spot on lung & fire at MD

Thursday was a VERY long day. Got home after 10:30pm.

We left out about 11:30 (lunchtime) Had lunch at MD as they always have a good meal there. At 2 I had a chemo class, learned what to do for side effects and preventative measures, etc. At 3 I had a blood test and 3:30 a chest x-ray. You have to hold a bar on either side of the screen (in front of you). That one was pretty easy. The second x-ray they take, she asked for me to hold the bar way above me. I laughed and said No way!! The right arm can, but not the left. But I did raise the left as far as I could and let it hold on to my right. She still got a good picture!

Then we waited for our next appointment which is at 6:50!! So we took the tram through the skywalk over to the Main Building. (All of my appointments are at the Mays Clinic -one of their newer buildings across the street from the main building). So we have a quick snack -chocolate pudding with whipped cream. I can't eat 3 hours prior to my 6:50 appointment so I was eating quickly!! We visit leisurely and begin walking back to the Skywalk to go back to Mays.

On the way, we hear a lady (doctor/intern??) talking about evacuation. I thought it was talk about from the hurricane a while back or something. But as we continued walking a guy stopped us and told us we wouldn't be able to make it back across. We're just looking at him like WHAT ARE you talking about?! He tells us there was an explosion in the NEW Faculty Building on its skybridge between it and the Rotary House. Interestingly, this is the SAME building that was my view from my surgery. The work just at this same spot! Apparently something mechanical exploded and there was dark smoke billowing from the building. So, no, the skywalk was closed anywhere you went. All the parking garages were closed, everything was closed!! Thankfully for us, we still had more than an hour before our next appointment.

The faculty building was not inhabited yet, so that was the good news!! I just kept thinking and even asked about people in there and how many had been hurt. But I think just a crane operator may have been injured?? I'm not sure?? There was a large collection of doctors/techs/etc at the window where we were just looking across the street at the faculty building.

I immediately said, GRALAND!! Give me the cell phone! If Donna sees this on the news, she'll freak! (lol... we'll she does watch the news and knew we were there!) Also called the kids in case someone had seen this on the news and called them, they'd know we weren't in the middle of it.

The fire department got the fire out, but it took some time before they opened the skywalk. Graland said No Way to making the walk by ground, at it is quite a trek from the main to the Mays and he didn't want me pooped out before my appointment.

After an hour or so, they opened the walk back up and we went back across. Signed in to the CAT scan place for my barium, UGH!!! The nurse took me back after about 45 minutes (we were very early) and guess what?! NO BARIUM!!! That's only if you get a CAT for the abdomen!!! So I go back and get the IV put in, which doesn't feel so good, but I didn't say anything. Got to talk with the ladies back there who were also waiting and had a good time.

Went in to the CAT room and they hooked me up to the iodine IV, which comes in the second part of the test. Did the first part with no problem, but when they started the iodine it was SOOO painful...throbs jerking through my upper arm (which was raised above my head. The last time it was at my side and I just figured it was the position I was in. The tech came in quickly, shut everything down and unhooked everything. Sadly, the IV was in the vein wall and not in the vein and all the iodine was shot into the arm. It was VERY painful. The tech was so calm and pleasant letting me know it was not harmful to me and that everything would be ok. I just laid there (which was an undertaking to begin with!) and prayed and held on tightly to the nurses hand. The tech put ice packs on my arm. When he left the room the nurse..the one who had stuck me to begin with..adjusted my IV and I could feel the liquid going through. It is supposed to heat your body and kinda make you feel like you just wet. So when the tech came back in she told him it was adjusted and to try again. By this time my legs are just shaking so hard they put a warm blanket on me.

He does the test again with the iodine in the correct place and then take me to a waiting area. Again he puts more ice packs on there and elevates my arm. I keep it there for about 15 minutes and then ask for Graland as the nurse writes us an oopsie report. They send us home with ice packs.

Before we leave I make a trip to the bathroom. It is late..after 9 and I'm the only one in there. I go, but have a hard time getting the pants back together. I finally get the zip but not the button and come out. Graland gets the button for me and I start crying. I've done so well and now can't even dress myself! We go home and get in about 10:30.

By morning the arm was looking so much better. It HAD looked like a big water balloon hanging from my arm and really gross looking!! :( Put a heating pad on it the rest of the day at Nurse Carla's suggestion and it is very close to back to normal.