Empyema.................

 Empyema............................

 Empyema.........................................

Ever hear THAT word before? Me neither.....................well...............that's until a little over 3 weeks ago when I was on a trip to Oregon for the West Coast Wrestling Connection promotion for a few dates. I started feeling really sick on the layover in Minnesota. I was having fever, headache, and sweats. By time I got to Oregon I told the promotion I was really hurting.  

The promotion did everything to try to help me feel better. We all had the idea that I had the flu. So I tried any over the counter flu meds I could find. With nothing working I went to my doc the very next morning after I got home and he gave me some antibiotics. In the following days the flu symptoms had had passed. I was bed ridden as explained in the “sickly” blog on myspace. Though I wasn’t feeling the flu anymore I was STILL having breathing problems. I figure the flu had triggered my asthma.

So I am coughing up good ole lung jello. Around that Saturday I started to notice I was coughing up specs of blood and that night my friend Ralph rushed my Tracy and me to the emergency room. The hook every breathing apparatus and gave me all types of shots to help clear my lungs. Later that Sunday I was admitted. This was the first time I had been admitted to a hospital since I was a kid with the asthma problems.

Around Tuesday is when a lung specialist comes and tells me I had been suffering from an “Empyema”. What is an Empyema you ask? Well hears the medical definition from google:

“Empyema is caused by an infection that spreads from the lung and leads to an accumulation of pus in the pleural space. The infected fluid can build up to a quantity of a pint or more, which puts pressure on the lungs, causing shortness of breath and pain. Risk factors include recent pulmonary (lung) conditions including bacterial pneumonia, lung abscess, thoracic surgery, trauma or injury to the chest, or rarely, thoracentesis (a needle inserted through the chest wall to draw off fluid in the pleural space).”

So I was scheduled for surgery. The best case scenarion is that they go in and just drain all the puss out and that’s it. But my name is Brian Michael James Heffron and my luck doesn’t work that way. Thursday I get prepped for surgery. They install an epidural for post op pain and off to the O.R. I go. They put me out and 5 hours I awake on my way to I.C.U. On the way to I.C.U I see my sister, mom and my Tracy in the waiting area.

They set me up in my area and my head is in the clouds but I still had my sense of humor. A few days later a nurse told me that when they brought me in I announced “Hello, I am Brian and will be your patient for the day”. When I was more aware I realized that I had along with the epidural, two drainage tubes taking the excess puss and blood out and an I.V pumping me full of two different antibiotics. The doctor came in to tell me they had to removed part of my left lung. There was too much puss that the part of the lung had become diseased. He said essentially I had hit the jackpot. There was puss, blood and a lot of scar tissue. A week later the tubes came out, my catheter came out and I started recovering well.  I was discharged last Thursday and recovered at my sisters. I had my staples removed today (35 in all) and still have the wounds covered from where the drainage tubes came out.

I am breathing a little better and have breathing exercises to do everyday. I won’t be able to wrestle anytime soon. I can still make appearances but just can’t bump. But my main concern is getting back to 100% and taking care of my loved ones. I want to thank all my friends who were there for me in what has been the roughest thing I have gone through. Thanks for being there and thanks for keeping it on the down low while I recovered enough to get outta there. I wanna thank my mom, my sister Leona, her fiancé Bill and my love Tracy for helping since I have been out. Coming out of the hospital after losing half a left lung was scary and you all eased my fears. I am off to get some rest but wanted share with all of you what I have been through since I had a lot of “Are you OK?!?!?” type emails waiting for me when I got home lol.

I love you all!!

Brian  (Blue Meanie)

Link to picture of scar.....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v344/thebluemeanie/Various/mybooboo.jpg

Brian, we send you all our love, hugs and prayers.  Get Well Quick.