I went to the cancer center on Thursday for what looked like a spider bite that was inflamed, they checked my blood counts while I was there, to save me a trip as I was scheduled for the next day... My counts were terrible I had a white blood count of .4...Alarmingly low...She prescribed Augmentin 875 mg 2 x day. So for the first time I was given a Neupogen shot to help my bone marrow build back up to fight the infection .I was given one that day and then given another on Friday... It causes the most severe bone breaking pain ever...I hope I never experience it again...by Friday I could barely move or make it into the cancer center at all and Steve nearly had to carry me upstairs and back to me bed... I was put on oxycontin to control the pain along with my other 9 prescription meds...but it didn't even make a dent in the pain...felt like back labor my shins ...femurs and all of my hip bones hurt hideously bad and like I was attacked by the Saw character ...lol
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| Spider bite that caused cellulitis was 8" by 6" BIG |
Saturday I woke up feeling terrible...chills , fever, nausea,vomiting ,dry heaves, so I called the doc on call and they sent me to the hospital...They called ahead to tell them I was coming and let them know I was immune depressed... but yet I sat in the waiting room among other germs and then was put into a normal filthy ER room...I asked why this happens as my Uncle has leukemia and he is taken directly to a hospital room in this case, she said so they can assess if it was needing emergenctyu attention they were not able to administer in the rooms...Though she openly admitted it was a cesspool of germs there and no place for me to be...SO I tried to touch the least as possible and hand sanitizer was my and Steve's best friend, though a nurse came in an didn't use the foot pedal on the trash can to throw away something she lifted it with her bare hands and then can over and put the pulse reader on my finger..I didn't register at first what she had done due to my misery but once I had I tore it off and sanitized it all ...then steve went with sani wipes and scrubbed my bed etc....eww . As he sat there he looked out the window at the nurse filling meds and she was tearing the plastic bags that held them with her teeth!!!! wow that's all Ive got to say.
I spent Saturday and Sunday in the hospital with a fever...with my wonderful hubby on a "recliner " if you can call it that that his long legs uncomfortably hung over the edge on, yet he never complained...My diagnosis was fever/sepsis... I was put on high dose iv antibiotics and pain meds as well as nausea meads and oral meds as needed for breakthrough pain...I can honestly say It was the first time in 3 months that my nausea and pain was managed for any period of time. My nurse came in and she was wonderful Amy was her name won't say more to preserve her privacy. But she was ex military, my same age and a survivor...so she totally got me and I had the best care ever from her...have gotten in touch and will be friends for along time I hope. I had an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics and got a rash...doc couldn't pin point which one it was , so I have to be leery of both in the future. When shift change came my world turned upside down...I got a young nurse who had no clue...my imperative meds for my nausea and movement disorder were 3 hours late and then she only was bringing me two of the 10 I take because the others read as needed...she even withheld one of my meds because she thought it would just make me too tired to take them all??!! They were prescribed you fool...so I said okay they were prescribed as needed so I need them and I want them!!! she took her sweet time but I got them all but the one she made her executive nurse decision to withhold from me ...grrr. we were seeing the docs soon after so I talked to them about this and it was to be corrected...but I was told I would be discharged that day so I let it g...,But have decided now that I will NEVER again just be nice when a nurse who probably has never had more than a pimple tell me what I need...EVER...she will get an education Jeannine Zitney Survivor style!
Yesterday was my 4th and final course of Adriamycin and cytoxin...(until three weeks from now when I start a regimen of 12 weekly taxol infusions with a whole new set of issues attached to them)Yay the red devil is gone!!! I feel pretty bad as usual never ending headache and nausea...but a renewed hope for things to get better because one more thing is finally behind me...
Thinking of how the world is today so pardon my reflections:
Yesterday Dr Dai was running late and when she came in she explained why... an elderly gentlemen was dropped off to his appt without a caretaker he was so confused he did not know who he was where he lived or worst of all that he was there because he had cancer...Dr Dai had him and a folder only...instead of sending him home and telling him to come back tomorrow with someone to help him and her figure it out, she got on the phone...called the care center and searched until she found a living relative to help her...she did not turn this man away... Convinced me I have the right doctor I love her...compassion to me is just as important as knowledge knowing someone cares means they will do the very best they can to help you , you are not just a case...A lot in our country is screwed up....Teachers are priceless teaching and molding our futures and Far underpaid... ...where athletes are so highly paid that those cheering them on cant even afford buy a ticket to watch and they are labeled as heroes...really?...Soldier
And lastly a reminder ...
Before I get off here to lay in misery...Please friends I love you all so much, and would not ever want you to endure this. It does not matter if you are 40 or have a family history or any of the other bull they put out there to save insurance and medical cost...Breast Cancer is indiscriminate. I was misdiagnosed for over 7 years so I had breast cancer growing all of that time. No one in my entire ...family has breast cancer and I was around 34 when I got it. I complained often and loudly and was ill all of the time...was hospitalized for everything under the moon...But no one checked my breasts though I would say it hurts right here. I am now stage three have had radical surgery and am enduring grueling chemo... Do self exams if anything seems strange question it... I trusted my long time gyne as he has after all Delivered my Victoria Rose..but he was misinformed and I will always trust my own gut feeling from now on first...you after all know your own body best. He was not concerned with the visible and large lump and I had to insist on a mammo and ultrasound which I should have been having for the prior 7 years...I got a second opinion at Magee hospital and it was the best thing I have ever done as they saved my life...Mammos DO NOT show lobular cancer it presents as fibrous tissue. DEMAND an ultrasound .If I had I would not be where I am today... Now I am going to be in misery but please take care of yourselves. My message is all I have to save you from this...
Please read this article this is my primary breast cancer Lobular carcinoma it explains why it is not detected on mammos and what you need to look for to save your self... http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/lobular-carcinoma-invasive-and-in-situ
Please read this article this is my primary breast cancer Lobular carcinoma it explains why it is not detected on mammos and what you need to look for to save your self... http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/lobular-carcinoma-invasive-and-in-situ
Until next time friends thank you for the prayers, friendship...and sharing in my journey ...
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