You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.

Yesterday, Tuesday 12th February i had my second biopsy. Mum and I arrived at the hospital at 11am. We waited around an hour and then we got called into a room and i had my ob's checked by a nurse. She checked my blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. She also checked my details where correct and asked when i had last eaten or drank. The nurse then took Mum and I to another waiting room and told me to put on my hospital gown and take a seat. While we sat there, the surgeon and anaesthetist came to see me to check details. The surgeon came back and took me into another area so she could look at my neck and mark where she wanted to cut. She couldn't decide between two of the nodes, so marked both and said they would make the final decision when i was asleep. I asked her how long i would be in surgery for and she said only 20 minutes. I then went back and sat with mum. We waited there until 3pm when they told me it was my turn to go in. I walked into the theatre room and there was about 7 doctors/nurses/anaesthetists in there. One of them said to me "Don't look so worried". I got up onto the theatre bed and they connected the saline drip to my PICC line. I was starting to panic at this stage so one of the nurses asked me if i wanted her to hold my hand. I shook my head yes. They put the oxygen mask on me and put an antibiotic through my PICC line. They anaesthetist told me to take deep breaths to fill my lungs with oxygen before i go to sleep. I remember taking some deep breaths and that was it.

I woke up in the recovery ward at 4:20pm. The nurse asked if i was okay and i shook me head yes. I was a bit groggy for the first few minutes until i woke up properly. Then the pain hit, it was horrible and i could barely move my neck. I don't remember it being this sore last time. I guess it was worse this time because they actually took a whole lymph node and not just a sample. The nurse kept taking my blood pressure and told me i had to lay there for another 20 minutes. When that time was up she helped me off the bed and i went and sat in a recliner chair. She went and got me a drink and sandwich and let mum know that i was out and she could come see me. They took my blood pressure again and said if it was okay i could go get changed, it was, so i went and got changed. The nurse went through the discharge procedure and told me i have to keep the dressing on until i see my doctor on Friday 15th. She gave me some Panadeine Forte to take home incase i needed it. Mum had to go and bring the car around because they had to take me down to the car in a wheelchair. She rang when she was out the front and they took me down. We got home just after 7pm.

I found it difficult to find a position to sleep in as I can't move my neck. I did manage to find a "comfortable" position and got enough sleep.