Disaster Averted . . .

Well!

It's me, The Mom, hacking into Gretchen's blog again.

I'm (almost) incensed! My kid had an incident this ayem that could've proven tragic.

From the beginning she's had a surgery -- well not "complication" exactly -- more like a "result." She suffers from numbness and tingling down her left arm, from shoulder to fingertips. It's her left arm, mind you, not the right side where the cancer was discovered. This numbness is of great annoyance and pain to her. More pronounced when she wakes up in the morning then lessens throughout the day. Keeps her from gripping the phone and eating utensils sometimes.

She finally mentioned it to Dr. Buys, the oncologist, a very thorough woman, during our last visit. Dr. B ordered an MRI of the nerve bundle near the left scapula, which is where arm nerves originate. The MRI appt was this ayem.

Gretchen got in there, undressed, and waited and waited and waited in the cubicle. Finally the MRI tech came in and asked her at which hospital she had her expanders inserted, Huntsman or UofU or elsewhere? Gretchen told her Huntsman. She apologized and said that the kind of expanders used at those two hospitals were not MRI-compatible. (Too much metal.) Expanders used elsewhere were okay. Exam cancelled.

How awful! Don't know who caught that, the tech or the radiologist, but aren't we happy the question was asked??? Can you imagine the damage to her chest that would have been done if it hadn't?

In Dr. B's defense, she's probably never ordered an MRI near a patient's chest wall before. Or know what materials the expanders are made of. That's the plastic surgeon's area. These specialists are so highly, well, specialized, that they can't be expected to know the details of each others' specialities.

But oh, my, aren't we happy it was caught?

As for the numbness, so annoying -- and Gretchen's fear is that it will be permanent -- it will remain undiagnosed until reconstruction, hopefully, when the expanders will be removed and silicone injected. She's hoping it's just caused by the pressure from the left expander which, upon close inspection, lies a little lower than the right. (to Gretchen's buddies -- try to take a peek without being too obvious!)

That's my latest from Cedar Hills,
Have a great TGIF!
Lindy-Lou