I could sense that a problem was developing around the cyst on my upper back. That cyst had been there for years, and no medical person seemed to think that I ought to get it excised -- until I met with Dr. Bang for my first visit in December. The cyst was on his "To Do" list, once we knew for sure what my other problem was. Because it turns out that I have cancer, the cyst problem was put off.
The area around the cyst began to be sore, and I really dreaded the thought that an infection might develop. So, I quit going to exercise class (5:15 am, MWF, at church). I felt that irritation might lead to problems.
Dr. Bang was out of town for two weeks, which was why the surgery was not to be until the end of January. My final meeting with him would be the Monday before my Friday surgery. The last half of the week before that appointment, I would have my husband check that area on my back to see if it looked infected because things there were not calming down even though I had given up things that would aggravate it. I did call the doctor's office to see what they suggested, in case I thought that there actually was more than an irritation going on. They said that if I needed to, I could go to the ER at the hospital and they could treat the problem. That way there would be a record there at the hospital of what had transpired. As it was, I was able to wait until my appointment.
Well, Dr. Bang determined that I had a small infection. My surgery was postponed. This appointment then focused on the cyst. Dr. Bang had me lie on my belly on the table. He injected a numbing drug around the area of the cyst. Then he proceeded to lance the cyst and drain the area. Some of that required his pressing and squeezing the area, which was painful. Add to it the fact that the matter looked gross and apparently smelled. I could not tell, but my husband, the nurse, and Dr. Bang could -- at times, Dr. Bang had to step away to get some different air. Junk kept coming, it seemed.
Finally that was done. Dr. Bang put gauze and tape on the area and gave me a prescription to be sure the infection was cleared and one for pain. The gauze needed to be changed every day, and I was to come back that Thursday and again the following Monday to check the progress. All three, the nurse, the doctor, and my husband commented on the size of the hole that this procedure left.
So, surgery was rescheduled for February 6; however, as time drew near, Dr. Bang knew that was not going to happen. UGH! Here I was dealing with a cyst problem that was postponing dealing with the cancer problem. Initially I thought that things with the cancer must not be too bad, since it seemed that there was no urgency to see what could be done to get that hole healed in my back so that it would be safe to do the surgery -- no open wound that might welcome infection from the OR.
What was painful for quite some time with the changing of the bandaging was that someone had to pack the area with some gauze before covering it with a bandage. That stuffing was not at all fun. I almost felt like back-kicking the person behind me who was doing that -- but I controlled myself.
Dr. Bang decided that he really could not postpone things any longer and set the date, the third date, for February 22. To be sure things were good with my back, since it was just a matter of the area healing well, he used silver nitrate to cauterize the area around the cyst. Still, I was having to change the bandaging, but there was no more packing the space with gauze. Yea!
Dr. Bang told me, that final appointment, that I was to be ready to explain to the hospital staff about the bandage on my back, as there were things they would be attending to before he appeared. Things were good, and Dr. Bang was aware of the problem.
One mini-trial was over, and now I could focus on the larger one -- the cancer.
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