Well 1 step forward and 2 steps back

So I have been in and out of the hospital since May 2008 with constant chest pains. Every time I have gone to the hospital it was in fear I had either another blood clot or worse fluid on my lung. Yes I know that a blood clot is WAY more serious than fluid on my lung but if you have ever had a needle put into your back then into your lung to drain fluid you would know what I mean it is AWFUL!!!

OK back on point... so the Dr's have never been able to give me a cause, or explanation for this severe pain except to call it "pleurisy" or "chest wall pain" which means "yes we know you are in pain but we cannot tell you how or why so here are some pain meds go sleep it off." Well by the end of January made another trip to the ER and I told the Dr. that if he told me I had "pleurisy" 1 more time I was gonna go ballistic (joking of course) so he referred me back to my lung Dr. I went to see Dr. Harris and she sent me to the cardio/thoracic surgeon, the same that had done my surgery after my clot and he was able to give me a diagnosis!! Finally after 8 months I had a REAL diagnosis. The scar tissue from the dead part of my lung and from the chest wall surgery had adhered together and THEN to my rib cage!!! This tissue is SOOO thick that the surgeon cannot even operate and remove the tissue and if I ever have to surgery on my lung they have to do it open chest. This 'condition' is called a scar tissue adhesion. This is why I cannot do push-ups, sit ups, jumping jacks and why sleeping was becoming VERY hard b/c no matter how I lay the scar tissue makes breathing painful. It makes SOOO much sense!!

So the only way to treat this is either continue on my path of narcotics and possibly end up on disability OR I can go to an anestesiologist and have a nerve in my back burned so that I cannot feel anything from my armpit to my waist. So on March 18th I am having this procedure done. I won't lie I am totally scared but compared to the constant pain and the emotional wreck I am while on narcotics it is the only option. The procedure is kinda like a permanent epideral but it will only affect my right rib cage. The procedure is a same day thing and I should be feeling better quickly.

The ONE brightside to this all is that this "adhesion" prevents me from developing fluid on my lung and from getting pnemonia! however, if I ever had another blood clot that caused an infarct I won't be able to feel it.

Once this procedure is done I will still have physical limitations... no running, exercise within my current limitations. But I won't be in constant pain. I will continue my Martial Arts training no matter what. I know my limits (for the most part) and I can work around them. Another good piece of news is that the surgeon was VERY impressed by the health of the lung that is still good!! and he attribuites it to the fact I am active! WOOHOO! so to those Dr's that think I should not train!! SUCK THAT hahaha!!

Ok this is WAAAAY long and I am going to bed. My meds have kicked in and the lights are starting to dim!

Love you all!

Samiee

Goals... well not a special one but one anyway

Ok so in 2006 I chopped off my hair and I have kept it short since. I came to the decision that I am going to grow it long again and then cut it off to donate it. I had extensions last year and it really made me miss my long long hair so we shall see if I actually do it. I figure this can be my way of "giving back" since my blood and organs are not useful to anyone... and hell barely useful to me! hahaha j/k so ya there is my "goal"