I got the wonderful chance to go back into the MRI machine the other day for an abdomen MRI. It was just like the previous time with the emergency broadcast system going off all around me. I asked the guy WHY is it so loud? Something to do with the water neutrons/protons being lined up in my body and the noises making sure everything is communicating. Hmmm...interesting. Hopefully that test comes back saying it is just a cyst on my liver and nothing to worry about.
After my abdomen MRI I went down the hall for my lymph-node biopsies. Rosie the wonderful nurse came and got me and asked me how I was doing. "I'm nauseous because I'm very hungry" I said. "Why didn't you eat?" she asked me. "Because I was told not too before the abdomen MRI and I haven't had time". "OH!" she said, "Do you like dried fruit? Juice? Crackers?" "I'll take anything you can give me right now Rosie, but what I'd really like is a cup of coffee". DONE. She ushered me into a room and came back with water, juice, crackers, dried fruit, and a fabulously hot cup of coffee. I felt immensely better after that small snack.
After a while they took me into the procedure room. It was interesting knowing I was going to be awake the entire time for this procedure. I've never been awake for a procedure before. The radiologist came in with his student doctor (who was quite handsome by the way), everyone was introduced and they asked me all the questions again...
"What's your name", "What's your understanding as to why you are here", "What breast are we operating on", etc, etc, etc....I love the fact that they are so thorough in checking their information but it can get a bit annoying when you've answered all those questions 3 times in an hour; BUT, better to be safe than sorry I suppose!
So, the first thing they did was sonogram the spot in the breast (930 o'clock, 8cm from the nipple for those of you who are interested) to look at the lymph-node first. They decided it still needed to be biopsied so away we went. Lots of lidocane (sp?) under the skin, in the muscle, in the tissue, etc..., then an iodine swab over the area they were going to biopsy. Then I got the fabulous blue drape over the top, all the while my right shoulder was killing me, ahhaha....never thought it'd be so strenuous to keep my arm above my head for any length of time. So, they probed away and took the tissue sample out of the breast lymph-node with something that looked and sounded like a dentist's drill. Ew.
Then they brought Rosie back in to dress that area and give my arm a break. We had a very pleasant conversation about dogs. She's a lab lover as well...hope I get to see the pictures she keeps promising to show me soon!
After that pleasant break, the doctors came back in to sonogram the armpit lymph-node. "That area looks pretty good today." What does that mean, I ask..."Well, this lymph-node was "borderline" last time you were in, which is why we wanted to biopsy it; BUT, it looks just fine today and if we don't have to put you through an unnecessary procedure we won't". So they sonogrammed around the area for a while, then decided they didn't need to biopsy that lymph-node which was fabulous news. :)
Mom and Dad came to pick me up and take me home, where I showed off all the beautiful scarves given to me by my girlfriends (pictures to come later) and talked about what I was going to do for the day. I had grand plans to lay out at my neighbors pool but after devouring a bowl of chicken noodle soup and some crackers w/butter I fell into a 3 hour nap with the doggies then just moseyed around the house cleaning up. I think that was just what my body needed. :) (see people I *do* know how to listen to my body ;)
I'm still hoping for some pool time today. We'll see how that all works out.
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