Hope its not in the Pericardium

I was thinking about Debbie undergoing her gall bladder operation and it brought back terrible memories of the pain I went through from 06 to 09. 

I remember what I called a near heart attack session every 10 to 12 weeks.  I had asked if it was the cancer in my heart and my oncologist said no and it was unheard of, the new chest man I was seeing said my heart was sound so my GP thought it wise to see if it was gall stones.

I did have gallstones so in the hope it would be one less pain to have organise around I had the gall bladder removed.  As we drove up to the hospital I wanted to turn around and go home.  Also I had arranged to do an interview for Action Day 3 days after surgery - which I still did only I was drugged up with so many painkillers and a friend came and did my makeup so I didn't look ill.

While I was in recovery I went into a session, the pain in my heart area was terrible and for the rest of the night in hospital I was in pain.  It also didn't help that they had nicked a vein so I had internal bleeding too.

The 10 - 12 week sessions continued until the operation where the culprit had been the meso living around my heart.  (It had attached to the heart sac - the pericardium)  I guess the sessions were caused by growth, and I honestly think in my case the meso had a growth pattern, hence every 10 to 12 weeks.  Through the entire experience pre-diagnosis I had sessions, usually every 12 weeks. 

I said to my Doc "that was a waste of time" but he assured me that had the stones started causing problems I was better off loosing the gallbladder while I was reasonably healthy.

I hope and pray that it is the stones causing Debbie's problems. 

Remember mesothelioma isn't the same in everyone I am A-Typical which means non of my illness has not gone the way the text books explain - but when patterns form I believe we should always take notice.

Debbie probably will not know whether its the stones or the meso until she has gone through 4 months of no pain and I for one will keep my fingers crossed for her.

Yesterday I kept my appointment and had my mammogram, I did manage to have my left breast squashed in the vice, painful, but I thought it could be helpful to see how far (if they report back on it) the meso has travelled and if it is affecting anything in there.  I am having a lot of pain both where the extended mass has grown and where it travels down.  The lump thankfully just missed the vice as it is flatish against the ribs - very thoughtful of meso wasn't it!

On that note I had better get moving, I have a busy day ahead with site visits and then hopefully catch up on some office work.

Quickly adding having raised the pregab to 2 I am starting to feel more human, long may that continue.