Thoracotomy Syndrome… Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma; ‘Forever Pain’

Thoracotomy Syndrome… and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma…. ‘Forever Pain’

By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee

 

 

Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee…

 

 

If anyone has ever had a thoracotomy surgery… they know how severe the pain is… always.

If anyone has ever had… two thoracotomy surgeries… that normally doesn’t happen… you know the ‘forever pain’… and how ‘out of the blue’… such pain can just begin ‘rolling’…. and I can only describe it as … an ‘earthquake in my chest’.

I am over it now, thank-goodness! :))) It’s called ‘thoracotomy syndrome’… I’ve had two… thoracotomies. I can’t describe the ‘forever pain’.

I have tried medicine for the first time in sixteen years …to help the pain go away… I gave out of it several weeks ago…I thought I wouldn’t hurt anymore. I have been finding out ‘what I’ve missed’ …. I called the doctor, made an appointment… I have to wait until July 10th.

The good thing about the medicine is that it isn’t a narcotic… I stressed that when he prescribed medicine to me. The doctor wasn’t used to having a patient ‘not wanting’… narcotics. I was so amazed, myself. :)))

The pain is what I was coping with lately… I wasn’t going to write about it… but, now, I wonder if anyone else has went through the surgery, much less ‘two’ of them like I have… and has .. thoracotomy syndrome?

I’d be so interested in hearing from you. I’ve stayed private about this for so long… that’s ‘why I don’t know’ anyone else who has ever experienced it. Same way with having …. non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

 

 

 

 

NOTE:   I wrote these two posts on my Facebook and on Precious Camo (Camie’s) status tonight.  I am sharing it on my blogs.  This is a part of my life I live with everyday.  I hope maybe someone will know about this, share their experience.  Also, let you all know that when I don’t write for a short time (unless my internet’s not working for some reason)…. that I’m experiencing this.  It’s okay… I had to go through all to be here… today.  Everything’s alright, no matter what.  :))))))

 

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Camie Update: July 01, 2014…. Tuesday

 

 

I haven’t updated this evening

 

because I wasn’t well. I am just fine, now. :)))) I shared with everyone

 

about what I went through. It’s something I’ve suffered with for sixteen years.

 

Pain….. This is a pain is unlike any I’ve ever

 

known. The good thing is… it’s eased off. :))) I find myself looking

 

forward to going back to the doctor… while I took the medicine for the past

 

three months… I forgot how ‘bad’ the pain is. So, when I gave out

 

several weeks ago…. I thought I would be just fine… everyday… it began to

 

get progressively worse…. this evening being the worst. Now, I know better.

 

:)))) I look forward to my appointment on July 10th. I never complain

 

about this pain… nor do I talk about it. Why? It’s me… I’m very private.

 

I will write time to time about it. Tonight, I was thinking …’that’s why I

 

don’t know a lot about it’… I don’t know of anyone who has ever had a

 

thoracotomy…. especially anyone having … two thoracotomies.

 

Anyway…. I know people have emailed me… messaged me about ‘why’ I haven’t

 

felt well lately. This is what I’ve been going through I said that I

 

don’t complain…. the reason I don’t, is because it’s ‘my trade-off to live’.

 

When I had both surgeries… it meant life or death. I have

 

non-Hodgkins lymphoma… cancer. The good thing is that I’ve survived it…

 

I’ve never complained, nor ‘asked why’…. not even one time.   I knew

 

inside that it happened to me for a reason… three years after I was

 

diagnosed…. and still battling it…. Skip was diagnosed with colon cancer. I

 

‘knew’ that was ‘why’….. I knew he could get well. He saw firsthand all I

 

battled… and cared for me. I did the same to him… we made it. I

 

know this has nothing to do with Camie’s update, tonight. Then… again…

 

maybe it does. I rescued her one year ago… she was at Death’s Door… I knew

 

that if I couldn’t make her live…. she would not die alone without love,

 

comfort, and having me nearby her almost every moment. So, when I say

 

I’m not well… it doesn’t mean I’m dying. It just means I’m going through

 

what I call ‘forever pain’… because it’s pain that never goes away. That’s

 

okay, I’ve known pain since I was old enough to hurt, be aware of it. I’m not

 

afraid of it… it has strengthened me. It’s worth it… to live.

 

Camie and Kissy are at this very moment trying to get me to come to bed….

 

Chadwick and Skip are already in the bedroom. :))))) That tells you… she is

 

doing fine this evening. I’m amazed when our Pups come to be near me

 

when I go through the times like this evening. The pain makes me cry softly…

 

but, it doesn’t mean I’m weak. :))))) I wanted to tell you all

 

this… you won’t see me write about it very often. I feel you should know….

 

so many of you care about Camie… she’s a part of your day each day. When I

 

don’t feel well… you’ll have an idea why. :))) Goodnight everyone.

 

Everything is alright…. it’s still alright when I go through it…. it’s just

 

hard to write at that time! :)))))