On Tuesday, Feb. 8 I had radio-frequency ablation. The doctor poked a needle through my chest wall and threaded a tool through the needle and deployed a small umbrella (without the fabric). He then applied electrical current to the tool and the tines of the umbrella directed the energy into a metastatic prostate tumor in my right lung. He heated the tumor up to about 400 degrees F to kill the cancer cells.
The procedure was done on the bed of a CT scanner. He put me through multiple passes of the CT scanner to help him direct the placement of the tool. I was pretty much asleep the whole time. They would back off the sedation and tell me to hold my breath and then again to start breathing normal. I can remember hearing them asking me to hold my breath, but I have no memory of physically doing it. They said I did great, so I believe them.
I went home the same day and felt fine. However, on Wed. and Thur., the pain in my chest was too much to bear without pain meds, so I called them. They had me come in for a chest x-ray to make sure I did not have a collapsed lung. I did not. The pain, they said, is from having to go through my pectoral muscle to get into the lung. My pectoral muscle was quite angry with them. It hurt. A lot! They put me on Loritab. That worked initially, but by Friday morning was having no effect. I called them again and they increased the strength of the Loritab. I took one at 7 p.m. another at 11 p.m. and slept soundly without any pain. It's now Sat. and I've had no additional pain medication. I'm still quite weak and can't take a deep breath without feeling it around the procedure site.
On March 8, they will do the same procedure on a second tumor in the same right lung, but in the lower lobe. For this one, they will have to go through my back. I will be lying on my stomach on the CT scanner and they will sedate me just the same as the first time.
I appreciate everyone's prayers. They have helped, I feel certain. So, thank you.
Throughout the past 6.5 years since I was diagnosed, I have believed that God is in control. My time on this earth has not been diminished just because I got a cancer diagnosis. God knows the hour I will meet him in person. He's known it all along. I trust in Him.
2 comments:
Dana, I am so sorry you have to endure such stressful treatments but with them come hope and I imagine hope is the best healer of all. You continue to be in my prayers.
Dana, What a relief to hear you are improving from the procedure and that all is well. You are right, God is in control, and knowing that we have hope in him is comforting. Thanks for sharing your faith, you are truly glorifying God in your life. My prayers and thoughts are with you. Love, Donna
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