Biopsy Day

We had to be at the hospital at 6 am.  I would much rather be one of the first patients in for a procedure that later in the day, so it was fine for me...and I'm a morning person...Rich really isn't!

When we got there it wasn't very long and I was called back.  Of course there was the obligatory blood work and iv line which went smooth enough because I have great veins.

As I was taken back to the procedure room it became evident that there was a little hiccup.  Evidently it is usual protocol that a patient has seen the dr BEFORE the biopsy instead of the reverse and it became quite evident that the hospital staff was unsure if the biopsy would go forward.  However, the surgeon talked with Dr. Thomson and they took a little bit of a history of me and decided to proceed.  Yes!  Although - if truth be told - I had said a silent prayer that the Lord would open the door if that were His will - so my personal belief is that it was another, in a long string, of the Lord's tender mercies on my behalf.  As I reflect on these miracles I feel so humbled to know how blessed I am. 

The surgeon indicated that there were many things that could be going on but again, the major concern is the mass in the midline of my liver, where the pancreas, duodenum, and liver meet.  He said it could be liver cancer, benign tumors, infection, matatastic cancer, or even lymph nodes...and reiterated that is what they are hoping to discover by the biopsy.  He seemed to infer that there were other "spots" or "locations" but wouldn't (and I tried valiantly to get him to discuss this) go there.  I was left wondering if he meant there were other parts of my body that were suspicious (that I had inferred were ok from the initial discussion with Dr. Culbert) or if he was referring to addional spots on the liver, but he just wouldn't go there...he was laser focused on his task and perhaps that really is the best.

In any event, the procedure went well and it's another tender mercy!  I had thought I would be home shortly after the procedure but hadn't realized I would need to be on bed rest for three hours before I could leave...the liver is very vascular and the risk of hemorrhage is pretty high...so I just laid, slept on and off...and waited for the hours to pass.  By 1 pm I was finally on my way home.

We stopped for a bite to eat and then I wanted to check out plastic totes at Walmart.  But, I really hadn't gotten too far into Walmart and realized that I just needed to go home and rest for a few hours.  I went upstairs, Rich followed, and we both took a couple hours nap.  I felt much better after that and Rich REALLY crashed hard...finally!

While Rich continued to snooze I went and worked on a quilt, fixed some supper and then we just kicked back and relaxed for the evening.  All in all - I'd say it's been a good day!  My anxiety now rests with concern that the pathology report be finished for my appointment with Dr. Thomson on Friday...but we'll see....