Unexpected Appointments...

...scheduled late yesterday afternoon -- for this morning.

About a month ago, we spoke with Dr A about scheduling some of my regular medical appointments (mamogram, PAP smear, etc.), which had been postponed because of the Chemotherapy and then because of the RadioTherapy treatments. The appearance of post-coital vaginal blood within the last month prompted her to get some of those balls rolling sooner than we'd initially planned...

So, this morning we did the PAP Smear and got orders for a mamogram, a cervical sonargram, and an endometrial cancer/fibrosis biopsy. I was able to get the mamogram done this morning. We won't worry about a bone-density test for another year.

Dr. A and dd both have concerns about the ever-deepening sredness of the RadioTherapy burn on my back, and we've talked about the ointments that dd is recommending we try. Shea butter was recommended by one of dd's clients, she's found an oil we'll try, and we'll be adding cold compresses to the healing lotion regime.

FYI: Avoid any creams/lotions that contain "parabens." Could have a number of chemical names in front of it, but parabens is a part of the name, are showing as carcinogenic, and are in almost ALL lotions and creams on the market today.

Dr A. has concerns about my blood pressure remaining so high. That, coupled with oncern about lowered potassium from the treatments, got me into the lab for both a UA and two blood draws right after our meeting with her.

Results from all of these tests won't be in for a couple weeks. They'll be in next week, but Dr A will be out of the office, so we'll wait until she returns. Should actually be about the same time that we'll be doing the CT scan on the 24th. The cervical biopsy is currently schedule for the morning of 11/1.

We've also decided that for the time being, I'll be meeting with her every two months, which means again at the beginning of December.

In the meantime, I'm becoming more easily exhausted daily. One of the women in RadioTherapy told me this will get worse before it gets better. dd confirms other clients have said this as well. I just wasn't ready for the ...force of the exhaustion. It took all day to do two loads of laundry next door *sighs*

We're backing off the RadioTherapy Shooters (the steroids) by half. To do this for a week, which is what we're all thinking it may take, we'll need to order another round of the makings for the Shooters...but only a quarter of what we had before.

Didn't sleep at all last night. Up every half hour, leg cramps, hot flashes, cold flashes... Couple that with the climbing-out-of-my-skin withdrawal symptoms from these steroids/meds/treatments, and am probably someone you'd want to avoid for a while...


Our masssage this afternoon was _just_ what I needed; thanks, NancyTurtle!!


Send Kevin your best relaxing thoughts this weekend!?!

And, make a nice weekend for yourselves, as well!