well, no bronchoscopy tomorrow. *phew*
Feb. 7th, 2002 08:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rootofnewtwhen boy arrived, we got together and made a mad dash into dc. i needed to get my films from WHC and then drive cross-town to georgetown. the elevators at WHC were S L O W... and traffic/construction was not friendly. i made it into gtown right at 2pm (my appt time)... i was supposed to be 15 min early, but they weren't upset. i didn't need to fill anything out, so i suspect they just wanted folks on time.
the pulmonologist looked at the xrays i brought and at my CT. he also looked at chest x-rays of mine that were still in georgetown's film library (i had a few bronchial infections while a student, so they go back to the mid-nineties)... then he called my heart surgeon. after they talked, he brought the ct scans in to talk to me (his resident had already examined me and taken notes)...
i liked this guy. he pointed out and explained the ct scan to me. he said that i have (or had) some kind of mass. he didn't think that there was any fluid around my heart on the 11th (ct scan day), but that the cyst was definitely compressing my esophagous and making things difficult. since i don't pay attention to trouble swallowing (it's plagued me for years, really), i didn't notice until the tracheitis hit the week after.
he really thought that the cyst wasn't on my bronchial tubes, but was a pericardial cyst... that's right, on my pericardium. he talked to me for awhile then sent me on my way with orders for another ct to determine whether the cyst was there or not. he also told me to take all my gtown films, so i had to check those out.
from there, we rushed on to my cardio appt (for the nausea). i explained what the pulmo guy had said to the cardio (partner of my cardiologist) and he looked at my films, too... then HE called the heart surgeon. the cardio said that there was a very little amount of fluid around my heart in the ct scan, but not something a pulmo would notice (lungs and hearts being different specialties)... the cardio and the surgeon think that i probably had a pericardial cyst which burst, flooding my pericardial sac with fluid.
he also did another echo. this time boy got to see. i think he liked the sound and view. for the record, my heart is working quite well now.
so, all that's set for now is the ct scan. after that, maybe a cardio MRI. they want to see exactly what the situation is before they cut me open again. if i have a cyst, it will have to be removed, especially if it burst. it's probably also been there for years. it's not likely a lymphoma (phew, not that i was worried), but a bother nonetheless.
oh, and the cardio told me to stay off the darvo to see if i feel better. duh. i wish he'd told me i could lay off one of the naproxen, too. that's likely the culprint, but they want me full of NSAIDS.
so. tomorrow i call to schedule the CT. next week, i see my cardio. week after that, i see the cardio surgeon and take her allll of my films.
oh, washington hospital center included a chest xray of someone else in with those of me. this is a relief. i'd noticed that one of my xrays looked like i was full of staples. fortunately, i am NOT.
i have, however, started reacting to ALL of the adhesive tapes. i'm now covered in rashes from the electrodes, welts from the tape, and dermatitis from the tagaderm... *sigh* and that's ALL supposed to be soy and latex free. guess 3m gets another call from me. they like to do strict quality control. i have a 4x4 gauze pad under my boob, held in place with my purple tube top.
the wound smells funky, but the doctors said it was okay. just the stench of betadine and a little drainage, i guess. it's kinda popcorny.
busy day.
must watch charmed and then go to bed.
mmmm, bed.
the pulmonologist looked at the xrays i brought and at my CT. he also looked at chest x-rays of mine that were still in georgetown's film library (i had a few bronchial infections while a student, so they go back to the mid-nineties)... then he called my heart surgeon. after they talked, he brought the ct scans in to talk to me (his resident had already examined me and taken notes)...
i liked this guy. he pointed out and explained the ct scan to me. he said that i have (or had) some kind of mass. he didn't think that there was any fluid around my heart on the 11th (ct scan day), but that the cyst was definitely compressing my esophagous and making things difficult. since i don't pay attention to trouble swallowing (it's plagued me for years, really), i didn't notice until the tracheitis hit the week after.
he really thought that the cyst wasn't on my bronchial tubes, but was a pericardial cyst... that's right, on my pericardium. he talked to me for awhile then sent me on my way with orders for another ct to determine whether the cyst was there or not. he also told me to take all my gtown films, so i had to check those out.
from there, we rushed on to my cardio appt (for the nausea). i explained what the pulmo guy had said to the cardio (partner of my cardiologist) and he looked at my films, too... then HE called the heart surgeon. the cardio said that there was a very little amount of fluid around my heart in the ct scan, but not something a pulmo would notice (lungs and hearts being different specialties)... the cardio and the surgeon think that i probably had a pericardial cyst which burst, flooding my pericardial sac with fluid.
he also did another echo. this time boy got to see. i think he liked the sound and view. for the record, my heart is working quite well now.
so, all that's set for now is the ct scan. after that, maybe a cardio MRI. they want to see exactly what the situation is before they cut me open again. if i have a cyst, it will have to be removed, especially if it burst. it's probably also been there for years. it's not likely a lymphoma (phew, not that i was worried), but a bother nonetheless.
oh, and the cardio told me to stay off the darvo to see if i feel better. duh. i wish he'd told me i could lay off one of the naproxen, too. that's likely the culprint, but they want me full of NSAIDS.
so. tomorrow i call to schedule the CT. next week, i see my cardio. week after that, i see the cardio surgeon and take her allll of my films.
oh, washington hospital center included a chest xray of someone else in with those of me. this is a relief. i'd noticed that one of my xrays looked like i was full of staples. fortunately, i am NOT.
i have, however, started reacting to ALL of the adhesive tapes. i'm now covered in rashes from the electrodes, welts from the tape, and dermatitis from the tagaderm... *sigh* and that's ALL supposed to be soy and latex free. guess 3m gets another call from me. they like to do strict quality control. i have a 4x4 gauze pad under my boob, held in place with my purple tube top.
the wound smells funky, but the doctors said it was okay. just the stench of betadine and a little drainage, i guess. it's kinda popcorny.
busy day.
must watch charmed and then go to bed.
mmmm, bed.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2002-02-07 07:37 pm (UTC)Risa
no subject
Date: 2002-02-08 12:47 am (UTC)you are definitely in my thoughts.
no subject
Date: 2002-02-08 06:18 am (UTC)*keeps my fingers crossed*
I'm glad you're finally getting some half-decent medical attention, and I hope you can be *done* with all this soon . . .
-- Andi
Insanity
Happy thoughts. . . .
Re: Insanity
Date: 2002-02-08 12:29 pm (UTC)It certainly does (sometimes I feel that's my job too! :P
I really am sorry to hear all this crappy stuff going on, but I am so glad you have so much support and comfort to get you through all this. (((big hugs and love and healing prayers)))
Re: Insanity
Date: 2002-02-08 01:45 pm (UTC)hope the furore stops soon and they finally get their act together and sort out your body...
Re: Insanity
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2002-02-08 09:11 pm (UTC)i'll keep sending good thoughts & vitrual hugs as long as it take for the doctors to get it all figured out & put back together.