No more chest-tubes

My ladies have gone, so now I will raise hell in this hospital to mask the vacancy void that exists once again.

My last chest-tube was pulled today. Surprisingly it was not that bad as the previous chest-tubes that I had at other Spa institutions. Apparently they use a different technique here where they place the tubes through the skin and into the lungs in such a manner that the holes are not parallel to one another. No stitches, no pain, just take a deep breath and pull.

I feel bloated since the procedure.

I am now under the care of the post-transplant team and the oncology side of the house; surgery turned me over as they pulled the last tube out. Since the tube was pulled I can taste the rustic taste of blood in my mouth from belches,

SleepOver

My Spring Spa retreat lingers on. The chest-tubes are still in and still hurt.

Earlier this week while going to get a sonogram the sonogram person (I don’t know what you call them exactly) almost caused my tubes to be yanked out as she quickly and without any warning tried to lower my head. That crap (replace word if so desired) hurt like hell after about 30+ minutes of cussing I settled down let the procedure take place but come on you have to be kidding me is this how patients are treated everyday.?.?.? That was a story I told my ladies as they are here to visit with me and spend the night. The reason that I told this story to them (TWICE) was because Ravyn seems fascinated with my one remaining chest-tube (I got the other out just a little while ago) she wants to pull on it. Rhonda seems to want to trip over the IV cord hanging from my PICC Line and that is not good. I hope I survive their visit (with my health), like a young child with a pet they are going to love the life out of me.

Lung Surgery

Still stuck in the Spa (hospital) but getting burned out though....

I am still stuck in the hospital and raising hell (or getting my point across) while ensuring all those that are charged with my care, management, and recovering understand that we are in a partnership. My definition of a partnership for my current spa treatment is as follows:

I am a patient I demand that information be shared with me regardless of which side of the good news / bad news spectrum it falls on. Communication(s) are key to a good strong partnership.

I am not and will never be the textbook cancer, or transplant patient that most standard of care procedures were designed for.

Schedule treatment with me don’t just sashay your Crocs (another word can be substituted in the place of Crocs) into my room for whatever treatment you are there to give. Respect is a two-way street.

I really hoped to be out of the hospital by now, and I certainly never thought my chest-tubes would still be sticking out of my side.

Pictures

Pictures from the surgery on Friday, the ugly new scar, chest tubes, and you can see the bruising on my stomach from the heparin shots and insulin shots

Pictures from my transplant at Stanford March 2007

Updates

Well I am looking at a copy of the preliminary report based on the Pathology finding and the frozen results from the biopsy seem to be confirmed. I have Adenocarcinoma with a BAC (Bronchioloaveolar pattern). I am not alarmed with this discovery, a recurrence is always a possibility; I would be numb if it (JACK /JACKASS) was anything other than BAC. I hope if it comes back we do something other than a wedge resection (note) wedge resections hurt so so so bad I would rather go through another transplant rather than have a wedge resection.

My chest tubes are still in but I am a quick draw on the Morphine trigger (self med). I wonder how long it will take me to recover, it took me 2 years to get to this point I hope I don't need another 2 years to recover.

I will post some pictures later (2 years ago Stanford Transplant, 2009 Surgery Pictures, 2009 Surgery scar it is long and ugly).

I need to potty

Finally out of the ICU (there have not been any rooms free so I had to hangout in the ICU). I drew the third floor, should I curve my enthusiasm about being stuck on this floor. I still can't go potty a result of all the pain meds, a wedge resection is 100% more painful than an actually lung transplant. I am still waiting on pathology results from the surgery.

Cancer Homiee stoped' in on me

A. Marshall came by to see me today, it was good to see her and trade info. about my path to lung transplant and her eventual listing. Thanks for the magazines too.

Saturday one day out

I am one day out from the most painful medical procedure that I have ever undergone. YES this procedure was more painful than the actual lung transplant.

some random Spa pictures

see the arm pit to arm pit scar, chemo port scar, chestube scar(s), countless other scars


eat now!!!!

surgery went well

I am sitting in ICU in some pain and discomfort but that was to be expected. I guess I lucked out... I only got two chest tubes. Rhonda and I are just watch TV, I think I might try to walk tonight.

Delayed

The surgery has been delayed for a little bit, there was a complication with the surgery before mine. I am hungry, I need food soon. I wonder if the hospital will require me to where a hair net, (i.e I have no hair on my head). 0837 CST

Let try again, attempt number two. 0947 CST

They let me sleep (Not really)

It is amazing what 4hours and 26 minutes of sleep will do for you I feel like I have just finished hibernating. The needles have persuaded me to get on up out of the bed, and I also need to reload my IPod so that I can have something to listen to in the ICU (instead of the machines). Finishing up a Sudoku, sending e-mail, and of course paying bills and finalizing some additional tax information (brought some tax law info to read up on..... lots of medical deductions).
Shower time, looks like the operation will access my lungs through my right side and spread the ribs (that hurts your back BTW) and I still anticipate 3 chest tubes. Are scars still fashionable???

Got gummy bears for the girls, and some coloring pictures and homework (math / sitewords) for Raegan to work on when they visit. I guess we will have to do a better job explaining my illness as Raegan is asking more and more questions about why daddy always goes to the hospital.

