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I'm finally home!
I finally arrived home this afternoon.
I had the procedure very early on Thursday, and since my lung did collapse and a tube had to be inserted I didn't come home on Friday as originally planned.
It took a few days of being on both dry suction and then on wet suction, and then back to a dry suction to get the lung to stay inflated. All is now well, although I admit I'm a little nervous that my lung could pop if I breathe too hard.
I have minimal discomfort. The top of my left arm and shoulder hurts. The worst was when the drain was removed by a neophyte on the thoracic service. (I was followed mostly by thoracic attendees since interventional radiology really doesn't have a staff in the same way that thoracic (or gastrointestinal) has. I was admitted and discharged under the thoracic service. The person who actually performed the radiofrequency ablation and who I follow up with was not even listed on anything.)
My next step is a follow-up x-ray and office visit. Then I have to find out the plan for general follow up, which will probably be with PET/CTs and done through the interventional radiology office.
Your support gave me a lot of courage and I'm so happy and grateful to have found this community!
Joan
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Diagnosed stage 2b in July 2003 (2.3 cm, HER2+, ER-/PR-, 7+ nodes). Treated with mastectomy (with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction), AC + T/Herceptin (off label). Cancer advanced to lung in Jan. 2007 (1 cm nodule). Started Herceptin every 3 weeks. Lung wedge resection April 2007. Cancer recurred in lung April 2008. RFA of lung in August 2008. 2nd annual brain MRI in Oct. 2008 discovered 2.6 cm cystic tumor in left frontal lobe. Craniotomy Oct. 2008 (ER-/PR-/HER2-) followed by targeted radiation (IMRT). Coughing up blood Feb. 2009. Thoractomy July 2009 to cut out fungal ball of common soil fungus (aspergillus) that grew in the RFA cavity (most likely inhaled while gardening). No cancer, only fungus. Removal of tiny melanoma from upper left arm, plus sentinel lymph node biopsy in Feb. 2016. Guardant Health liquid biopsy in Feb. 2016 showed mutations in 4 subtypes of TP53. Repeat of Guardant Health biopsy in Jana. 2021 showed 3 TP53 mutations, BRCA1 mutation and CHEK2 mutation. Invitae genetic testing showed negative for all of these. Living with MBC since 2007. Stopped Herceptin Hylecta (injection) treatment in March 2020. Recent 2021 annual CT of chest, abdomen and pelvis and annual brain MRI showed NED. Praying for NED forever!!
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