drain the fluid, she kept saying it is coming out fine, but as she was filling this large glass bottle full of fluid, i started to have some intolerable discomfort, under my left arm, and then it traveled to my chest, as well as the left side of my neck, so she began to slow the flow down, by putting it in a large bag, and that was still causing me some discomfort, because i began to cough uncontrollably, but she remark with a very positive statement about that, she said it is good that you are coughing, because your lungs, are beginning to expand, so the more you cough the better. She decided to slow the process even more, by putting the remaining fluid in some large syringes. When she was finish with me, i looked behind me at the table, and saw two large bottles, a large bag, and four syringes, full of fluid, and I swear, my fluid looked like beer, with foam, and everything (lol). After she cleaned my back, from using the aesptic to sterilize the area, i put my top and bra, back on. My back felt very sore, and she told me this should subside by tommorrow, however, she gave me a prescription for pain relief, and of course, she didn't allow me to walk out, i was placed in a wheelchair, to avoid hemmoraging as much as possible. The procedure, wasn't so bad, but sitting on the edge of that hospital bed, almost to the point, of falling off, and placing my arms on a table in front of me, i was on pins and needles, while the procedure was in progress. I went home, and about four hours, i was having back spasms, i tolerated it about four times, and then i decided to take a pain killer to ease this pain, yeah, i know (i'm a weep, i don't do pain very well, ha ha!). Taking that pain killer, made me so relaxed and drowsy, i ended up sleeping most of the day. Now, that that is over, i will be seeing my neph tommorrow, and he will discuss, where do we go from here, as i was only suppose to be on hemo for about six weeks, and now i am in my 3rd month of this hemo. Until next blog, take care and all the best to my bloggers. Glo