Slacking off on the updates again. But most of you probably saw me last week in Charleston so I'm obviously still alive. Our vacation was barely a vacation but I got all my errands done and I finally graduated from college (with honors thanks to my 3.875 GPA, which I'm allowed to brag about).
I had a job interview the day after we got back, but I don't think I got the job. The guy I was supposed to see had some kind of emergency, but the other guy I talked to said my technical skills weren't where he wanted them, but that my attitude was right. Oh well, it's probably better to wait until after radiation to work anyway.
I went to the emergency room later that day too. This incision problem has just gotten worse. The doctor there said it looked like an ulcer, but again, not infected. They gave me some antibiotics anyway. And some non-stick bandages that won't irritate it more.
I saw the radiation oncologist Friday to take some "pictures". I got Dr. B to look at my incision first since I was supposed to start radiation yesterday (Monday). She gave me some Silvadene cream to put on it until I saw my surgeon. I have an appointment to see Dr. B again May 29th, and will probably start radiation then instead. The "pictures" that they kept talking about involved me pretending to get radiated, lying half-naked on a tiny wooden board five feet in the air with this huge scary machine shooting laser beams across my chest. The elaborate tree picture on the ceiling was a nice touch and all but the machine blocks it completely, and instead I had to stare at a reflection of my flat, scarred chest for 30 minutes. Thankfully when I actually get radiated, it won't take so long, because my arms were starting to go numb.
I finally saw Dr. K Monday. That gross red gooey spot on my incision? Just my skin coming apart. The scar tissue is so thin and weak, it's just splitting open. Apparently the moisturizing cream I've been using wasn't enough, so she told me to go buy ointment and make sure it stays moist. All the time. She said the other side might do the same thing. Great. But I can go ahead and start radiation because there's nothing I can really do about it. The radiation might make it better or worse, so I guess we'll see.
I'm getting the Herceptin again tomorrow. And I'll find out Thursday about starting physical therapy.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Fat Pads, Radiation Tattoos, and an Oozing Incision
Oops, I can't believe it's been a whole month since an update.
I had another MUGA heart scan the day after my radiation appointment, and everything's okay, so I've been getting the Herceptin every three weeks as planned (only seven more months!).
I had another radiation appointment for the planning stuff. They gave me three tiny tattoos, one on each side of my chest and one in the front on the right side. These are to make sure I'm lined up correctly everyday when I get treatment. She had to redo the tattoos three times to make sure they were visible enough (which was fine with me because I want to make sure they're radiating the right spot!). It just felt like she was digging holes in my skin. And then I bled all over my shirt.
I go back for another prep appointment Friday, May 18th, before I start the treatments. My appointment time is 11:30 everyday and it should only take about 15 minutes each time. I'll see Dr. B once a week for bloodwork and a checkup to make sure my skin hasn't fallen off I guess. I tried to fill my prescription for the cream that's supposed to help, but the clinic pharmacy could barely read the handwriting. I saw three pharmacists in the back on their smartphones trying to figure out what "Prutect" was while we waited for 30 minutes. They thought it was over-the-counter and had no clue what it was for, even after I told them. We finally just left and one of them ended up calling me to say they had to order it and it'd be a few days (this was 2 weeks ago?). This is why I go to CVS and just pay the copay, at least they get you in and out in 15 minutes!
I also went to visit Dr. K. Twice. Without an appointment. I noticed the left side near my armpit looks swollen, so I called and she told me to come in. She did an ultrasound to make sure there's no fluid and said it's just fat. Normally, breast tissue weighs down the fat in that area so we don't notice it, but since I'm so little, it looks more obvious. She said she can thin it out when I get my port taken out, and she'll fix up the old port scar. She'll have to do it as outpatient surgery, but I wasn't looking forward to having the port taken out in the office while awake anyway.
I must have missed her, so I went to see her again a few weeks later. The right incision was starting to ooze near my armpit. She looked at it and said it wasn't infected, but that the bandages I was using were tearing up my skin. So she gave me some waterproof ones that I can change less often. But it's STILL oozing. Dr. C looked at it today and said it's not infected, and that an infection would be very obvious. So he stocked me up with some more bandages, and I just need to wait it out. He explained how the incision is very taunt in that area and how every time I move my arm, it's putting more pressure on it. So it's basically the incision trying to split open. He did mention that they might not start radiation on schedule if I'm still oozing. So hopefully it'll start healing properly so I can get all this crap over with. It's really hard to NOT use my right arm so with my luck this is going to take a while. I was reaching up for something earlier and suddenly felt shooting pains all down my arm. Gotta love lymph node dissections...
