Massive Fluid in Lung Returns; Hennessy
My left lung had collapsed when we got to my appointment
Friday, March 7, 2025, my left lung was collapsed upon arrival. Then, via a thoracentesis procedure, Dr. Patel had almost 2 liters of fluid sucked from the ailing lung.
Below, Betsy and I, moments before my third thoracentesis procedure since June, 2024.
Pleural effusion—massive fluid buildup in the left lung returned to taunt me. Dr. Patel siphoned 2 liters from the same lung twice in the stifling summer of 2024. Ugh, times infinity. I'd rather endure a vasectomy than this stage IV prostate cancer in-the-lungs side effect. (I think😂)
While Dr. Patel worked with manual dexterity, during the thirty-minute procedure, Betsy soothed me by holding, squeezing, and massaging my hand.
“I cannot and will not let this defeat me. I've beaten fluid buildup in the lung before and will again!”
My antics pre-procedure had the medical team, Betsy, and me chuckling and loose, which helped me maintain my sanity, stay composed, and be ready.
I Needed a Miracle
For the first few days after the procedure, I felt lackluster and lousy, even with clear lungs. Watching golf, basketball, and Cold Case reruns on my 70” TV, and being no more than two rooms away from a nap if needed, were my friends.
On Tuesday, the fourth day, I worked three hours in my office. The awful feeling dissipated completely six days after the procedure (Thursday), and the old energy returned. It looked promising for my weekend presentation.
On Saturday, one week and one day after Dr. Patel drained almost 2 liters of putrid, deadly fluid from my lung, I was able to give my talk at Redwood Writers, Santa Rosa, CA, a much-needed uplifting and enriching journey.
One reason my talks are well-received is I make them uplifting and entertaining. I also laugh and have as much fun as my audience.
I spend many hours ad nauseam crafting a speech. Preparing my PowerPoint and including my unique social media posts and clips from my award-winning videos is a ton of work.
But the payoff is getting to perform in front of an audience and knowing you’re going to kill it. The wonderful accomplished feeling and natural high that lasts for sedays
I hung out until their meeting ended. There was no rushing or stress. Authors Shawn Langwell, his wife, Crissi, and I were the last to leave. I took the backroad route through Sonoma, a world-class wine region. Navigating without hurrying via the two-lane road with tunes and without a car on my butt through rolling hills, smothered in rows of green vines boosted my being.
Passing Calistoga’s Petrified Forest, and five minutes later, one of the three Old Faithful Geysers on earth, was just the beginning of a twenty-mile drive through the entire Napa Valley—A renowned wine region known for world-class wines and beautiful scenery.
I stopped at Gott's Roadside, formerly the famous Taylor’s Refresher. I enjoyed an early dinner: a gorgeous gourmet burger with blue cheese crumble, an onion ring on top, and scrumptious sweet potato fries made from real sweet, sweet potatoes.
What a tremendous blessing it was to accomplish such an adventure.
There’s something about getting home after a long, satisfying day, and feeling incredible, but even more incredible, after a cleansing shower, a luxury I never take for granted.
And in the End
As long as I have these three, I am gooder than good. We ain't scared! Um, well, maybe a little less than a little.
* Hey gang, I’ve got a Question?
Do you prefer future HennSchtick issues to contain more, fewer, or the same number of photos as this issue? If you have an idea(s) on how to make HennSchtick better, please leave a comment in the comments. Thank you so much for reading and supporting my creative efforts.
Ha Ha - no two people are alike. Thanks for the picture, Chris. Solomon. a pastor/friend in Ghana Africa, is in a hospital getting the fluid out of his lungs and stomach today. It helped to see what it looks like, but probably not forwarding the picture.
Way to go goofball, you are my hero