I had the final step of my current treatment plan yesterday - a liver biopsy followed by microwave ablation of the lesion.
The consultant interventional radiologist who was going to do the operation wanted me to be in hospital as an in patient the night before. Whilst this isn’t clinically necessary, they can’t go ahead with the procedure unless there is a guaranteed bed to go back to afterwards for a minimum 24 hour stay.
At 4pm on admission day, I got a call from the oncology bed manager saying they hoped there would be a bed but didn’t have one yet. Later on, I was grateful to find there was a bed, and checked in. I was allocated a bed in a 4 person room. One of the other women was in for the same procedure with the same doctor. She had had 2 prior cancellations for lack of beds.
In the morning, I was treated to a bed ride down to the radiology day case unit. It was the unit I had visited in May to have my portacath fitted, and the procedure took place in the same operating theatre.
It was the usual rigmarole for a general anaesthetic - a few drugs administered into the veins, a face mask, then wake up in recovery an hour or so later. I was under anaesthetic for about an hour. The lesion had apparently grown a bit since my November scan, presumably because I have had no systemic treatment during that period. The procedure involved taking a biopsy sample, then burning out the lesion plus a margin. The surgeon was confident he had got it all. As it was all done through a fine needle guided by a CT scanner, I have a tiny stab wound in my abdomen, which didn’t need stitches or glue. There’s a fair bit of bruising. Back on the ward, I was required to lie on my back for 6 hours afterwards, the first 4 without anything other than sips of water.
It is quite painful, especially if I twist the wrong way or bend over. Some of the pain radiates into my shoulder. I had hoped to be discharged in the afternoon but there was a bit of a French farce over my blood test results from the morning after surgery. The samples were contaminated - nurse had flushed my port then immediately used the blood he drew back, so it had saline mixed with it. The second lot got delayed going to the lab. The 3rd lot taken to the lab by the nice doctor who was trying to discharge me and I was eventually discharged in the evening.
I should receive the biopsy results at my next oncology appointment, I understand this is largely to confirm it is a secondary of the original TNBC. Other than that, I will have a scan in 3 months, and at 3 monthly intervals thereafter, to watch for recurrence in the liver or elsewhere. I can have further liver ablation if necessary.
So a sort of end phase marker for now. I am hoping 2023 is less problematic than 2022.