I finally went to the dentist for a checkup and cleaning (unlike certain other members of my family!). I found a new dentist in Mt. Holly and they were much better than the last one. Nobody sprayed my face with water this time. I had two cavities, one of them was next to the bonding from my fake tooth. I didn't realize that could happen. But the dentist was great and smoothed down both sides for me so it'll be less likely to develop more cavities. They do the Maryland bridges too so when these pop off, I have somewhere to go to fix them.
Besides that, I've been feeling fine. My energy level has definitely improved, even though radiation is going to make me tired again. But I'm done with classes and college! Graduation is May 12th, and it seems like EVERYONE in my family is going. But afterward, I get to relax a little and spend my summer applying/praying for jobs.
I had another MUGA heart scan the day after my radiation appointment, and everything's okay, so I've been getting the Herceptin every three weeks as planned (only seven more months!).
I had another radiation appointment for the planning stuff. They gave me three tiny tattoos, one on each side of my chest and one in the front on the right side. These are to make sure I'm lined up correctly everyday when I get treatment. She had to redo the tattoos three times to make sure they were visible enough (which was fine with me because I want to make sure they're radiating the right spot!). It just felt like she was digging holes in my skin. And then I bled all over my shirt.
I go back for another prep appointment Friday, May 18th, before I start the treatments. My appointment time is 11:30 everyday and it should only take about 15 minutes each time. I'll see Dr. B once a week for bloodwork and a checkup to make sure my skin hasn't fallen off I guess. I tried to fill my prescription for the cream that's supposed to help, but the clinic pharmacy could barely read the handwriting. I saw three pharmacists in the back on their smartphones trying to figure out what "Prutect" was while we waited for 30 minutes. They thought it was over-the-counter and had no clue what it was for, even after I told them. We finally just left and one of them ended up calling me to say they had to order it and it'd be a few days (this was 2 weeks ago?). This is why I go to CVS and just pay the copay, at least they get you in and out in 15 minutes!
I also went to visit Dr. K. Twice. Without an appointment. I noticed the left side near my armpit looks swollen, so I called and she told me to come in. She did an ultrasound to make sure there's no fluid and said it's just fat. Normally, breast tissue weighs down the fat in that area so we don't notice it, but since I'm so little, it looks more obvious. She said she can thin it out when I get my port taken out, and she'll fix up the old port scar. She'll have to do it as outpatient surgery, but I wasn't looking forward to having the port taken out in the office while awake anyway.
I must have missed her, so I went to see her again a few weeks later. The right incision was starting to ooze near my armpit. She looked at it and said it wasn't infected, but that the bandages I was using were tearing up my skin. So she gave me some waterproof ones that I can change less often. But it's STILL oozing. Dr. C looked at it today and said it's not infected, and that an infection would be very obvious. So he stocked me up with some more bandages, and I just need to wait it out. He explained how the incision is very taunt in that area and how every time I move my arm, it's putting more pressure on it. So it's basically the incision trying to split open. He did mention that they might not start radiation on schedule if I'm still oozing. So hopefully it'll start healing properly so I can get all this crap over with. It's really hard to NOT use my right arm so with my luck this is going to take a while. I was reaching up for something earlier and suddenly felt shooting pains all down my arm. Gotta love lymph node dissections...
I finally went to the dentist for a checkup and cleaning (unlike certain other members of my family!). I found a new dentist in Mt. Holly and they were much better than the last one. Nobody sprayed my face with water this time. I had two cavities, one of them was next to the bonding from my fake tooth. I didn't realize that could happen. But the dentist was great and smoothed down both sides for me so it'll be less likely to develop more cavities. They do the Maryland bridges too so when these pop off, I have somewhere to go to fix them.
Besides that, I've been feeling fine. My energy level has definitely improved, even though radiation is going to make me tired again. But I'm done with classes and college! Graduation is May 12th, and it seems like EVERYONE in my family is going. But afterward, I get to relax a little and spend my summer applying/praying for jobs.
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