Trick or Treat
I wish I could be more in the spooky spirit this year, but I haven't even carved my pumpkin yet, and it's Halloween today! Tomorrow I'm going to be checked into the hospital, and on Friday I will undergo a partial hip replacement to take care of the tumor in my hip bone (femoral head). I don't feel particulary nervous about this procedure. It is very routine. It is a bit riskier for me than for other people who have the same procedure since my tumor is "special". It releases a lot of junk into my body that causes high blood pressure (among other things). So, when they remove the tumor, my blood pressure could plummet. I've been taking medication over the last couple of weeks that has lowered my blood pressure sufficiently, so hopefully that will help avoid a blood pressure crisis.
Sometime soon, when I'm recovered from the hip ordeal, I will have surgery to remove the tumor in my neck. They still do not know what this tumor is. I had a painful procedure a few weeks ago called an arteriogram where they inserted a camera into my femoral artery (near the groin) and ran it up to my neck in order to get a better look at the tumor. They injected dye while they took pictures, which made my face and neck feel hot. They gave me versed during the procedure (a local anesthetic), but it didn't work very well. It hurt when they numbed the area, punctured the artery, and when they put pressure on it afterwards. I remember every detail even though they said I would be fuzzy. I don't think I had enough versed! Unfortunately, I have to have the procedure done again before I have surgery so that they can embolize the tumor, which means they will insert plugs into the arteries that surround the tumor. That will cut off blood supply to the tumor and help with blood loss during surgery. I'm more nervous about this one because, let's face it, the thought of having surgery on the main artery that supplies blood to your brain is a little less than pleasant.
Fortunately, I have excellent doctors. Starting with the cardiologist who found the tumors, I have had a fairly quick turnaround in comparison to other experiences I've heard about (even though at times it felt like an eternity to me). I also have a great group of friends, co-workers, and family who have all been supporting me. Thank you all! Have a great Halloween... I'm going to do surgery on my pumpkin now!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Old Docs
I was going through some old documents today, and I found this passage. I don't remember when I wrote it.
...So she waved to her friends. "Have a great time!" she shouted, as they handed their boarding passes to the attendant. She turned and spotted a coffee bar, where she could drown her sadness in a cup of foamy paradise.
"It's ok", she thought, "I would love to ride the tube, and stop by a corner pub for a cider after a day at the British Museum. I'd love to walk by the Thames at twilight and see the beautiful stained glass at St. Paul's. The mums should be in full bloom at Hyde Park... but I'll get to see all their pictures."
"Tall vanilla latte!" said the barista, "Ma'am... Ma'am, did you order a latte?"
"Oh, yes... thanks."
She picked up her drink, wiped a tear from her eye, and smiled as the plane silently moved past the terminal window.
I was going through some old documents today, and I found this passage. I don't remember when I wrote it.
...So she waved to her friends. "Have a great time!" she shouted, as they handed their boarding passes to the attendant. She turned and spotted a coffee bar, where she could drown her sadness in a cup of foamy paradise.
"It's ok", she thought, "I would love to ride the tube, and stop by a corner pub for a cider after a day at the British Museum. I'd love to walk by the Thames at twilight and see the beautiful stained glass at St. Paul's. The mums should be in full bloom at Hyde Park... but I'll get to see all their pictures."
"Tall vanilla latte!" said the barista, "Ma'am... Ma'am, did you order a latte?"
"Oh, yes... thanks."
She picked up her drink, wiped a tear from her eye, and smiled as the plane silently moved past the terminal window.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Updates
Well, another birthday has rolled around, but it doesn't feel like my birthday. I'm 33 today, and I'm facing major surgery soon. The type of tumor that I had removed when I was 18 has returned. It's called pheochromocytoma, and this time it's in the top of my femur (yeah, actually inside the bone). They found this tumor by doing an MIBG scan, which involved injecting me with radioactive iodine, and that caused the tumor to light up. I also had a CT scan, and they found a near golf ball sized tumor on the carotid artery in my neck. Pretty scary stuff.
I've already seen an orthopaedic surgeon about my hip, and he suggested a partial hip replacement. They will replace the ball in the ball and socket joint with a metal implant (We are Borg. Resistance is futile.). That will take care of the tumor, but in 20 years or so I'll have to get it done again because the replacement will wear out. I guess that's OK as long as the tumor can be removed. I couldn't believe it when he said the procedure only takes 45 minutes!
Today I'll be seeing a vascular surgeon about my neck. After that I will hopefully have a better idea about when my surgery (or surgeries) will be. They are not sure what type of mass this one is. It may or may not be the same type of tumor as the one in my bone. Since it didn't light up on the MIBG scan, it could be just a benign mass. We'll see. Physically, I feel OK other than throbbing pain in my hip and leg.
When life presents you with unexpected illness, you really put things into perspective. I'm trying to stay busy so that I don't have to dwell on things. I have painted the kitchen/living room ceiling, spray painted our light post, installed a new mailbox, and baked cupcakes. I'm making every effort to stay positive and enjoy spending time with family and friends.
This morning my laptop decided to break. So, I'm borrowing a co-worker's laptop. It's hard to work without all my files and programs, but I have a lot on my mind anyway. Plus, it's my birthday, so I should take it easy, right?
On a happier note, Tess is talking more and more. She is 20 months old now. She counts to 10, knows at least some of her colors (yellow, green, and red), and says hello and bye-bye regularly. Last night she said kitty. I'm so excited! It'll be fun to communicate with her as she grows her vocabulary!
Well, another birthday has rolled around, but it doesn't feel like my birthday. I'm 33 today, and I'm facing major surgery soon. The type of tumor that I had removed when I was 18 has returned. It's called pheochromocytoma, and this time it's in the top of my femur (yeah, actually inside the bone). They found this tumor by doing an MIBG scan, which involved injecting me with radioactive iodine, and that caused the tumor to light up. I also had a CT scan, and they found a near golf ball sized tumor on the carotid artery in my neck. Pretty scary stuff.
I've already seen an orthopaedic surgeon about my hip, and he suggested a partial hip replacement. They will replace the ball in the ball and socket joint with a metal implant (We are Borg. Resistance is futile.). That will take care of the tumor, but in 20 years or so I'll have to get it done again because the replacement will wear out. I guess that's OK as long as the tumor can be removed. I couldn't believe it when he said the procedure only takes 45 minutes!
Today I'll be seeing a vascular surgeon about my neck. After that I will hopefully have a better idea about when my surgery (or surgeries) will be. They are not sure what type of mass this one is. It may or may not be the same type of tumor as the one in my bone. Since it didn't light up on the MIBG scan, it could be just a benign mass. We'll see. Physically, I feel OK other than throbbing pain in my hip and leg.
When life presents you with unexpected illness, you really put things into perspective. I'm trying to stay busy so that I don't have to dwell on things. I have painted the kitchen/living room ceiling, spray painted our light post, installed a new mailbox, and baked cupcakes. I'm making every effort to stay positive and enjoy spending time with family and friends.
This morning my laptop decided to break. So, I'm borrowing a co-worker's laptop. It's hard to work without all my files and programs, but I have a lot on my mind anyway. Plus, it's my birthday, so I should take it easy, right?
On a happier note, Tess is talking more and more. She is 20 months old now. She counts to 10, knows at least some of her colors (yellow, green, and red), and says hello and bye-bye regularly. Last night she said kitty. I'm so excited! It'll be fun to communicate with her as she grows her vocabulary!
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