Fluid in the Lungs

I went in for the Left Mediastinotomy. After sitting in the waiting room for two hours, I was finally pulled in for the procedure, where I was knocked out. Dr. Cordero sliced and diced me. The procedure started around 3:00 PM.

I awoke in recovery in a complete haze after approximately two hours. My eyes couldn’t focus, and I could barely breathe. I had a Flash Pulmonary Edema, where my lungs were filling up with fluid. I was coughing up blood.

They gave me a water pill, which cleared up most of the fluid in my lungs. However, this filled up my bladder so quickly that I was unable to go to the bathroom. Multiple attempts to insert a catheter failed, as my bladder was too tight to allow any penetration.

I was put to sleep again. They then successfully inserted a wire-guided catheter. I awoke to find myself in my hospital room at 9:15 PM with my mom, my girlfriend, and a tube coming out of my penis.

I was hooked to a machine that was measuring (amongst other things) the oxygen level in my blood. It was low, so they hooked me up to an oxygen supply. It was about 10:00 PM, and I went to sleep.

Still Diagnosing to Be Done

Dr. Cordero said the results of the biopsy indicated lymphoma, but the markers that would indicate Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (which is what he thought it was), were not there. That means “inconclusive” rather than NOT Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

He wanted to do a full biopsy – a Left Mediastinotomy on Wednesday.

My mom and I walked across the street to the hospital to preregister.

I returned to work to find my stuff still there.

And the Results Are In...

I received a phone call from Dr. Cordero’s office scheduling an appointment for Tuesday March 20 to discuss the results.

Hurry Up and Wait

I received a call from Dr. Cordero saying that they would need to send out the cells from the needle biopsy to Spokane for “staining”, and it would likely be another week.

Time to get Needled

I worked in the morning, and then went to the hospital for the “CT Guided Core Biopsy”. Dr. Scott Hammersmith performed the procedure, and then sent me home.

Not the Germ-Cell Tumor

Appointment with Dr. Cordero. He told me that the blood test was negative for indications of a Germ-Cell Tumor, and I would now need the needle biopsy to indicate what we were dealing with.

Dana and I went across the street to the hospital to pre-register for the procedure. We had lunch in the deli there, and I determined that I love Kadlec’s Cream of Tomato soup.

Andrew's Bachelor Party

Spent the weekend in Vegas for Andrew’s bachelor party. Andrew was able to answer some questions for me, and more just made me feel a little more relaxed with the whole thing.