Disappointed :-(

I am disappointed that I am not going home today. I will try to explain what is going on, as I think I finally have a pretty clear picture. While the chest tube was inserted it nicked the lung, releasing air and causing a small air pocket to form in the top of my chest cavity. However, over time, it continued to get bigger and is now holding down the top of my lung, keeping it from expanding fully. The little hole in the lung was sealed when the talc procedure was performed, but the pocket remains. Once my cumadin (a blood thinner) level gets low enough, which might be as soon as tomorrow, the doctor will insert a small tube in the top of my chest cavity that has a one way valve on it that releases the air but doesn't allow it back in. As I breathe, air from the pocket is force out the tube. It is unknown how long I would wear this tube. Some people need it just a day or two - others a week or longer. The doctor isn't sure if I will stay in the hospital over night after the procedure, or if I would be sent home the same day. What will be, will be.
Yesterday, if you remember, my doc suggested I get up and move around the room as much as possible. I follow orders, so I cleaned my room up, and walked very small laps (my room is not that big). I also tried to stay sitting up rather than laying in bed. I had two visitors (both who brought food - thanks Donna and Marcia), edited a paper for my son, Matt and had multiple phone calls. I thought it was a good day until just before Marcia arrived, around 4:00, I became immensely tired and my heart started racing. IV drugs eventually brought it back down, but this disappointed me, too, since I had been doing so well for 4 and a half days. The nurse suspects I did too much during the day after just lolling around for so many days - doctors orders on the lolling - not by choice. Marcia suggested that I think of what I want to do, then cut it in half. I have always been a doer - so pacing myself is something I am going to have to learn. Perhaps God was just putting a little scare in me so I won't overdo once I do get to go home. Believe me, I don't want my heart to do that when I am not in the hospital!
Before my little heart episode yesterday, my cardiologist stopped by and said I was doing fine. She asked if I was short of breath and I told her just a little and I could tell something wasn't normal. She said she was amazed at how well I was handling this and that most people don't do so well. She attributed it to the fact that I am in such overall good health. I had to smile because I do feel good in spite of a misbehaving lung and heart, an air pocket and cancer. Go figure. :-) My heart was under control by the time I went to bed, and has been fine ever since. Hopefully the nurse was right about just overdoing it. I will see what the cardiologist thinks when she comes in.
If I can make it through the day without diarrhea I will be taken off of isolation tomorrow - hoo hoo! That means I could actually take a stroll around the hallway - or even go to the gift shop or coffee shop! Sounds heavenly! For the last two weeks my biggest excursions have been going to the 1st floor for x-rays.