Anita's Guestbook

Anita Ibarra  Thank you, Ben.

I was released yesterday from Mayo in Jacksonville. I was there for 8 days. Yes indeed, the doctors there are really good maybe as good as the ones in Rochester.

I got admitted the same day I had follow up x-ray and a follow up cardiology visit from the previous thoracentesis done just two weeks before. They said the might right lung had pleural effusion just about full. So they put a pigtail chest tube on the right first and drained 1 liter of fluid and left the tube there. Then the next day, after another x-ray, they found that the left lung is also filling up so instead of doing a thoracentesis, they also inserted a pigtail chest tube. Oh, the 1st and the 2nd night after both brocedures were excruciating. The pain was so much that the nurses has to give me both oxycodone and diluidid for pain, because, the oxy and the fentanyl do not relieve the pain. The tubes kept on draining and the total fluid that was drained from the right lung, after all was said and done was more than 6 1/2 liters and from the right, it was almost 2 liters. The day before I was released, they took the tubes out and let me stay for another day to see if it was still draining. The right one did for almost the whole day, but it was not as much as it used to. My gown was wet, and also the sheets and the chair where I set on and all my undies and pajamas were also soaked.. The nurse place a real thick dressing and put towels on the site, and finally, the next morning it was dry.

Oh what an ordeal. Now I am home, praise the Lord, and doing the spirometer breathing machine every hour to expand my lungs.

Thanks to all for all the prayers. You guys are great friends. Love y'all.