New Drug, More Procedures

We found out the last chemo wasn't working so Kathy begins a new treatment on Tuesday. The CT scan also showed a lot of fluid build up around the lung. Not in the lung but in some sack around the lung (who knew there was a sack around the lung?). She has been coughing a lot and uncomfortable when getting up and lying down so it really bothered her. Her doctor told us that she could go in and have it drained. A routine procedure 99% of the time.

My problem with routine procedures is that they aren't. Kathy rarely if ever has a routine recovery from routine procedures. Infection, ineffective, needs to be redone, stiffness, soreness, errors. That is our experience with hospitals and treatments. When the routine procedure involves putting a needle thru your back and into the sack around the lung it doesn't sound so good. Especially when the 1% issue is usually that the needle goes too far and they puncture the lung. That is bad as it collapses the lung.

So, after feeling worse and worse after the doctor visit last week, Kathy decided she needed the stuff drained. We went in on Tuesday and it went pretty well. Not as much pain as we feared (is it ever?) and more fluid then we had imagined. They only do one side per day so they drained the left side and out came 1/2 liter of ugly looking fluid. It was amazing to watch it shoot into the container but sorta gross and depressing as well. The other side has almost as much. She is still considering whethor to do the other side or not.

So Tuesday new chemo. Can't wait. One of the side effects: tiredness. She is getting sorta down by all the tiredness. She has to pull back from her temple service and that really bothers her. She doesn't feel like she has much fun but hey, isn't laundery, cooking and taking care of me fun? Hmmmm. I've suggested she help at the library or some other service that doesn't require such a precise schedule. Usually my suggestions aren't too good.

We've also been troubled by her sister Darlene's emergency surgeries and recovery process up in Seattle. Kathy wants so badly to go and help but can't because she has treatments and problems right now where she needs to stay close to UC Davis Medical Center. We'll see how that goes, she is anxious to go. We are praying for Darlene's recovery.