The Procedure
Today was the day I had the thoracentesis. That’s the big word that means “meeting with Mr. Needle”. Oh, I was trying to avoid it, but I got talked into it anyway. The shortness of breath, pressure in my chest, and general discomfort were pretty good arguments in favor of, and I didn’t have a rebuttal. As far as procedures go, it was pretty minor. I received a shot of painkiller (why does THAT hurt so much?), and didn’t feel any pain after that at all. The doctor inserted a catheter which was attached to a tube which was attached to a suction device, while I just sat and waited. I felt a little pressure now and then, but no pain. Before the procedure started, the doctor had told me that she estimated 2 liters of fluid in my lung (which is a LOT), and actually extracted 1 liter, but the rest wouldn’t come out at all. After the 1 liter was out, I felt some increasing pressure in my lung, and we stopped the procedure until the pressure lessened. After that, no more fluid was forthcoming, so we stopped the whole thing. After we were finished, I was taken in for a chest x-ray, and then was released.
I expected to feel better immediately, which was what everyone told me would happen, but I didn’t feel better. Even a couple of hours later, I didn’t feel better. At this writing, I’m still uncomfortable and now with a puncture wound. Great.
I saw the liter of fluid that was extracted –wow, no wonder I was miserable!—and was amazed that there was still that much left inside. The doctor told me that the fluid may disappear, or that I may have to come back for a repeat performance. With the way my luck’s been running lately, I know where to place my bet, don’t you?
So that’s the latest news. Thanks for being here.
A week after the steamroller
It’s been 1 week after chemo, and what a difference! I’ve learned that it’s going to take a full week to feel human again, no matter what. Staying home on Monday was the right thing to do, but I didn’t feel any better or worse on Tuesday than if I had worked for ½ the day on Monday. So now I know.
Eating several times a day makes a difference in how I feel in the short term; the only issue with that is that I don’t want to eat anything. I have no appetite, it’s too much trouble to fix something, (even warming a can of soup is exhausting), and I only want about 4 bites anyway. Food is just food, nothing more. Nothing tastes especially good or bad, and there are no cravings for anything with this new medicine. I have noticed that I’m more “burpy” than usual (too much info? Sorry!) and it doesn’t matter what I eat. There is a little nausea with this new medicine, but it’s not bothersome enough to take the anti-nausea meds. Yes, I know they work better in the belly than in the bottle. Still not going to take them unless I have to. Have I mentioned that I hate taking pills? Y’all knew that? Huh.
I am having some difficulty with pressure in my chest. It feels like someone is pushing on it when I lie down, get up from lying down, get up from sitting down, or walk around. It also hurts frequently when I bend down, like when petting the dog, or tying my shoes, picking up something from the floor, or when carrying something. The sensation goes away, but it’s very uncomfortable while it lasts. You know, like a toothache is uncomfortable.
That’s all the whining for today. Stay tuned for the next episode, when we may hear the stylist say, “. . . And how short are we cutting it today, ma’am?” And maybe not. Thanks for being here. I’m glad y’all are here with me.
Groan. It’s Monday. And I’ve been flattened again. I don’t hurt (except for the creaks that we over-40’s have anyway), but boy, am I tired! I’ve spent most of the day in the recliner or on the couch. Every time I lie on the couch—EVERY time, mind you—I fall asleep within a minute or two. I just can’t keep these baby blues open. And since I don’t want to sleep all day, I have to sit in the recliner or sit on the couch. That works pretty well, anyway, because getting up from a prone position gives me very painful pressure in my chest. That happened with the last chemo treatments, too, so I guess it’s part of the game. I’ve also discovered that my skin is sore on my chest and my upper arms. I have no idea why.
For the last week or so, I’ve stopped taking Motrin for the lung fluid, and have had no trouble with stabbing pains, breathing, or trying to get comfortable when sleeping. Don’t tell Skippy; I’m sure it’s just an oversight.
I stayed home from work today to see if I’d feel better tomorrow by resting today. I could have worked today-- the hardest part of my job is getting there—but I’m wondering if I’ll recover quicker if I rest on the rough days. We’ll see. If tomorrow comes and I feel like I used to on the 6th day after chemo, then I’ll know that resting all day makes no difference and I can resume working ½ days. Which I will do for most of this week anyway. (Don’t tell E.)
That’s the latest. I am very grateful for the “FW Bunch”, who are taking such good care of me! The rough days are made easier because I know there are people thinking of me. Thank you. Thank you all.
I guess it’s time for an update. Honestly, there’s not much going on, and I am grateful for that.
I am still dealing with this lung fluid situation; I finally called the doctor today to get an answer to a question. The question was: How do we know if the fluid in the lung is gone or if Motrin is masking the discomfort? Here are the answers:
1. Yes, the Motrin could be masking the discomfort of the lung fluid, so I should…
2. Stop taking the Motrin unless I get miserable with extreme pain/pressure.
3. The only way to know if the fluid is better is by another X-ray or by exam.
4. Chemo helps with the lung fluid.
5. How short of breath I am can be an indication of how much fluid I have. (Oh, no!)
6. The only way to fix it is to aspirate.
7. #@*&^.
