Thoracentisis, cycle 16 Xeloda, and pneumothorax. All in a days work.

Good evening Friends,
We are official into the weekend.  It is late afternoon Friday.  Soon Mo will be done with work for the day, Anna will be done with her classes for the week and we can just enjoy being together as a family!  What have you got planned for the weekend ahead?  Let me know in the on the guest book in the comments!  I really enjoy hearing what is up in your world. 
This afternoon, I went to Turkey creek hospital to have my thoracentisis done.  They managed to pull about 400 ml out of the right lung.  That isn't as much they removed three years ago.  This is an image of the giant bottle they used three years ago when I was diagnosed with the mets.

 

That was one honkin big bottle of yuck.  It looked a whole lot less today. 

My happy face before getting marker and numbed

X markes the spot where the radiologist entered to drain the fluid

This is what it looked like once the drain had been inserted.

This is sooooooo much less fluid than I had in past thoracentisis procedures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This is what I looked like when I almost passed out from the pain  

 Thanks to Mo for taking doing the photo journalism of this procedure.  

After they got me back to a normal blood pressure, they did a chest x-ray to make sure my lung re-expanded. It had not.  Instead, the area that is between the lung and lining has filled with air.  This is called a pneumothorax.  It isn't a good thing to have.  My lung hasn't expanded as it should because I have a thickening or a banding of scar tissue from it being compressed by the fluid all these years.  I will hear from Mo oncologist to decide how to proceed.  The radiologist was mentioning a thoracic surgeon may be my next step. In the mean time, I am a bit achy and still breathless.  Sort of feel like I have been through battle today.  

I hope that this doesn't scare anyone who might have to have this done.  The results I have had are not typical at all.  It is generally a very simple outpatient procedure that goes easily.  But, as Mo says, I am that one in a million that will get the rare side effect or have the unusual result.  

In addition to the whole thoracentisis, today was also the start of cycle 16 of Xeloda.  So far, so good.  It does have me feeling a bit tired.  My hands and feet are still recovering from the last cycle.  I'm sure they will continue to be dry and itchy.  That is mild to deal with.  I will be happy with the lesser of the side affects, in favor of a more energetic and full life. 

I'll let you all know how things progress with the pneumothorax, and what steps happen next

Thanks for stopping by,

Leslie