Apparently I had TACE

[trbiggins]

My procedure Monday went well. Tuesday when I got home I started running a fever. This morning I still had a fever and an intense pain in my side when I breathed in. Decided to go to my local onc's office. He wasn't in but I got to see his partner. Dr. Kemeny is out this week too so we were calling NYC on what the local onc should do. I am the only patient there with a HAI pump and the nurse wasn't taking me seriously I thought. Finally got up with Kemeny's office, minus Kemeny, and they told me I could have a possible blood clot in my lung. What the crap? My pain got a lot worse and the local nurse was going to send me home. I don't think so! When I finished explaining everything to her concerning my pump and the other procedure Monday, she fully explained my condition to the onc. He called me back and explained the me that the procedure I had was TACE. This was the first I had heard of it. The IR in NYC didn't explain the possible side effects, I discovered today, because he doesn't deal with chemo. He performs the procedure and lets the onc deal with the chemo. Since Kemeny was out and this was done short notice, those side effects were never explained to me. I literally though I might be dying. The local onc explained everything and that all my symptoms were normal with TACE. My blood work and liver panels were fine. While I'm still hurting, I am calm once again. This is the first pain I have ever experienced from chemo (I had mitomycin infused to my lesions). The onc said the tumors release things that actually make you sick and cause pain as the cancer cells are destroyed. If that's the case, bring the pain on. I've got some meds for that. Anyway, that was my day. First time in a while I was scared.

Richard

[Lee]

Hi Richard,

I'm not an expert on HAI or TACE, butt it sounds like nasty cancer cells are being kicked into the after life. Way to go!! Take it easy and thinking of you.

Lee

[trbiggins]

Thanks Lee!

[jhocno197]

Would have been nice if they warned you beforehand & spared you some panic!

[Crystald]

Sending you prayers Richard! Hang in there sounds like what you did is working!

[juliej]

Sounds like you are kicking some major cancer butt! However, the IR staff fell short on explaining the procedure's side-effects to you before you were released. Hope you feel better soon!