The chest tube was yanked out today. The act of pulling it out is a violent, gruesome thing. The whole experience was painful and horrible. I never want to get another one.
Neil and I felt like we should be overjoyed that the tube is gone and the lung is "up" (meaning, totally re-inflated), but for some reason we were both keeping our celebrations in check. This is the third time I've been released after a collapsed lung, and each of the other times it came right back. Time will make me feel better about this.
Because of all the recent trauma in my lungs, they want to hold off CyberKnife treatments til mid-June. NO!! I am going to have to call them tomorrow and try to get it moved back up. I can't wait that long.
Also, the doctor told me I needed to wait at least 2 weeks to fly. I was planning on leaving for my reunion in 10 days.
I have some thinking to do.
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Hi Shelly,
ReplyDeleteI heard about your blog from my sister who was struck by how similar our situations were; I'm 40 with a 2yr old son and was diagnosed with CRC with met to my liver a couple of months ago. (And I'm also a swimmer - albeit a slow one!) I've been following your posts and felt compelled to send you my sympathy in light of your latest trouble. I'm so sorry. It sucks to be in the hospital, it sucks to be sick, it sucks to feel so precarious.
I also wanted to let you know though how much I appreciate your blog; I just had my first round of FOLFOX (after surgery for an ileostomy) and going back to your early posts really helped me - so THANKS.
If ever you'd like to yell and scream against the world, fate, our cursed bodies send me an email: juliapak@stanford.edu
Hoping this latest is soon blip in the past -
Julia
hi shel, i'm in lithuania (of all places) and am still hanging on your every word (aww, ain't that sweet?!) i'll be home on sunday and will give you a call--eager to hear your thoughts re: reunion and am even MORE eager to hear that you're out of the hospital. love you, jules
ReplyDeleteLare- Funny thing is, after they yanked the first tube out of me, lawnmower chain-style, I let out the most unearthly wail and then it was all over, and I sat there, bug-eyed, totally incredulous for about 3 minutes. A few minutes after that, I seriously had the thought that I wish Neil could've videotaped that on his iPhone. So when I got the SECOND f-ing chest tube, I thought, "Ok, Shelldogg, here's your chance. If you REALLY want to tape the removal, put your money where your mouth is." The day they removed it, Neil wasn't allowed in the procedure room, so it was a moot point. But I'M SO GLAD, because this doctor pulled it out sl-oo-oo-oo-ww-ll-ll-y, millimeter by millimeter (he told me he would do it this way, "so I'd hardly feel it", but HA! That hurt even worse!) I finally screamed at him, "THIS TECHNIQUE IS not WORKING! COULD YOU PLEASE DO IT A LITTLE FASTER!?!!" Then I got my yank. But it was a HORRID experience. I was crying and snotting and moaning...I'm so glad there's no memory of it. Except here, in this "comment" section.
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