I called the doctor earlier last week to ask for more drugs. My legs and hips were hurting and the percoset was not helping with the pain. The nurse asked me to come into the office on Thursday because she didn't think the pain should be so intense.
On Thursday, I headed to the office on my way to work. The oncologist examined my breast again; Lumpy is even smaller. Yay! She looked at my leg briefly and said that she thought it might be a blood clot. She admitted me to Hahnemann Hospital so that they could assess and treat it.
At the hospital, they took 5 vials of blood from my port and took my vitals 3 different times in the space of 2 hours. The nurse also gave me a shot of blood thinner medication into my belly every 12 hours to treat the possible blood clot. Later, the art therapist brought me a ton of art supplies. A few friends visited me and we joked around before visiting hours closed for the day. I had trouble sleeping because my back, hips, and entire left leg couldn't get comfortable. I was in pain, despite the percosets every 4 hours. I painted watercolors all night.
In the morning, they wheeled me down to x-ray and ultrasound. The radiology technician did the exam twice, pressing the magical ultrasound wand hard into the sore spots on my leg. The doctor asked me questions about Lumpy and whether or not it was an invasive cancer. Normally, I might have been more anxious with these questions, but I was barely able to keep my eyes open after not sleeping and taking regular painkillers all night.
My oncologist said that I have a Baker's Cyst, basically a fluid-filled sac behind my knee cap. It is pressing against blood vessels, which explains why my calf is swollen. She released me from the hospital.
I spent the weekend limping around Ikea and hobbling at a party. My primary care doc examined me today and said that I should stick with ice, ibuprofen, and rest because stupid cancer and stupid cancer drugs might be affected by the treatment of the cyst.
Nothing like leaving the doc in pain.
needle count: 21
touch count: 13
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