JUST A LITTLE PINPRICK
The next letter dropped onto the doormat about 1 or 2 weeks after my appointment at Gasrto-Ent, with the professor. This was a ritual that I'd come to now very well,picking up the envelope, walking to the same spot in the kitchen & slicing it open to read. Sometimes it was as expected other appointments weren't, like the one for the city's largest cancer hospital, ( I'll talk about that cock bird later ). This one was expected, thankfully & explained that I had been booked in for a liver biopsy, it also gave me the general run down on how the day should unfold & it would be an overnight stay. That I should come with an overnight bag & not have eaten or drank tea or coffee, before my arrival similar to the pre CT abdomen scan instructions (another story I'll share, later ).
I got to the hospital & was shown onto a ward, allotted a bed & left to make myself at home," The Dr will be around soon, to have a word " , with that I was left alone lying on my bed, I was at home already. There were a few OAPs opposite & beside me, getting on with their bed rest. They now familiar with life on the ward. One out,one in !
My old friend & training partner appeared, out of nowhere, bearing gifts, a few goodies & a couple of mags, in a plastic carrier.This was nice because All my life I've attended all institutional appointments, such as court, dentist, Dr's & hospital, alone,because my parents ran pub's,one of which I was born in. This was part of life, just like, no holidays. He'll never know how pleased I was to see him. Anyway I told him of my Nil by mouth status so he made himself at home & tore open a mars bar & leafed through MY ! copy of Fitness for Men," what's occurring ", 5 Min's later, he knew as much as me & the goodies were gone, as was he soon after, this was a home he could leave. Hell it's the thought that counts. Right ?
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| Hmmm ! |
I'll never forget the nurse who turned up to take my blood, she wreaked of nicotine, I nearly gagged, she was hopeless, I gave her one more try, then she was out of there. This wasn't a good start, she also mentioned how if I needed a painkiller. I'd only to ask. Something told me there was a dose of PAIN, on it's way, with my name on it.
THE PROCEDURE
The tests were done, I was hooked up to a machine, the Dr turned up with a male nurse in tow. He sat on my bed & gave me a form to read & sign, it basically waved my rights over him, if he should hit any other major organs by mistake, looking back I should have got off my bed & walked, because as I've said before, there was no treatment then, all I'd benefit by was a better picture of my liver damage, but with a hole in it that wasn't there yesterday. They were to benefit more than me, by having a piece of infected liver to scrutinise. Hell what yo gonna do, might as well get on with it & with that, I signed on the dotted line.
They left to wash & returned,with a trolley of implements & a syringe for horses. The male nurse drew the curtains & held them closed, he had a distinct look of panic on his face, that radiated fear, he looked like the guy stood watching the door whilst his gang robbed the bank. Meanwhile I'd been placed on my side & the Dr was counting my ribs,over & over, like he was reading some kind of braille message,feeling the dots, then when he was happy he was in between the two correct ribs,he then placed three straight fingers to gauge the correct width & with that he made his mark in red marker, X marks the spot.
Then told me there'd be a 1st jab & it could hurt (the local anaesthetic), that it would pierce an internal membrane, in my chest cavity. He went on"I'll need you to hold your breath & remain as still as possible when I inject the main needle into your liver, which I'll then twist & withdraw".
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| Just a little pinprick ! |
The 1st injection was delivered & gave me what seemed like an electric shock, the lookout wasn't looking any calmer. We talked through the next part, just to be sure. I'd breath in & out & hold on the third breath. He produced a needle that looked like a six inch nail, I now started to phsyce myself up & fixed a spot on the ceiling, like being at the dentist (I don't have a needle at the dentist & I'm fine). So we proceeded, me breathing & him poised to hit his mark, finally I held & he was in & out quite sharpish. Great, I hoped ! As he was retrieving the plug of whatever he'd pierced from the needles core, he said " I'm sorry about this but I haven't got enough, would you mind if I do it again,only because your thin, I thought your liver would be near the surface."
I replied through gritted teeth," look just get on with it, theres no point wasting time" & so the act was repeated, what he retrieved the 2nd time, I'll never know, he said he'd got enough, but with hindsight, I'm not so sure. There was a strong pain in my shoulder & a painkiller was ordered, half an hour later still no pain relief, I let the ward know of my need, literally. The nurse arrived to take the tests, blood pressure being the most important ( as it shows internal bleeding ), she remarked that my pulse was lower during the procedure, than it was now, I explained that if someone didn't get me a painkiller I'd explode. I was injected with a steroid jab in the arse, that did the trick, now all there was to do was to wait to see if I was bleeding to death.
THE AFTERMATH
The final result from my liver Biopsy & the calculation of the amount of damage,was that, there was none.
There was no results,that is to say (with the benefit of hindsight), that many a slip twixt cup & lip, I think he missed again, however the official version was that the results were inconclusive. Either that or just plain lost.
UP TO DATE
However I must say to all those who have read this tale of woe & may think twice, themselves, that now the liver biopsy is performed on a biopsy ward & a CT scanner is used in tandem with the needle, so the Dr is sure to hit the spot. I'll never have one again & they let it go, besides, if cirrhosis is picked up in the CT scan, that points a need for treatment anyway, so much less need for a BIOPSY !
ULTRASOUND ABDOMEN SCAN
Prior to starting treatment, I'd had only one abdomen scan. Since I started exploring the option of undergoing dual treatment, I've had many,many ultrasound scans, they form an important part of the monitoring process of the liver, kidneys & abdomen in general.
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| Sticky situation |
My first scan pre-treatment,picked up a lump on my liver, described to me as an hemangeoma ( benine fatty tissue), they kept an eye on it,until they were happy it wasn't growing, so when the decision was made it was the same size as when found, I was given the all clear.
Treatment could commence.
Out of all the tests the abdomen scan,caused my mind to over speculate more than any other. Once as I was leaving the ultrasound clinic, I glanced across to a room & saw a crowd of staff gathered round a PC monitor,with my radiographer at the keypad.
I convinced myself that it was my scan on the screen & she was showing her colleagues something very interesting.
I've always made a point never to try prying information out of the staff there. They're not allowed to discuss your scan & what they find. That is the job of the Dr at your clinic, so it's unfair to put upon the radiographer.
After all my worrying & reading between the lines, all those dark imaginings, the funny thing was, when I started my pre treatment tests on the 2nd attempt at beating this virus, I was told there was no lump on my liver ( I'd always ask,that they make sure to get a shot of the hermangeoma on my liver). This showed that my liver had repaired during that first attempt.
Good news for once.
My message to anyone undergoing such scans & regular monitoring is " there's no point trying to 2nd guess these things." After all it won't change a thing. Though the stress of worrying could.
Good luck.
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