Liver Biopsy

Tomorrow morning at 11:00 am I have to go for a liver biopsy.

Crazy as that may seem, I'm scared.

The last liver biopsy I had was more than 4 years ago and it was in a State Hospital in South Africa.

Now, I've seen and been in many hospitals in my life, but South Africa's State Hospitals are a nightmare. If you don't have a medical aid or ALOT of money to make use of private medical care, you have no choice though, as I had no choice back then.

Forget about cleanliness and hygiene if you think of a state hospital in SA. The longest I have ever been in one was about 5 days and it was during this time that the liver biopsy was also performed.

I had no idea what they were going to do, but I had an idea, as it involves removing liver tissue with a biopsy needle.

They came and took me from the ward, I sat there waiting outside for about 40 minutes and then they simply performed the biopsy. I wasn't given any anaesthetic and it hurt like hell. I was pushed back to the ward and I was crying (I have a very high tolerance for pain though). I started coughing alot, so they sent me for x-rays and I was told that the biopsy needle was shot through my lung and that it was only fluid that I'm coughing up and nothing to be worried about.

I tend to engrave these memories in my mind in such a way that I get terrified whenever I think about it.

I told Andy that I'm scared, but I don't think he really understands HOW scared I really am and he will be at work tomorrow :(

I know that it will be different over here, the medical care is excellent even though it is provided by the state, but that doesn't make me feel any better.