Since I’m going in for chemo on Thursday anyway, I’ll see the doctor and we’ll work out a plan. I really would like to avoid Mr. Needle if possible; I see enough of his cousins on a regular basis.
In other news, I saw an acquaintance today, and he and his woman friend were asking about the cancer, my hair, and the chemo. I answered the questions honestly (hey, I have nothing to hide!), and the funny/sad thing that happened was this: The woman wanted to share, and told me of her friend who had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and went through chemo, lost her hair, was sick, and then she died. And then the woman told me of another friend of hers that had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and when they went in to operate, the cancer was just all over, and she died, too. Uh-huh. Gee, thanks for those uplifting messages!
Oh, yeah, my hair!! For those of you who see me—isn’t it just unbelievable?? For those of you who don’t, I’ll try to describe it: It’s about 1 ½ inches long, soft as baby hair, gray like rabbit fur, and curly, curly, curly! Every time I pass a mirror, I’m startled, and then I smile, because I look so darn good. I wear a lot of black, so the gray really stands out—it looks very sophisticated; can you imagine? Me?? Sophisticated? Who knew?? I hope I get to keep it!
I had a wonderful surprise today! I got to see my friend E., who brought me a gift bag with goodies in it. I was told that one gift was to keep, and the other was to keep for as long as I need it, and then pass it along. I certainly don’t mind, but I had to ask. Why pass it along? The answer: Because that’s what friends are for. Ah. I get it now. Thank you.
¶ 6:24 PM 2 comments
It's Thursday!
The last chemo treatment was 2 weeks ago today, and the next one is a week away. All this week, I’ve been feeling pretty good, and eating well, and working full days. Today I was tired. No, more than tired; exhausted, as though I’d been up all night. My bed was calling to me as I got dressed for work, promising comfort and quiet. I thought that if I could just get to work and have some coffee, that I would just perk right up. Guess what? I was wrong again. I struggled through the morning, even after coffee and a couple of snacks. After a little rest and a little lunch, I was feeling much better and worked the whole day after all. But for a while there, the beast earned a few points.
In the last post, I mentioned that I have fluid in my lung. At times, it was very painful, especially when lying down. A couple of times, I had pain under my heart, I had stabbing pains when I tried to breathe, and it felt like my left lung was frozen in a vice grip. When I got up and moved around a little, all the pain vanished. It would be gone for days, but it sometimes came back at night. Maybe it’s my imagination, but it seems to be getting better now, even without treatment. (I really
don’t want to see Mr. Needle. That can only mean more trouble for me.) The only pain I’ve had in the last couple of days is the pain in my back whenever I sneeze, so I avoid that whenever possible. And then I swear when I can’t avoid the sneeze. (Is anyone surprised?)
Sometimes I just have to laugh at my “chemo brain” (It’s either laugh or cry, and crying ruins my make-up, sooo…) . One day last week, I was working on a project for my son, and I was trying to add 49 and 6. Couldn’t do it. I knew that I had been taught how to add numbers, and I knew that I was capable of adding these two. I also knew that I was never going to get the right total. I finally counted on my fingers. Yeah, laugh all you want to. Some days are just like that in Chemotown.
Thanks for being here. Every day, you all inspire me to keep moving.
Addendum: It's never smart to poke the bear, even inadvertantly. Thursday night was painful, thanks to the the fluid in my lung. I awoke in the middle of the night in pain. I hurt, couldn't breathe, and could only lie flat on my back in semi-comfort. Fortunately, my white knight came to my rescue in the form of liquid Motrin. (It works FAST!) Ahhh.. much better. Maybe it's time to make that appointment with Mr. Needle after all. (Sigh.)
¶ 6:10 PM 2 comments
It’s Monday! And what a much better day today is!
I was feeling rotten on Wednesday night and Thursday—I was very tired, was having trouble breathing and had lots of pain, which was something new--so I went to the doc, got a chest X-ray, & learned that I have fluid in my lung. Well, now that explains the pain, pressure, & coughing. The good doctor offered to aspirate the fluid, but that requires a big needle and my cooperation, so I passed on that. It’s possible that this fluid will just disappear in a week or so, so I’m taking that chance. And if it doesn’t, then I’ll go back and not look at Mr. Needle. In the meantime, it’s Motrin to the rescue again! You may want to buy stock. (I also have an itchy rash which may or may not be a reaction to the chemo. It seems kind of minor to mention it, but it came with the lung fluid. I doubt that they are related, but I could be wrong.)
I don’t yet know if I’ll get to keep this sassy short hair for this chemo go-round; that info will present itself to me later this week. Generally, on or about day 15 after the first chemo treatment is when the hair starts to fall out. That day will be on Friday. So next Monday, I may have this hair, or the blonde wig may make another appearance. It’ll be more of my favorite game, “wait and see”, since I haven’t played that enough here lately. Sheesh.
Today, this minute, I feel pretty good. The nausea seems to be abating, as is the extreme fatigue. I’m eating and working and resting, although there’s probably too much of one and not enough of the others. I am glad and grateful that y’all are here.
