In December & January, my sister & I had to move it, move it because we sold our house in 4 days and had closing on January 31. So many boxes and bags and trash, but thanks to a few good friends and their teenage children, we have everything moved to Dad's house and we are slowly getting things organized.
Then in the middle of February, I developed a cough. At first I thought I was getting a cold, but I didn't have any other symptoms. After a week of this persistent cough, I noticed that I was getting short of breath doing the easiest of tasks. By Sunday, February 23, I realized something was not right in my body. So I took myself to urgent care. After a chest x-ray, the doctor came in and said, "Get yourself to the ER -- sooner than later, you have a large pleural effusion on your right lung. I saw the x-ray. It was not pretty.
By noon, my sister dropped me off at Cooper Hospital walk-in ER and I checked myself in. Within a few hours, I had an EKG, and they inserted a chest tube into the pleura region and started to drain the fluid from the sac around my lung. Please note: I did not have fluid in my lung!!! After the procedure, I was wheeled up to my room on the 9th floor with a beautiful view of Philadelphia. On Monday, they started draining the rest of the fluid, unfortunately, the fluid came out so fast, that I started choking and gasping for breath. Thankfully, my roommate was able to get to the door and yell for help. They clamped off the tube and within minutes, I was breathing normal. It was pretty scary for a few minutes. Thankfully the next time they opened the clamp, the drainage was at a much slower rate.
But life in the hospital was so boring. I saw the internal medicine docs in the morning and then had to wait until mid-afternoon to see the pulmonary team. Finally, on Thursday, I had some action. They advised me of the results of the fluid and they found that my cancer is back and it threw a big party around my right lung!!! It was not the news I wanted, but it was the news I was given. Once I got the news, various members of the gynecologic oncology team came by to advise they had set up an appointment with my main doctor for March 10 to discuss next steps.
Also on Thursday afternoon, the pulmonary team came and did a procedure called pleurodesis. After giving me something for possible pain, they injected a talc-like substance into the pleural area. This procedure seals the wall of the pleura to the wall of my lung. I can honestly say that I wasn't really in pain, just a bit uncomfortable. What they gave me for the possible pain made me loopy (more than normal) and I just needed to sleep it off. And of course, I didn't see the pulmonology team until the next afternoon. I am still under observation and of course, another day/night in the hospital and bored to tears. At this point, I really have no idea when I can go home.
Finally, late Sunday afternoon, they came and took the chest tube out. They also did a CT scan. And of course it was late in the afternoon, so I was trapped again. The results of the CT scan showed that all the fluid had drained from the main area, but there was a small pocket that still contained some fluid and they were considering putting another chest tube in to drain that. Of course, I didn't hear anything until Monday afternoon. At that point, they wheeled me down to the pulmonary floor and they did an ultrasound of my lung and decided at that point that the pocket of fluid was too small to risk the procedure. So, they rolled me back to my room. My discharge order was processed and my sister came and picked me up and brought me home. There was a little bit more to the discharge, but after 8 days, I was sooooooo glad to be HOME!!!!
Fast forward to my doctor's appointment on March 10. When he came in to the exam room, he was just shaking his head and said, "What are you doing to me???" I told him I was keeping him busy. I really don't think he likes this kind of busy. We chatted for a few minutes about what's next and he kept coming back to one word ..... chemotherapy. Unfortunately, due to the cancer cells in the fluid, and a small "lesion" on my liver, this is the only & best option to kick this cancer to the curb. Am I upset, yes. But am I trusting this is part of God's plan for my life...... ABSOLUTELY!!! I will most likely start seeing Mr. Chemo again on March 24.
Mighty Prayer Warriors -- We've faced this enemy before. We've battled and our God was and continues to be victorious!!! This continues to be my prayer:
I'm just loving this new song by Vertical Worship - "Faithful Now." Here are some of the lyrics:
I am holding on to faith
'Cause I know You'll make a way
I don't always understand, I don't always get to see
But I will believe it, I will believe it
You make mountains move
You make giants fall
You use songs of praise
To shake prison walls
I will speak to my fear, I will preach to my doubt
You were faithful then, You'll be faithful now
You're forever faithful, Lord!
And I trust You, Jesus
I am standing on Your word
Calling heaven down earth
You will fight enemies this will end in victory
I will believe it, I will believe it
Only by His strength,
Sandy
Sandy
