Super Tuesday

It’s no secret I was looking forward to Tuesday, the day my tubes and staples would be removed. It turned out to be more eventful than I had anticipated.

Riding to M.D. Anderson I became nauseas and very dizzy. When we arrived Ginger had to put me in a wheelchair to get me to the clinic. I felt so bad for her. She had all of our “stuff” to carry plus me to push. It was a rough start to the day. It was 8:00 AM.

First stop was for my cystogram, a contrast x-ray of my new bladder. They laid me on a table with all kinds of machines hanging from the ceiling, stuck more tubes in me and injected fluids. It wasn’t painful but was uncomfortable. They took pictures from all angles. I actually got to see them on the monitor. My new bladder looks like the old one, albeit cancer free. We were finished at 10:00 AM.

Our next stop was at Dr. Kamat’s area. We arrived a little after 10:00. We found out our appointment was for 2:00. The receptionist checked us in anyway and told us we wouldn’t have to wait long. We got in just before 11:00.

Let the waiting begin…

Suffice to say we were in an examination room for four hours. First the P.A. came in to assess my condition. He told us the cystogram came back good, meaning the new bladder was intact and ready to go. Next (but some time later) Dr. Kamat came in. He told us everything looked good and that the staples and tubes would be removed. I was so happy!!!

Now for the BIG NEWS…

Dr. Kamat had several pages of data in his hand. He told us it was the pathology report from my surgery. It showed that the cancer was gone. All lymph nodes and organs are clear. I understood what he was saying but didn’t really grasp it at that moment. I just kept thanking him. He told us we didn’t need to come back for three months. As soon as he left, Ginger and I broke down in tears. It was joy, gratitude, relief and appreciation all rolled into one, big cry.

Let the fun begin…

The P.A. returned to remove my kidney stints. He said I might feel some pressure. I’ve learned “pressure” in medical terms means pain. He was right. It felt like my left kidney was being removed with a line and fish hook.

Next, the nurse came in to remove the catheter (that had been in for three weeks). She said it would be uncomfortable. If pressure means pain what do you suppose “uncomfortable” might be? OH-MY-GOD!!! Leave it at that. Poor Ginger had to witness all of this.

Next, time to remove the staples. We’re talking metal staples. The nurse said it would feel like mosquito bites…really big mosquitoes. It wasn’t fun but tolerable after the catheter.

Finally, a visit from the WOC Nurse. She taught me how to self-catheterize, learn to control the new bladder and care for my wounds.

Now it’s on me to regain my strength and get back to normal life as soon as I can.