(this is an ivc filter, i think it's just a couple of inches)on monday, i am going down to ann arbor because i will be having an i.v.c. filter put in...ivc stands for inferior vena cava, a major blood vessel that returns blood from the lower part of the body to the heart...the filter is a small piece of metal that will be put into the inferior vena cava to prevent blood clots from going from the site of the amputation up to my heart or lungs...this kind of blood clot is called a deep vein thrombosis...if the clot goes to the lung, it's called a pulmonary embolus...which, if large enough could cause death...the filter will be put in by a vascular surgeon...it's an outpatient surgery...i was told that i will have something called twilight sedation where i am aware of what is going on but i can’t feel what’s going on – i have such wonderful luck...he described the procedure as a needle going into a vein in my groin to put a catheter into a blood vessel (gross)...then the catheter is positioned so the ivc filter can be inserted...the doctor will be using an x-ray so he can see the filter and move it to where it’s supposed to be...the procedure is supposed to take less than an hour...i’ll be in recovery up to 4 hours...then i can come home...can’t wait.
props to "j" for attending my appointment with me and taking great notes...this was an all day event, because after talking with the doctor, i had to have, an ekg, chest x-ray and some bloodwork done, then i had a 2p. mri and a 4p. ctscan - "j" kept me company the whole day
a side note - they told me i couldn't eat anything after 10a for the mri and ctscan, after each scan i asked, "why is it that i wasn't supposed to eat?" they each (they being each individual scanner person) said, "i'm not sure"...i guess they give out the same instructions for all patients (that's what you call patient friendly services or something like that) ugh...
then on tuesday, in east lansing, i will be having an epidermal inclusion cyst removed from my shoulder...which at one point it looked like something the size of a grape was protruding out of my shoulder, according to the doctor (general surgeon) it needs to be removed...he said the good thing is, that it's not infected...if it were, then it would be more difficult to remove...(it had gone down in size by the time i was able to see the doctor...and i told him, that it had gone down...thinking that it would continue to go down and disappear, but he said, that because it has gone down it will be easier to remove, but it still should come out and be tested)...joy!
wednesday, i get to go back down to ann arbor for an appointment with doctor #6, whom i am sure will send me for more x-rays and bloodwork
there's something thursday, but it escapes me...
friday, the 10 day countdown begins...
props to "j" for attending my appointment with me and taking great notes...this was an all day event, because after talking with the doctor, i had to have, an ekg, chest x-ray and some bloodwork done, then i had a 2p. mri and a 4p. ctscan - "j" kept me company the whole day
a side note - they told me i couldn't eat anything after 10a for the mri and ctscan, after each scan i asked, "why is it that i wasn't supposed to eat?" they each (they being each individual scanner person) said, "i'm not sure"...i guess they give out the same instructions for all patients (that's what you call patient friendly services or something like that) ugh...
then on tuesday, in east lansing, i will be having an epidermal inclusion cyst removed from my shoulder...which at one point it looked like something the size of a grape was protruding out of my shoulder, according to the doctor (general surgeon) it needs to be removed...he said the good thing is, that it's not infected...if it were, then it would be more difficult to remove...(it had gone down in size by the time i was able to see the doctor...and i told him, that it had gone down...thinking that it would continue to go down and disappear, but he said, that because it has gone down it will be easier to remove, but it still should come out and be tested)...joy!
wednesday, i get to go back down to ann arbor for an appointment with doctor #6, whom i am sure will send me for more x-rays and bloodwork
there's something thursday, but it escapes me...
friday, the 10 day countdown begins...
