My B-Day! Oh Darn! Not Birthday, Biopsy Day! Part 5

Friday morning came. Biopsy day! I got up early that morning. We had to be there at 8:00am, so I wanted to be sure I had plenty of time to get my girl up, fed, and to her aunties house. I knew this morning would be the last time I would be nursing my girl. She was a year and a month now. I had been weaning her for about 3 weeks and was just waiting for the right time to pull away (no pun intended) Haha. I was planning on breastfeeding for a year. That was my goal. I had heard about people who said it was hard giving nursing up. I didn't think that would be me. But yes, it was. It was a bittersweet morning. I knew I was going to be on medications and away from her for 24 hours. I thought this was probably going to be the best opportunity. This made my morning all that more emotional though. 

We headed to the hospital, my guy and I. We were meet by my parents as we waited in the women's imaging waiting area. I told my parents not to feel like they had to come, but they did, and I'm glad! I checked in. Then sat and waited with my family. My dad was making jokes (of course) to keep my nerves down. It helped! :) I was a little nervous of the unknown. How bad is it going to hurt? Will I have any complications? Will I be able to hold still long enough? Gee, I hope he hits my kidney and not my lung or something! Haha. Oh how the mind wanders. That is, until...medications and prayer of course!

The door to the "back" opens. One of my nurse colleagues calls me in. Knowing me, she says, "I was wondering if this was you," as she pointed to her clipboard.  "Yup, it's me," I said. She takes me into a small room has me put on a gown and lay down on the bed. She then was joined by one of my other nurse colleagues who says the same thing as the other nurse did. Wondering if I was the Rachel there for the biopsy. They then proceeded to ask me questions about why the heck I was there and what was going on. Then started asking me questions they were supposed to be, putting my patient identification band on, putting in an IV and drawing some labs. I had to have some labs done prior to the test showing pre-biopsy kidney levels, blood levels, and to rule out pregnancy. This would NOT be a good time to be told your pregnant! They then sent me back out to the waiting area to wait till my lab results were up. More joking and talking with my family! I get called back again. This time going into another room where more questions are asked. The nurse confirms that I am NOT pregnant. She say's, "now I can give you the goods!" Valium PO (oral) and Demerol I.M. (intramuscular, shot) was a wonderful combination to keep me VERY relaxed! I asked the nurse about how long before these would both take effect. "Oh, about 45min," was her response. I was sent out, again, to wait. This time I was the joke! HA! It took only about 15 minuets before I needed to slouch down in my chair and lean my head against the head rest! Oh my! No more wandering thoughts! Lol. I felt like I was on a cloud.

The nurse comes out a third time and says we are going back for the real deal. My guy came back with me this time and sat outside the procedure room. Mom and dad stay in the waiting room and send me back with hugs. I'm led by the nurse down a hallway that seemed so long with a floor moving back and forth. Oh drugs! I told her, "umm I'm going to need your help walking!" She laughed, and I said, "I'm not kidding!" She guides me back to the dark procedure room. Has me sit on the bed till my doc comes in. The radiology tech is there along with nurses. My doc arrives. Greets me, and asks how I am doing. I think my response was something like, "really good! Thanks for the meds by the way!" He explains the "plan". Has me lay on my stomach. He gowns and gloves up and then creates his sterile field on my left lower back. The nice thing is that what is happening in one kidney happens in the other, as far as damage goes. So he only needs to take tissue from one side. So we decided the left was going to be the side to do!

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He gives me a couple shots of lidocane to numb the area a bit. The radiology tech then guides the ultrasound wand over my kidney to get a clear shot so doc knows where he is going. He then tells me he is going to make two passes to my kidney. Making sure he can get two good pieces of tissue. At this point I remember praying, asking God to guide his hands. He has me take a deep breath in,  hold that breath, and hold my body very still until he says 'ok'. As I take that big breath in, I feel pressure to my back. A sharp pinch and then one of the weirdest feelings I have ever felt! (those other weird feelings were those of my child birthing experience. NEVER to be forgotten!) :) This felt like something going inside of me, very deep into my organs. I think I described it to my guy as like a transformer experience! (don't ask me why!) A large needle stuck through my back, deep into my kidney. I could actually feel the little grabbers ripping a piece of tissue out of my kidney. The tool he was using was like a spring loaded gun with a large needle that would retract quickly with the push of a button. He then tells me to relax and breath again. To where I said, "oh my, that felt weird!" We then go through the process one more time. He then places a small bandage on my back. He and the nurse go over to the counter where they are putting my tiny pieces of kidney into a little sterile cup. I watch them intently thinking, 'you better not drop that!' Heck, I probably said it out loud! Haha. (the meds were still very effective at that point) :) Once I knew they hadn't dropped anything and it was securely in the container with the lid tightly on, I asked if I could see it. The nurse and doc both turned around and looked at me with confused faces as if thinking, 'really'? "Really," I said, "I want to see it!" After all, it is MY piece of kidney you have there! The nurse brings it over so I can see. I reply with a thank you! Two very small pieces of tissue. No blood. They just looked like a little chunk of flesh. Nothing exciting,  but it was intriguing to me!

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