Emergency Room and the Biopsy...
It seems like I only need immediate medical attention on the weekends or after hours, and Thursday was no exception. When I woke up on Thursday morning, I had leaked through the gauze and bandages, meaning that rather than going IN the tube like it was supposed to, it leaked AROUND the tube. I put in a call to MD Anderson and left a message. No response. The other drainage tubes I'd had previously would leak from time to time, so we pretty much ignored it. I had a nice afternoon shopping with my mom (who is a professional shopper extraodinaire and can walk through a mall faster than most people can sprint) and we had lunch at a great Thai place called Penang.

At about 7:30 that evening, I attempted to sit up from my recliner and the pain in my back was unbearable. Something felt really different. I asked Amy to check the bandages and when I lifted my shirt, she gasped. Not only were my bandages thoroughly soaked through, but my drainage tube was filled with milky blood. Time to call Texas. My thoracic surgeon instructed me to go to the local hospital and get a chest x-ray and then get the tube yanked. So I phone my dad and at about 8:30 we headed off to the ER. Amazingly, they found a room for me within like 15 minutes. Unheard of! My doctor in Texas was kind enough to chat with the ER doctor and they developed a game plan. The ER doctor showed me on the X-ray that one of my ribs was broken. Apparently, Dr. Hoffstetter had to pop it during my first surgery and failed to mention it to me. That explains a ton of my pain on the right side though...glad to know it!

Long story short, the tube was unceremoniously yanked at about 1:30 AM. I screamed. It ranked right up there with the big surgeries as far as pain goes. Damn. The other tubes slid right out, but this one was infected ALL the way down about 6 inches into that cavity. The amount of 'mess' that came of of that little hole afterward was incredible. You wouldn't believe it. So, I'm done with the tube...for now, but I have to go back to Houston in January to see if I need another. Keep your fingers crossed...

BUT, the good news is, my biopsy results are back and there was NO cancer. None. Hot damn...no cancer. So, now the trick is to stay that way and we'll look at some more cells in 6 months. Once I get these pain issues under control, I think things can start getting as back to 'normal' as they can. I'm ready for a great 2006. Let's hope my body cooperates.

Time to wrap some presents. If you haven't wrapped up your holiday shopping...good luck to you!

Hans