Wow.........I can breathe again!

jamiegww
jamiegww Member Posts: 384
in Breast Cancer #1

I've never had asthma so I didn't know what it was like not being able to breathe normally.  I now feel so sorry for anyone with asthma.  At least I was able to get my breath back.  I had my thoracentecis yesterday and it was much more involved than what I had expected.  After researching on the "net" I thought I would go to radiology, get a numbing shot in my back followed by a tube, guided by ultrasound to drain the fluid.  Instead, I had to go one place for bloodwork, then I went to radiology and waited until they had the results of the bloodwork.  My bloodwork came back okay so I was taken to a room with a CT scanner.  A nurse accessed my port so I wouldn't have to get an IV and I was hooked up to the monitors and had an oxygen tube in my nose.  They did a CT scan and a doctor came and explained the possible complications and I was given conscious sedation so I didn't feel anything at all.  Afterwards they took an x-ray and I was taken to recovery where I had to stay for 4 hours.  After 4 hours another x-ray was taken and I got to go home.  The worst part was having to stay in recovery for 4 hours.  That was sooooo boring!  I just thought I would let you all know in case any of you need to have a thoracentecis in the future but someone somewhere must do it the way I saw it on the Internet or it wouldn't be there, right? 

HUGS!!!

Jamie 

Comments

  • Josie21
    Josie21 Member Posts: 382 Member
    #2
    Hi Jamie

    Hi Jamie,

    OMG it sounds like you had quite a day yesterday.  I guess nothing is quick and easy.  I hope you are feeling better today and thankfully breathing easier.

    Hugs,

    Ginny

  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    #3
    Glad It Is Over!

    I guess like the one I had with a VATS biopsy, being unconscious helps a lot.  I forgot about the x-ray.  I remember being so impatient as I wanted to leave asap and there was a line up of people for x-ray all on gurneys.

    Glad it is over Jamie.  They never do anyting without blood work to see if it is ok.  If not, you have to wait until the numbers are up and near normal.  I guess it depends whose doing what and the internet is just another source of what some do.

    Again,  Glad it is over,

    Doris

  • jamiegww
    jamiegww Member Posts: 384
    #4
    SIROD said:

    Glad It Is Over!

    I guess like the one I had with a VATS biopsy, being unconscious helps a lot.  I forgot about the x-ray.  I remember being so impatient as I wanted to leave asap and there was a line up of people for x-ray all on gurneys.

    Glad it is over Jamie.  They never do anyting without blood work to see if it is ok.  If not, you have to wait until the numbers are up and near normal.  I guess it depends whose doing what and the internet is just another source of what some do.

    Again,  Glad it is over,

    Doris

    Thanks Doris!

    I do think being unconscious helps.  The line up of people waiting for x-rays doesn't sound good at all.  I guess I was lucky because they had a portable x-ray machine that they brought to me in the recovery room.  It reminded me a little of those really old-fashioned cameras we see in old movies or tv shows.  They put some kind of frame thing behind me and someone pointed something at me that looked more like a camera.  My husband found it quite amusing but mostly because he thought the two gals operating the machine looked like teenagers to him.  I told him that at our age everyone else looks like teenagers.

    Take care and hugs being sent your way!  I hope you are feeling well.

    Jamie

  • jamiegww
    jamiegww Member Posts: 384
    #5
    Josie21 said:

    Hi Jamie

    Hi Jamie,

    OMG it sounds like you had quite a day yesterday.  I guess nothing is quick and easy.  I hope you are feeling better today and thankfully breathing easier.

    Hugs,

    Ginny

    Thanks Ginny!

    I am definitely feeling better and appreciating every breath I take.  I will never again take breathing for granted.

    HUGS to you too!

    Jamie

  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    #6
    jamiegww said:

    Thanks Doris!

    I do think being unconscious helps.  The line up of people waiting for x-rays doesn't sound good at all.  I guess I was lucky because they had a portable x-ray machine that they brought to me in the recovery room.  It reminded me a little of those really old-fashioned cameras we see in old movies or tv shows.  They put some kind of frame thing behind me and someone pointed something at me that looked more like a camera.  My husband found it quite amusing but mostly because he thought the two gals operating the machine looked like teenagers to him.  I told him that at our age everyone else looks like teenagers.

    Take care and hugs being sent your way!  I hope you are feeling well.

    Jamie

    Portable X-Ray

    Mine was in 2008 and the next day after they pull the tube out as I had a biopsy also.  Perhaps they do it the way you described.  My port was done that way, after I had the port surgically put in during February, I was in a recovery chair when they came for x-ray.  In 1994, when I had the port put in the first time, I had to go to the x-ray room to see if the placement was correct.  I know they had portable x-rays back then.  I had been in ICU for a staph infection and when I arrived from another hospital, they took the x-ray in my bed.  That happened 2 months before being diagnose with breast cancer. 

    I was glad not to be transported in my nightgown and robe to the x-ray and it was done in the out-patient recovery room this time.

    I just remembered the line-up in 2008, as I wanted out of there so badly and here I was lying flat on my back in a line up that I didn't want to be in.  It is funny now looking back but I was not amused in 2008.

    Glad it is over for you and breathing well is great.  I wish every day my wheezing would go away.  At least the dry cough took a hike but I was use to the cough, this wheezing drives me nuts.  

    It is my measuring stick if the treatment is working, I have 2 more treatments in this 2nd cycle before scanning.  Each day I hope it goes away.

    Thinking of you,

    Doris

     

  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #7
    SIROD said:

    Portable X-Ray

    Mine was in 2008 and the next day after they pull the tube out as I had a biopsy also.  Perhaps they do it the way you described.  My port was done that way, after I had the port surgically put in during February, I was in a recovery chair when they came for x-ray.  In 1994, when I had the port put in the first time, I had to go to the x-ray room to see if the placement was correct.  I know they had portable x-rays back then.  I had been in ICU for a staph infection and when I arrived from another hospital, they took the x-ray in my bed.  That happened 2 months before being diagnose with breast cancer. 

    I was glad not to be transported in my nightgown and robe to the x-ray and it was done in the out-patient recovery room this time.

    I just remembered the line-up in 2008, as I wanted out of there so badly and here I was lying flat on my back in a line up that I didn't want to be in.  It is funny now looking back but I was not amused in 2008.

    Glad it is over for you and breathing well is great.  I wish every day my wheezing would go away.  At least the dry cough took a hike but I was use to the cough, this wheezing drives me nuts.  

    It is my measuring stick if the treatment is working, I have 2 more treatments in this 2nd cycle before scanning.  Each day I hope it goes away.

    Thinking of you,

    Doris

     

    Jamie I am glad you are feeling better

    so good that you followed your feeling you know your body the bbest glad it is over and you got a rrelief cannot hug you just sending positive thoughts

  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #8
    New Flower said:

    Jamie I am glad you are feeling better

    so good that you followed your feeling you know your body the bbest glad it is over and you got a rrelief cannot hug you just sending positive thoughts

    Jaime .. I am happy that you are getting

    better each and every day.  KUDOS!  Continued health, recovery and life.

     

    Vicki Sam

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