Bladder of gold

At the ungodly hour of 4:15 am we headed over to MSKCC where I was scheduled to have surgery to place what are called “fiducials” in my bladder. A fiducial marker or fiducial is an object, usually a gold seed, that is placed in the field of view of an imaging system which appears in the image produced, for use as a point of reference or a measure. Fiducials implanted in or around a tumor, or in this case the area where the tumors had been before surgical removal two weeks ago, act as radiologic landmarks to very precisely define the target lesion’s position.

The procedure is often done under general anesthetic, but after consultation with my pulmonologist, it was decided to attempt this procedure using propofol, a short-acting sedative that results in a decreased level of consciousness and lack of memory for events. I am glad to report that this plan worked, and was a lot less distressing for me than the spinal anesthetic used two weeks ago for my original bladder surgery. I do not remember anything and I came out of the medication very quickly, allowing us arrive at home by early afternoon.

All this talk of gold fiducials got me humming an old (1971) Neil Young song:

I want to live, I want to give
I've been a miner for a heart of gold
It's these expressions I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old

I've been to Hollywood, I've been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold
I've been in my mind, it's such a fine line
That keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old

Here is my rework of the song lyrics in honor of the 4 fiducials placed in my bladder this morning:

I want to live, so I have to give
I’ll be a patient with a bladder of gold
It's all these urine samples I have to give
That keep me searching for a bladder of gold
Hope I’ll be getting old
Keeps me searching for a bladder of gold
Hope I’ll be getting old

I've been to Sinai, I've been to Memorial
I’ve crossed The City for a bladder of gold
I've been in my mind, it's such a fine line
That keeps me searching for a bladder of gold
Hope I’ll be getting old
Keeps me searching for a bladder of gold
Hope I'll be getting old

I don’t think I will ever be able to listen to “Heart of Gold” in the same way again!

Love,

Rebecca