It my anniversary

It my anniversary; well actually the next today and Friday make two years since that fateful night and day at Stanford University Medical Center (the transplant night). I was hoping I could say I am cancer free but maybe I can, more pathology will be done on the tissue cut out in the morning.

AWOL (one flew over the cuckoo's nest)

Random post

one flew over the cuckoo's nest

It is nice outside I think I will possibly be going AWOL (I have a reputation to keep up), Short Bust (Ravyn) and I had a date scheduled for Friday (we were going to the zoo and ride the train and merry-go-round); guess we will reschedule.

I have been poked, x-rayed, and I think I just signed the stimulus bill; I am burned out from watching the NEGATIVE news; fallen in love again with the hospital food emmm home cooking; and am disappointed in the Cowboys decision about TO his dismissal won't fix the problem.

I expect to set a new chest tube record for one lung, I anticipate 3 chest tubes in my right lung and hopefully they won't be breaking any ribs just using a spreader to separate them which is going to really make my back hurt.

My schedule is taking shape

my surgical schedule for Friday and the events leading up to it are taking shape. I will check in on Thursday at the hospital to have all my pre-work done. I am not nervous at all it (the trips to the hospital / Spa are routine).

It is going down on Friday 3/6/09

On Friday I am scheduled to have a wedge resection on my right lower lobe at UT Southwestern in Dallas, TX. I expect to be in the hospital for a least a week. It is ironic that I am having a piece of my new lungs removed on the same day two years later of getting the call about a transplant match and the actual transplant.

Got my news

Well it seems that Jack the spot is Jackass the cancer nodule. The initial biopsy results are in now more lab test are needed to determine what kind of carcinoma we are dealing with this time. Jackass will be dealt with as we have dealt with the previous cancer, in the most aggressive way possible, so I am having the surgeons go ahead and start the process of scheduling a wedge resection.

By the way I like this surgeon, he delivered the info to me by phone after I called and left the message that I was canceling my appointment this coming Thursday if there weren't any results in yet. To drive 100+ miles round trip to just sit in an office, have my vitals taken and talk about possible scenarios would be an inefficient use of all our time. He knows that I have been in this rodeo before and cancer and pending surgeries won't buck me. BTW elephant taste best with ketchup.

The Holding pattern cont....

The holding pattern continues, I am not worried or stress if Jack (the spot) turnout to be Jackass that is cancer it will be dealt with. A recurrence would not scare me as it was a known possibility going into this process, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. After dealing with .....OLOGIST and ....IALIST out the Yazoo you learn how to sit through anything you learn how to wait.

First Soccer Practice

Still I wait no news about Jack (the spot).

On a brighter spot today was Ravyn's first soccer practice, I think she is the youngest one on the field and the only one who hasn't played yet. She did pretty well, when she wasn't calling for mommy, and running over to us thinking she needed more Gatorade (it was her first practice she will get better, she will have to gain more independence and know we support her even if we aren't standing right beside her.).

Give me some news Already

No news yet on JACK.

Back to work today.

My IV site looks bad, like I took a line drive off my arm (note: a bruise like this on my arm means I kept the ball in front of me).

My Neck, My Back

STAYING HOME TODAY, feeling bad and don't want to be renarcotized (a new word I learned from one of the radiology nurses he explained that being renarcotized is simply getting remedicated after a procedure by medication that has been absorbed in the bodies fatty tissue thus not being used during the procedure but released into the body later AT THE WRONG TIME).

OoohhWee, my neck hurts, my back hurts, my arm looks bad at from the IV site.



My neck hurts probably from the way I had to hold my head during the procedure; it kind or reminds me of how your neck bothers you at the beginning of any football season regardless of what level you are playing on. For the first two weeks of contact your neck along with other body parts are going to be sore.


The biopsy site is a little sore, my neck and arm bother me more.



The IV was only in my arm for 5 hours, it was sugar water and only ran for about an hour during the biopsy.

2009 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Having fun at the Stock Show this year since the weather was nice.

biopsy Today

I had my biopsy today, a large needle was inserted into my back to extract a sample from JACK the Spot on my right lung. The procedure was complicated due to the size of JACK the Radiologist that performed the procedure was aided by a CT machine, I was awake during the whole procedure as I had to control my breathing so the doc. could access JACK (a spot on the lungs is a moving target).

I hope to get some sort of feedback in a week, I am not too sore right now, but I think my back will be hurting more in the morn. Judging by where the needle was inserted to do a wedge resection they are going to have to break some ribs in the middle of my rib cage; entering from the back.

Lazy Sunday

Lazy today, as I get ready for my needle biopsy on Monday at the SPA. I am going to pack a bag and leave it in the car just in case those performing the biopsy enjoy my company so much that they decide to accidentally puncture my lung and cause me to stay in the hospital for a few days.

Monday (no news yet)

No news yet, or at least I have not heard anything from my medical team. I think I will give the SPOT a name since it is big enough for that now (7mm) I think I will name him Jack. Jack the SPOT

PET scan

PET scan today, haven't had one of these in awhile. This will give us an idea about what the SPOT is and where it originated (possibly) .... oh yea also if there are any more SPOTS anywhere else that haven't been observed by a CT scan.