18 December 2023
I got out of bed around 4 am and did some yoga stretches. Not that I necessarily needed them but I knew I didn’t do them yesterday and I need to work on my stamina and stretch those back muscles. After completing a few, I headed back to bad and finished up a book on my iPad. Since I needed to be fasting for my blood, I couldn’t have my coffee. Nor fruit, nor grapefruit, nor second cup of coffee. Fortunately, the phlebotomist is very good and it only took one stick.
I tried calling Hollywood Chrysler Jeep to see about the check engine light. Their phone system kept looping and no one ever picked up the phone. I was tempted to simply drive over there since I was close with the blood draw but decided I needed to get home.
On my return, I crawled into bed and went back to sleep. Around 10:30 I got up and made coffee, ate my fruit and yogurt, grapefruit and second cup of coffee. To be honest, I don’t feel any better than yesterday. I’m still dragging. Walking is getting more difficult.
I’m composing a list of things I want to ask Dr. Velez. So far I have the following:
- when is my next echocardiogram,
- can I have an MRI with a port in my chest,
- is there a better pain medication for my neuropathy or should I take a higher dosage of gabapentin,
- what’s with my lack of energy,
- what is the result of my Signatera test (to determine if my cancer has recurred),
- is there anything that can be done about my neuropathy that I haven’t already done?
I just know I can’t go on the way I am. Everything is an effort to accomplish. Most of my week is spent with either doctors or infusions.
My journey started in January of 2023 when I discovered a tenderness in my left breast and the nipple was inverted. It took a while to get to my primary who immediately recommended a mammogram (14 April). A week later I had a biopsy with Dr. Burgers. It was decided to go with chemo treatment with Taxotere, Perjeta, Carboplatin, and Herceptin. That put me in the hospital with dehydration and temporary kidney damage.
I fired that hematologist/oncologist and went with Dr. Velez. On 13 July I had the mastectomy and started my up close and personal association with a drain for four weeks. The drain worked but there were complications. On 7 August I had a second surgery to relieve fluid and tissue build up (thank God for Holley and Barbara!) and had another personal association with a drain for three weeks.
On 21 August I started my first infusion with just Taxol and Herceptin. That meant 9 weeks in a row of Taxol and every 3 weeks of Herceptin. The Herceptin will run for a year, so I’ll finish the Herceptin treatment in August 2024. The Taxol led to bouts of diarrhea, hair loss in very unusual places, painful neuropathy, nose bleeds, and virtually every possible side effect of chemotherapy.
On top of that, to ease the Taxol delivery, they gave me corticosteroids which caused me to have adrenal insufficiency which caused my endocrinologist to start me on prednisone and then start weaning me off.
I attribute, in part, my fall on Thanksgiving to the neuropathy in my feet. So now I have an acupuncturist, a chiropractor, a surgeon, a hematologist/oncologist, an endocrinologist, a cardiologist, and a GP. All require visits and check ups.
I haven’t felt decent since the second surgery. I have some good days but most of the time I drag myself around the house. Any chore around the house wipes me out. I’m constantly canceling on invitations with friends because I can’t drag myself out of the house.
Life’s events wear me down. For example, I’m now on the phone with ADT about the missing key fob (I’m typing this in between holds). I was supposed to be shipped two fobs as a replacement and only received one. I just spent 30 minutes on the phone and being transferred three times with a fourth time in the works trying to get things straightened out. On a positive note, as a loyal customer to ADT (12 years) they reduced my monthly payment from $80/month to $55/month for five years. I still have to have a 2:30-3 pm appointment to get the key fob activated, so no telling how that will go.
My next terror is to contact Hollywood Chrysler Jeep and set up an appointment to see what the check engine light is about. I might as well get them to change the headlight while they check that out (they have to pull the bumper). I’m still waiting for the part for the recall to arrive and the new driver’s side headrest.
It’s hard to stay positive. The one thing I really enjoyed in life was getting out on the trails and hiking. I can only hope that someday I can do that again.
Stay tuned!
