update on appointments

I apologize for not updating more often. I didn't have internet access at home until today. I had been walking or "walking" to the coffeeshop for internet, but I haven't even been able to do that in the last few days. My leg has been worse since last week. My knee is swollen and stuck at a 90 degree angle. It is really hard to walk on. The orthopedic doctor called in a prescription for Vicodin and for Gabapentin to help with pain.

I have 5 appointments this week: 3 tomorrow. I meet with the orthopedic doctor tomorrow morning to discuss his plan for surgery. Afterwards, I meet with the hospital staff to determine any presurgery tests that they need. In the afternoon, I meet with my surgeon to review my scars from the cancer operation.

Thursday, I get my shot of Herceptin and Friday I have surgery on the cyst in my knee (finally!).

running errands with Athena

Athena has been tremendously helpful. I knew that I would feel better eating more nourishing foods, but I had no idea that I'd feel this much better! I've been eating tons of fruits and vegetables, rather than the semi-healthy frozen foods that I've been living on. I'm also trying to minimize gluten in my diet because my acupuncturist suggested that it might increase any inflammatory response that my body has. I can't afford that; my leg is so swollen, I couldn't wear pants. Luckily, it's hot and shorts are acceptable.

Yesterday, she dropped me off at Methodist to pick up my MRI report. I made a bad decision and read the report which was scary, partly because it used lots of words I didn't know and some words that I did, like neoplasm. I really don't want to have Lumpy II have anything to do with cancer. I'm done with that.

Today, Athena dropped me off at Renaissance Healing to get acupuncture and chiropractic work done. My acupuncturist did cupping on my knee to help reduce swelling. My chiropractor helped with neck stiffness that I wasn't even aware that I had until it went away.

Then Athena drove me to work where I sent out letters to all the clients whom I couldn't reach by phone. I'm not going to be working again until September. I feel a little guilty about my absence, but the families have ways to continue therapy if they are interested. Most of the families said that they'd wait for me.

After work, I dropped off the MRI report at Dr. Junkin's office. Then I hobbled across the street to my surgeon's office to get another prescription for Percoset. Athena picked it up for me.

Knee drain today

I am just getting home from the hospital where the doctors aspirated 110ccs of fluid from my knee. That makes 280ccs total. When I have more energy, I will try to find an equivalent. The doctor sent the fluid to pathology to check for infection and possible malignancy.

Today, I am calling docs to coordinate the surgery to remove the knee cyst.

Needle count: 61 (Today I had 1 Lidocaine shot and 1 needle to aspirate.)
Touch count: 20

calvary coming in

I feel nervous that my MRI will not be sufficient for the surgery and that I'll need another (painful) scan. I'm also in a lot of pain with my leg. I called the surgical assistant and she scheduled me to have another ultrasound guided aspiration on my knee as it was hurting too much.

My younger sister, Athena, said that she'll come help me. She'll stay for a few days to help with coordinating all my appointments and in helping me with groceries and things around the apartment. I feel like the Calvary is coming in: my sister and helpful medical appointments on the near horizon.

ct scan and mri

I hobbled to my primary care doctor's office to get a referral for the MRI today and met my friend Amy at the coffeeshop across the street from his office. Amy drove me to Methodist Hospital for the tests. She pulled up in the back and grabbed me a wheelchair.

My first test was the MRI. It was in the trailer outside the building; I'd never had an MRI at that one before. I explained my knee's lack of mobility to the technician and we tried to find an acceptable position for me to be in during the exam. After the first few minutes, my leg started to throb. It got worse and tears started to come to my eyes. I pressed the "emergency" button to ask how much longer. I thought it was maybe halfway through the test, not 5 minutes into it. The technician said to try to stay in the test. I did try, but a few minutes later, my foot started to get hot. Really hot. Like it was burning. The searing sensation lapped up my leg and I became hysterical. I cried so hard that the technician stopped the test. I think he lifted off the apparatus on my knee and carried me off the machine into the wheelchair before I calmed down. I felt terribly embarrassed and my leg hurt (though the burning stopped after the apparatus came off). The technician wheeled me out of the trailer and up to the 2nd floor of the hospital. He even got me crackers and juice, as my lack of eating (because of the tests) probably contributed to the hysteria.

When I got upstairs and registered for the second test, a nurse brought me a fairly bad-tasting milkshake to drink to coat my insides so that they'd show up on the CT scan. Then she brought me back to a room to start an IV. I told her that during surgery it took 9 tries to get the anesthesia needle in; she said that she wouldn't even try and called for a nurse to hook up my IV with an ultrasound. It took her 20 minutes, a shot of Lidocaine (to numb me), and lots of warm blankets (to help get the blood flowing) to get a vein in my upper arm. The needle left a giant ugly bruise, but it cheerfully only took her one try. The scan itself only took a few minutes. Afterwards, my friend Tony picked me up. We got lunch before he brought me home.

Needle count: 59
Touch count: 20

More tests!

