Surgery Scheduled
Well, up until I was 50 years old, I had never had surgery in my life. Now I'm scheduled, May 4th, for my third major surgery in 7 months.
I had a radical nephrectomy in September of last year, a laminectomy in October to debulk a spinal tumor and give me back control of the lower half of my body, now I need major hip surgery.
My left femur and pelvic bone have been so eroded by bone mets that they are in danger of fracturing and destroying my pelvic bone (and possibly punching my femur through to my spine). The erosion in the pelvis is righ on top of the "socket" dome that makes up the ball and socket joint of the hip. The erosion of the femur is a little below the "ball", and goes a subtantial way through the entire bone.
The plan is to cut me open, move my sciatic nerve out of the way, freeze the tumors to death, debulk them (scrape them out of the bone), fill in the voids with a type of cement, put several lengths of "rebar" through the pelvis and several through the femur and it's supposed to leave my bones stronger than before.
Despite the fact that the surgery sounds absolutely cringe-worthy, I like the fact that they'll be freezing those **** tumors to death. Why can't they just do that with all of them?
Anyway, hopefully the recovery will go well and go quickly and I'll be hobbling around again in no time.
Comments
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It sounds complicated...
There's an understatement! I hope it goes according to plan.
It does sound cringe-worthy too. If they video the operation, please don't send me a copy!
Steve.
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Embolization
Well, my first procedure is done. It's a bit uncomfortable afterward but interesting to be awake through most of it. They actually entered the arteries on the right side of my body and followed them up and around to embolize the arteries leading to the tumors in my left hip.
The main surgery happens tomorrow. The insurance is currently balking at approving payment for the "cryogenic tumor ablation" because they view that as "experimental" in RCC cases. I hope they work it out before tomorrow.
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Praying for you
I pray that God guides the doctor's hands and that there are no financial concerns.
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Post Op
Right before I went to bed the night before the surgery, BCBS called and told me the entire surgery had been approved.
Awesome.
Surgery took six hours. I needed two units of blood and my blood pressure is still pretty low, but I'm still here, minus two bone Mets!
Thanks for the prayers and good wishes, everyone. I really do appreciate it.
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Coolness man!
That's great news! Praying for a quick recovery without complications.
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That's good! It has been a
That's good! It has been a long wait for you, wish you a speedy recovery!
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Best news I've heard all day!
Best news I've heard all day!!! Now on to recovery and beyond.
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