CT Scan Today

This morning I was at the Cancer Institute at 8:00 am for blood work and a CT scan. After all was said and done I got out of there at 11:30 this morning. I usually stop for a cup of coffee and muffin but today the nausea has gotten the best of me. It’s not really bad but just enough to turn me off eating.

I’ll get my CT results in about 10 days when I next see my oncologist.

As a reminder, I get CT scans every 6 weeks. The reason they are so often is that I am part of a research study.

I was asked to post a picture of my tendinitis exercising tool from yesterday’s post. The dowel is 1 ¼" diameter x 24” long. The length of the string will vary with the height of the person using it.

How it works is you stretch your arms out horizontally, parallel with the floor, your hands are shoulder width apart. Roll the weight up and down 3 times once per day.

Have You Experienced Cording?

Today I received a comment from a fellow cancer blogger requesting some cording information. I’ll share my experience and then I’d invite you to share yours.

In 2000 after my mastectomy, I developed what the oncologist described as cording. My arm started to hurt and there appeared to be a hardened cord that formed from my arm pit all the way down to my wrist. I could not straighten out my arm for the pain it caused. The oncologist gave me some daily stretching exercises. The whole thing became quit painful with tendinitis developing in my wrist.

I ended up going to a chiropractor that did deep massage therapy. After numerous visits, he stretched and massaged that cord out and massaged the scar tissue out of my wrist. To make sure the cording and tendinitis didn’t come back, the chiropractor suggested I create this exercising tool. It’s a 1” x 18” dowel with a string and a 2 lb weight attached to the center. The string is the length of my arms stretched out horizontally down to the ground. My exercise was to roll up and unroll the weight. I did this a couple of times twice a day.

I just Googled cording’s proper name and it appears to be Axillary Web Syndrome.

Has anyone else had experience with cording and would you like to share it?

Building Strength

Yesterday afternoon, after having had some lunch, I started to feel better. I picked up my laptop and began reading blogs. Well once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. I just got so drawn in to people's stories ... I think it is a bit healing for me. Before I knew it ... it was time to go to bed.

But before going to sleep I took an Ativan. Ativan helps me with the transition from my disruptive sleeps caused by the steroids ... to a normal relaxed sleep. I may take one more tonight but I expect that should do it.

This morning I was off for the weekly PICC line dressing change. Everything continues to look good around that PICC line.

Generally, I am feeling better ... I just need to build strength ... I think a nap might be in order.

Feeling Fragile

I’m still feeling fragile emotionally. I know its part of the chemo cycle but it’s hard to deal with. I wish I could just snap myself out of this down in the dumps feeling.

Generally it takes a good week after chemo to start feeling half normal and that is just a day or two away ... that's when my old self should start creeping back in.

I think that will be all for now ... I hate this part of the cycle and I hate sharing it.

Worst Days Are Over

With chemo last Tuesday, the worst days are now over.

The last few days were rough as expected. I felt very medicated and numb ... sort of zombie-like. I would just stared at the walls for hours on end. I wanted nothing but for time to pass. I ended up taking Ativan to sleep the time away ... sometimes it worked ... sometimes it didn’t.

As I lay in bed, I’d hear the sounds of people busy living their lives ... there would be children playing, dogs barking, adults talking, all sorts of activities going on. How jealous was I? What I wouldn’t do for a few hours of normal life.

I wish I could feel excitement and enthusiasm again. I wish I could get excited about a new outfit, a new pair of shoes, going to the green house, meeting with friends, maybe a vacation ... but right now none of that excites me in the least. I could care less.

It feels like cancer and its treatment have sucked the life out of me. I just don’t want to do anything. As the days go by and I become stronger these feelings will improve but for now ... that is it.

A Little Inspiration For A Saturday

Day Three After Chemo

Well yesterday we went out for lunch with family. I had a good meal and a good nap after wards.

Last night's sleep was pretty good ... I woke up often but fell a sleep shortly afterward so none of that up for two or three hours at a time.

Today I notice the fatigue is a bit worse and my breathing is a bit labored. My husband said he noticed it last night already. My nose is getting a bit stuffier.

Yesterday I had my first nose bleed. I expect more of those next week.

For the remainder of the weekend, I'll be taking it easy. I had a shower and my pj's are on.

Good Days / Bad Nights

Yesterday was a good day which included breakfast out with family and the afternoon included a coffee with my breast cancer friends.

Tuesday I had chemo and am still on my steroid days, so to take advantage of these good days and to extend them a bit, I saved a couple of steroids for today.

On the flip side, the steroids cause bad nights. The sleeps are broken up. On Monday night it was pretty bad but Tuesday night I managed to sleep 7.5 hours straight. Wow that was great. Last night my sleep was once again a challenge but O.K.

When I was getting my chemo, I asked the nurse about sleeping pills. She said with sleeping pills you will sleep but it won’t give you quality sleep you’re looking for ... you wake up feeling real groggy. She recommended I just deal with the effects of the steroids. I have asked many people about sleeping pills and have read numerous blogs that discussed sleeping pills and to be honest I haven’t heard too many positive things about them ... so once again, I think I will put them on the back burner and just deal with the effects of the steroids as the nurse recommended.

I’m starting to feel the effects of the chemo ... feeling weaker and my eyes are starting to glaze over a tiny bit.

Tomorrow till Sunday/Monday I’ll be feeling my worst. I like to call them my pajama days.

Today my plans are to get out and about just one more time.

Happy 142nd Canada!