Today I have a CT scan ( of my chest, abdomen, and pelvis) and an MRI of my knee. The MRI will help the doctor surgically remove the stupid Baker's Cyst that has been wreaking havoc on my ability to walk. I just need my surgeon to call the orthopedic doctor to approve me for surgery. Yay!

Yesterday, My acupuncturist used cupping to get the inflammation down in my knee and leg. It was awesome. I didn't take Percocet until bedtime because that helped with the pain. I go back to her on Monday.

scheduling ct scan and mri

I have just spent half an hour trying to re-schedule the ct scan of my chest, abdomen, and pelvis and schedule the MRI of my left knee.

I called the hospital and, after being on hold for a while, was told that I needed to provide the pre-authorization number for the knee MRI. So, I called my doctor's office and was put on hold and spent forever in the tangle of phone options without ever talking to a person.

I gave up and called my insurance company. I spent forever in their tangle of phone options. I entered my birthdate and social security number into the system more than once. When I finally talked to a person, they asked for them again (which seemed weird, but whatever). They said that I had to call a different company to find out. I did, and got a person right away (YAY!) who was not only polite, but was also helpful.

Then I called the hospital back. The woman on the phone said that the CT scan request did not specify whether or not it needed contrast and that, as such, she would not schedule it until it was confirmed by the doctor.

So, I called my oncologist and left a message with Maggie, the wonderful person who typically schedules appointments for me. I hope she gets back to me instantly and that I can just get these tests done so that I can get the surgery so that I can walk.

awesome news

I met with my surgeon today. He said that the tissues removed during the lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy showed NO SIGNS OF CANCER. Yay!

Cheesy Haiku:

Lumpectomy
makes it hard to sleep at night
and the scars scare me.

My chest is still sore
But I'm so relieved that there's
no signs of cancer

Also, he said that I shouldn't work until September. I'm supposed to have knee surgery next week sometime. It will take 2 weeks to recover from. After that, I'll be starting radiation and may be too tired for work.

flaming razor blade experience

I am back in Philly, after 9 days in NJ, recovering from surgery. I miss being home with my family, especially my youngest sister, Athena. Everyone helped so much. Living alone and having mobility struggles is challenging. It is hard enough to get dressed and move from my bed to the living room. It can be hard to prepare food and, sometimes, by the time I have put in the effort, I am no longer in the mood to eat.

This past weekend, I attended my cousin's wedding in Connecticut I got to see lots of cousins and other relatives. I used my drug calculus to stay out of pain (3 alcoholic drinks = 1 Percocet) and enjoyed myself.

This week, I have 3 doctors' appointments. Yay! Yesterday, I met with the orthopedic doc. I overheard him discussing my case while I was in the exam room. He said that Lumpy II was the worst Baker's Cyst he'd seen. I explained that my foot felt like it was burning all of the time and when I had weight on it, it felt like it was cut. The doctor agreed that the "flaming razor blade experience" was because of my nerves's general unhappiness. He prescribed me gabapentin to help with the pain. So far, it makes me woozy and sleepy. I don't really mind the sleepiness, though, as sleep has been challenging because of the pain. He also ordered another MRI and said that he wanted to surgically remove the cyst next week. I will have to stay overnight at the hospital. Apparently, it's harder to take out a Baker's Cyst than to perform a partial mastectomy. Who'd have guessed that? Somehow, I am more anxious about the knee surgery than I would expect.

Tomorrow I see my surgeon and Thursday I see my oncologist.

Week post surgery

It's been a week after surgery. I have been staying with my parents in north Jersey to recover. Lumpy II, the cyst, is unhappy. I think I had some nerve damage during surgery because my lower leg and foot generally feel as though they are cut and burned. I ask Athena, my youngest sister, to check it all of the time for injuries.

The other day, my mother and Athena pulled off the bandages on my breast. I was so anxious. We pulled my skin away from the tape and paused every time it began to hurt. My mother saturated my skin with A&D Ointment; the smell of it reminded me of my grandmother who used it on everything. It took about an hour to get everything off. I still have the steristrips over the stitches.

It looks like the scar is bigger than I thought it would be. I still haven't examined it too closely. My friends who have had similar surgeries reminded me that my breast will continue to look differently as it heals.

I have so much trouble sleeping. I wake up frequently with pain in my leg and occasionally pain in my breast area. I seem to try to curl up in a ball on that side of my body which doesn't work.

Recovery

I have spent most of the last 70 hours lounging in a love seat in the corner of my parents' house. My family has wheeled me to the bathroom and to the kitchen for meals.

Today I took a shower and changed my clothes. The nurse said to remove the bandages today, but I have been too nervous to start peeling off the wrap holding the gauze in place. It seems shallow, but I feel worried about what the scars look like.

My left leg is still tough to walk on. I am having some nerve stuff happening in my foot and toes. They feel like they are on fire. When I walk, the sole of my foot feels like it is walking on sharp rocks that are hot from the sun.