Not what I'd hoped

While my leg wound continues to heal nicely, my CT scan showed two nodules on my right lung. There is a chance that this is pneumonia, but there also is a chance that the sarcoma spread to my right lung --but in only one or two spots -- and all in the right lung. That is a good thing as they will only have to biopsy one lung, and it is not the side my heart is on. The last time I had a CT of my chest was about August 18, right before I started chemo. All was clear then. That is why Doc O thinks it could be pneumonia, as that is awfully quick for it to have spread. He asked if I'd had fever, cough etc. I do remember for several days taking even a shallow breath and my chest hurting(pneumonia maybe). I know it was at least 3 weeks after surgery (July 16) but I don't know if it was after Aug 18 -- the last CT scan that was clear. Anyway, I had a cough for a while that sometime felt like sinus drainage, and sometime it felt like more than that-- maybe pneumonia I hope. And of course I ran fever, high fever, after both chemo sessions.

I am to see a Thoraxic (sure if that is spelled right ---a lunch doctor ) surgeon on Tuesday afternoon. Most likely he will order a whole body PET Scan (like a CT scan but all this red shows up if there is cancer). Whether there is red or not, he will also set up a time to biopsy the spots on my lung. Unfortunately this is more of an ordeal that when they just stuck a needle in my leg and biopsied that. It is a surgical proceedure. Brother-in-law Eric is a Profusionist, and while the only thing I know about his job is that he runs the heart-lung machine during open heart surgery. Evidently he also does a lot of stuff during all sorts of lung surgeries too and was able to tell me the procedure for a lung biopsy. They will go into my lung via my side, using a CT scan type machine to guide the way. In order to cut out the nodule, or a portion, they have to deflate my lung first. They biopsy the nodules and then they inflate the lung. I will have a chest tube for a couple of days, which means I will be in the hospital for a couple of days. Sister Cindy had a chest tube for an infection several years ago, and it was not a pleasant thing. However, she was in for a long period of time. Doc O says the procedure will be a lot easier on me than the surgery I had on my leg, so that is making me feel better. Hopefully, if they find it to be pneumonia, then I have a little recovery and I can get on with life. If it is sarcoma, I am not sure if they will do more chemo, radiation or what. I guess I will find some of that out on Tuesday -- maybe. I hope they will schedule things quickly so we can get whatever I need to do going.

In the meantime, I have been feeling really good so it is hard to believe there is anything else wrong with me. I was at my work meeting yesterday and today. My first act of being back at work was to have a facial. Actually we took most all the meeting attendees to a spa yesterday for the treatment of their choice. We got to have a treatment too. I was a little freaked out when the woman giving me my facial started messing with my eyebrows. I was scared they'd fall out, but I figured if they were going to do that, they would no matter what she did. The facial was great and whatever she did to my eyebrows, they look much better. I had a short meeting that afternoon, and then we took all the meeting attendees out to dinner, which was really good. We were all staying at a hotel, and a few of us went into the bar until just before 10pm. Bob came over to the hotel about 9pm, as he had to stay with me so he could bandage my wound this morning. I had breakfast and a meeting till about 11:30 this morning and then Bob and I left for
my doctor's appointment. It was a great couple of days. I got to see people I had not seen in a while, and it felt so normal (except my wig!). I had good, long days and was not really that tired. I feel too good to be sick!

I am pretty freaked out about this lung thing and have had my crying spells off and on all afternoon. I had planned to go into the office tomorrow and plan some agency visits next week. I am tired of being at home and being sick, especially since right now I do not feel sick. So I've decided to proceed as planned. I am going to the office tomorrow and will work at home Friday, scheduling some appointsments for next week. If I find they want to do some of the procedures next week, then I will cancel the appointment. In the meantime, I have to get on with things. I can't have a "wait and see" attitude. What am I going to do if I just hang around here till the biopsy or PET scan? So today is my "pity party" day and tomorrow I get on with life until something stops me. Gosh -- I hope I can live up to it. But as I have been saying a lot lately (I heard it somewhere -- not my quote) "Hope is not a plan." So I have to make my own plan.

You know, if I had a good report, I think I was going to end the blog today. As it stands now, you are stuck with me blogging at least through this next roadbump. Maybe it won't be a big one. Please keep me in your prayers.