Recent Fluid Evacuation

Yesterday I had fluid removed from my lung area.  It was not in my lung but like between my lung and rib area in my back.  This procedure is called a thoracentesis.  Fun? No, not really but I feel better.  I was expecting to have a paracentesis done as well but after both a nurse and a radiologist checked it out by ultrasound, there was not enough fluid to remove so I did not have that procedure done.  I was hoping for both but really, the thoracentesis ended up being just what I needed to have done.  Usually, both procedures are NOT done at the same time.  Just do not expect you can do both like I was expecting to do.

The purpose of taking the fluid from the lung area was so that cancer cells could be grown and tested with other chemo agents to add to my treatment of Avastin.  I have no idea how long this will take for the lab to do.  It seems very high tech kind of stuff to me but that is cool that this can be done now.  I do not mind.

The fluid is "drained" off the area once you are numbed up enough.  I do not think there was enough numbing but I would have hated to try this without any numbing of the back area.  I did not feel much but what I did feel was like a large pin prick or a large bee sting.  Very attention getting and a bit uncomfortable.  I was awake for all of it and talking to the two nurses and radiologist to try and get my mind off as much of the procedure as possible.  That did help to hear about a wedding one of the nurses went to over the weekend.

Again, I was very lucky to have people who had good humor and would talk to me about something "silly" and know how to help so I did not terribly freak out or complain.  Afterwards, I had a chest x-ray to make sure everything looked like it should, and it did!! I was monitored for about two hours and then Husband came to pick me up.  We went to lunch afterwards.  (I was moving a bit slow out of caution but we did not have to really hurry anywhere so that helped too.)

I now can say that I am glad I did this.  I feel much better and I am only a little sore at the injection site. I think that might be a bit normal because needles and other things were used during the process.  I did not sleep very well last night but am quite sure I will tonight!! I would like to avoid doing this procedure again but will if I absolutely need to.  I would rather do the paracentesis over the thoracentesis any day!! But I am getting a "hands-on" medical education about some procedures?

Jenn