July 2, 2010 I was walking thru the mall with my daughter when suddenly I got a weird pain like feeling on the right side of my chest, I kinda got a scare bc it hit me suddenly, so I did try to walk the pain off, the more I walked the worst it was, I went into the pharmacy to see if he had any suggestions, he took one look at me and made me sit down because I looked very miserable and clammy he said , he suggested he wanted to get me to the ER and when I told him what I felt like he called my hubby for me and he came to get me and took me right to the ER, they took one look at me and whisked me away to have a Dr check me right away... it was a very scary night for me, the doctor came in and asked some questions, did some test and then he diagnosed me with Leukaemia they admitted me as well....I lost my mind, I called my parents, they were heartbroken, friends and family far and near sent their thoughts.. all the while thinking I had this disease that no one wants to hear about.
4 days in, I asked for a second opinion...
thankfully the Dr was able to do some test and told me that I had a growth on my chest cavity, blocking my breathing tube to my heart... it sounded very scary but it was no Leukaemia...
She said she would like to do a biopsy and she didn't feel comfortable in putting me under, I was to stay awake.
The morning of the biopsy, I was freaking out because I knew this was going to be painful... went to the OR and it was bustling with many doctors and nurses, they had me lay on my belly, strapped to a bed bc if I moved it could puncture my lung, I laid there so still yet in so much pain, I tried to take my mind off what was going on..yet to hear the doctors around me talking about it, listening to them prepare the needle to freeze me, the needle nearly drove me crazy it was massive and I could hear and see everything..
then they finally had the needle in and was talking amongst themselves and how they cannot drain it because it's in a weird spot, so they had two needles going by now and they were finally able to drain some of it off, the smell and the odour were gross, I didn't like being alone during this but off course no one could come in there with me.. they did drain a big bottle off and told me I would have no more pain...
well before the night was over my pain was back...
they felt at a lost at that point, they did bring a surgeon in and she was scared to do the surgery bc it was very risky... but without it, I would be in constant pain.
I told them I wanted to go ahead with it..they sent me home bc I would have a couple week to wait for surgery. I was back and forth to the hospital for pain control, missing a lot of time from work, even one time I had to take an ambulance from work, I couldn't breathe
October 6 was the day I was to go for my surgery, I quit my job on October 4th because I never knew what the outcome was going to be...
My family was all here, they couldn't say for sure that I would pull thru this because it was so risky and so close to my heart
The surgery lasted for 12 hours, it was a very long time for my family who were waiting and not sure how it was going to work or if I would be with them again...8 pm that night they brought me out of surgery, I was on a breathing tube bc my lung had to be taken out and this growth cut off it, she got my lungs working again..
6 days later I was walking out of the hospital with a lot of drainage tubes, stitches etc, but to this day I have no had a problem with it, the doctor was so amazing, she even now asks how I am doing, I am so thankful that this part of my life is done...
From that day, I realised it helps to have a second opinion because, at first glance, they can be wrong and thankfully he was. after my check up last year, she said she didn't need to see me again because it was all gone and she was 100% sure it wouldn't come back.
I'm thankful, so thankful