..bye, bye port

TODAY the port came out. Was a little leery that the doctor was doing it IN THE OFFICE and not in the OR, but it went fine. Only discomfort was the 900 needles to numb it!! (well, maybe only 3-5) No stitches, just derma bond and a couple of steri strips. Started to bleed, but I put a bandage on it, doing good.
Doctor said the lead was not working properly. My only good thing is that I DON'T EVER WANT TO HAVE TO USE ANOTHER PORT AGAIN!!!
Came home and finished "THE HELP" on the cool, cool porch. Took a little nap and I think I may retire early. Just a little sore...tylenol extra strength usually works good!!
Ahh....port no more...maybe now I'll try PORT WINE!!

RELAY FOR LIFE

Well, I did it. Walked the track as a survivor and what better way to do it than with family and friends by my side!! I feel so blessed to be here and able to do that. My goal was to raise $500, I raised almost $900! It was a beautiful night, very warm but emotional. Stayed until my body gave out at midnight, then headed home to sleep in my own bed. Exhilarating to say the least!!

 

..and I'll HUFF & I'LL PUFF....maybe!

No 'huffing and puffing' here. Went back to Urgent Care for a follow up on Tuesday, May 25. She was very thorough and gave me a nebulizer treatment. Seemed to work, brought up 'something' with the cough that had been un-productive. Told me to up the dosage of prednizone, and get an inhaler. THAT was a trip and a half! Made my heart race and I felt really out of control. DONE with that! She made a call to my pulmonary doctor to see me before the end of June. Saw him on Thursday, May 27. He is certain with all the tests and the function of my lungs that this is definitely acid-reflux induced. I'm to see a gastro doctor in July. He also wants me to do a sleep study soon to determine how I sleep at night (I COULD TELL HIM THAT, lousy!!)and maybe this too has something to do with all this nonsense.
I am SO looking forward to getting away and having a few laughs and fun in the Big Apple. So I cough all around the city, what else is new!!

--meds to go

After a week of coughing, (so what else is new? this is getting WAY old!) I called my PCP and he was booked. Went to urgent care and saw a very nice lady doctor. She listened to my chest, 'heard' some sounds but sent me for a chest x-ray to see what is going on. She then proceeded to put me on steroids (guess I won't be playing any major league sports any time soon!) So it's prednizone for a month; starting with 4 a day for a week, then 3, etc...by month's end I should be good to go? Or will I? She also mentioned that radiation and my GERD (acid-reflux) have a lot to do with the mucous lining in my esophogus. Radiation dries a lot of it up and it takes a while to recoup that back to 'normal'. She' having me take a Bactrim (antibiotic) 1x a day for a week to see if we can clear up the 'sounds' in my chest.
Now I'm feeling like a walking pharmacy. I used to laugh at my Mom taking so many pills in a day as well as my mother in law. NOW I AM ONE OF THEM!! I take 10 YES, TEN, pills a day to get by. That has to be a record. Can I look back on all this in a few months and laugh?? Let's hope so!!!
Gearing up for my Relay for Life walk in June. AND my birthday celebration/revitalization weekend in the BIG APPLE next week. Can't wait to laugh and see a Broadway play and have dinner at ELLEN'S STARLIGHT DINER where they make 'big' of your birthday complete with singing waiters/waitresses!!!
Along this road I travel there are many highlights!!!

..oh PORT...once more!

Well, I go to get my monthly 'port flush' at the cancer center on Friday. As she's flushing, the skin above my port starts to 'inflate'! Not what it's supposed to do. She can't get a blood return, but it flushed ok with saline. She was very concerned, so she contacted my oncologist. Over to the hospital to have a 'dye study' done with an x-ray. Easy procedure, took less than 20 minutes and a cutie patootie doctor to boot!! Back to the cancer center to have them take out the access needle and I get chest pains. OHMYGAWD. Nothing major, just stinging pains in the area of the swelling. Only lasted for a couple of minutes, but the nurse was concerned it could be something else. My oncologist wants me to go downstairs to get a CT Scan, again...oh man. Lucky me, no vein is to be found on my arm so he has to get to the side of my elbow and now I have this big fat black and blue! Looks like I met my match in an alley!! Up to see what the results of the scan are and the oncologist says there is some pneumonia. Of course there is, why can't anything ever be EASY with me?!! She wants me to go on 10 days of an antibiotic. Am suffering terribly with the pollen here. I'm all clogged up and my cough is worse than ever. Pump up those anti-allergy meds!!
This dang road to recovery has more speed bumps than I anticipated. Stay tuned, I'm sure there is more drama ahead!!