Drain You

- Lung gets drained later today (check-in at 1:15, procedure at 2:30).

UPDATE: Everything seemed to go well today. They extracted a liter, plus 350ml (1350 milliliters total) of fluid from around my lung. I don't really feel much better; in fact, I feel worse because now my lung hurts when I breathe, cough or laugh. I know I should be breathing easier, but that hasn't happened yet. I think (hope) my lung might be readjusting to the space that was taken up by all that fluid. Fluid that looked an awful lot like this...

how'd that get in there?

{end of update}

- Hoping all goes well and that I will be able to breathe easier soon.

- I am very leery about having this procedure done on Friday afternoon before a long weekend, but hopefully it will be a non-issue and I will be breathing better over the weekend.

- My jaw has been acting up the past few days, causing much pain and frustration. I can't talk, I can't eat...very hard to deal with.

- One of my concerns is that they might not be able to drain my lung if my jaw is doing its thing. I have to be extremely still while they guide the needle in and draw out the fluid. Flinching in pain is not an option.

- My meeting with Dr. Khan at KU Med went well. I like the facility, I like him, and I like his staff. They did some bloodwork to retest my Her2 status.

- Mine has always been negative, but Dr. K explained that the status can change and what treatment you receive can be decided based on the Her2 status of your cancer.

- I am not yet sure if I am going to change doctors. I have to get through this lung thing first, and also....

- I am going to an inventional radiologist next Friday to have another port put in so I can receive more chemo.

- Dr. K has some very differing opinions about several things than Dr. McK which makes things a bit confusing for me. Who's right? Who has my best interests in mind? Which treatment plan will allow me to continue to work and have the best quality of life?

- Dr. K prescribed a new drug for me to try to help with my jaw. He agrees that it is a side effect from 2.5 years of Taxotere. I just picked it up last night and didn't want to try a new drug until after my lung is drained.

- While I was at KU Med, they took a chest x-ray and a CT of my chest. Both of which confirmed what we already know...my left lung has a moderate to large plueral effusion.

- I'm sure there is more that I am forgetting, but I am too tired to remember anything more at this point.

- I will update later on how the thoracentesis goes today.

- Happy Friday!!!