Note to Self: Take the valium sooner

Friday, September 19, 2008 was the appointment for my prostate biopsy. I am not certain but feel reasonable confident that any procedure called "biopsy" has to be associated with discomfort and/or pain. THIS was no exception. I took the prescribed valium about 30 minutes prior to the schedule procedure with an expectation that I would be "loopy" most if not all of the procedure. NOT SO ! Without too many gruesome details let me try to explain what happens. An ultrasound probe is inserted rectally. This is used to give the doctore a picture of where exactly the prostate is located and to mark the sites for tissue removal. Another probe is inserted with a needle to anesthesize the prostate before the biopsy. Probe two removed, probe three enters equipped with some type of mechanism that removes 14 little pieces of my prostate one at a time. It was similar to how the little needle feels when you get your finger pricked at the doctors office or when you are giving blood. The sound right before that little needle stick reminded me of those little toy guns we used to get for a $1 that had the rubber suction tip darts fired from a spring loaded plastic pistol. The valium had NOT worked as I thought it would and I counted down each needle as it fired into my innards. At 7 I realized I was half way there, at 10 I was in double digits and then 12, then 13 and finally the last one. I has sucessfully wiped away the tears before I had to face the assistant who helped me up. I am so thankful for medicine and technology but I pray that is something I never have to go through again. For those of you who have know me for a while and know about the accident I had almost 3 years ago with a nailgun, shooting a nail into my hand....given the choice again in the future as to which I would rather have done, I would have to give it some serious thought!

Oh yea, the valium finally did kick in. We stopped for chinese on the way home, I had a few phone conversations and still do not remember any of it. I am told I can be pretty humorous when under the influence of controlled narcotics. Note to self: TAKE THE VALIUM SOONER NEXT TIME !