Just random thoughts

is being sent your way.  So let the show begin.

The tests you've had recently sound like what I had from Sept-Jan, minus the Pap.  But add a brain MRI, extra CT's, endoscopy, and teeth cleaning.  Life....it comes in batches and can wear you down.

Now, Put on your big girl panties and kick B*tt.

Hugs,

donna_lee

Lying in bed at night is usually when those thoughts hit me - and sometimes consume.me. I was having trouble falling asleep, because my mind was just spinning in multiple directions at once. I started taking 5mg of Melatonin about an hour before I want to crash, and it's really helped a lot. Aside from the weird, vivid dreams, it's been a godsend. I hope you find relief one way or another.

We all went through that before our operations or, in your case, the ablation.  It's human nature.  I've had two other operations in my life, both serious abdominal ones that were totally unrelated to kidney cancer.  But both were emergencies as my intestines had done some wierd twists and turns and blocked themselves off, so I was in incredible pain before both oeprations and pretty well zoned out on pain meds while in the ER.  All that is meant to tell you that I didn't have time to worry about those two operations.  For the kidney one, my original diagnosis was in December, 2013, but it wasn't until April, 2016 that imaging tests showed that the little bugger had grown from an initial 1.5cm to an estimated 1.8cm.  And from then, it wasn't until June, 2016 that the surgeon had an open slot.  So, for the first time in my life, I was looking at two months before an operation and I can tell you, I was nervous about it.  In my case, I knew it had to be done, but what I was scared most about wasn't the outcome.  The surgeon told me the lesion was in a really accessible spot and that it would be a relatively straight forward operation.  No, what had me panicked was the damn Foley catheter.  That torture device had to be invented either by a sadist or by a woman, because no sane man would invent something like that; something that could one day be used on him.  LOL.  That's honestly what i was freaked out about.

In your case, the ablation is a lot more of a straightforward procedure, at least as I understand it.  When my mother-in-law was seriously ill with an autoimmune disease, she had to have a kidney biopsy.  She was a 90 year old Asian woman that spoke limited English.  She had nine kids, all of whom were at the hospital when this test had to be done, and she needed someone with her.  They asked her who she wanted, and she pointed at me.  So I got to accompany her to the biopsy room and saw the entire procedure while I held her hand.  With the local anesthtetic, she didn't feel anything at all.  The only time she squeezed my hand harder was when she heard the doctor actually take the biopsy, but there was no pain.  Your procedure will take a little longer, as I think they do a couple of passes at either freezing or cooking the tumor, but there should be little to no pain while they do it.  You might want to ask the intrventional radiologist if you could get a little bit stronger anti-anxiety med for that day, particularly during the proceure.

And just so you know, I take a low dose of Xanax before I fly.  I have also taken it prior to my CT scans as, even though the CT scans are pretty well open (at least as compared to an MRI), I still get a little claustrophobic when I'm getting the scan.  So, like Todd, I won't tell you to such it up.  I'll tell you you're normal and that in eight days, you're going to be "normaller" because your tumor will be gone and you'll be on the road to recovery.

like you would for any spontaneous escapade. Since you have to go through this anyway, make it like a cruise or going to a national museum. I know it is not fun but in 6 months time you want to look back and be proud of how you handled it all. Others will ask for your wisdom when they encounter the same issues that you do now. Karma Cin.

Wishing all goes well and uneventfully

Soon it'll be like waking from a bad dream and it'll be behind you.  For the most part.  Like any nightmare, it'll haunt you from time to time but that's the easy part, kinda sorta.  Praying for you,

God Bless,

Donna~