Day 332 - The Arm Pain Escalates

Yesterday Jaco told me to take some Advil & Tylenol for my arm pain. I ignored him. I want to know WHY I have the pain before I'll just pop any old pill. This morning I was in tears. The pain was so bad. Usually Jaco is up LONG before me, but not this morning. I hardly slept because of the pain. It kept waking me up & I couldn't find a resting pose that was quite comfy enough to stay in. 


I decided to call the Health Link. (403) 943-LINK in case you ever need the number. They have nurses on call 24/7 to help you with your health issues. Lana ran through plenty of questions with me & ultimately told me I should see a Doctor. (The one I was married to didn't count, apparently) So, I called Dr. Daly's office & left a message. A while later, the nurse called me back & asked me a few questions. I had just fallen asleep (finally) when she called me back & said I should come in to see Dr. Daly. 


Away we go. I will describe the symptoms. Dull ache, weakness, shifting from my wrist to my forearm to my elbow to my bicep to my shoulder. No redness, no swelling, no external signs of anything. Dr. Daly tested my strength & of course, the right was just as strong as the left. It just felt weaker from the pain. What does he tell me to do? Take some Advil & see if things change over the next few days. Gee, where did I hear that before? So I pop some Advil & away we go. I saw Sam for a moment & she asked how the dogs were... I told her great & I'd see her in a week! 


I must add, I wore the blonde wig today. Apparently it's a real head turner! The photos I took were at night, so the flash makes it 'glow', unfortunately. It was a ton of fun observing people's reactions! The Doctors & Nurses were priceless! I told them I'd wear the afro wig next week! I've decided redheads have more fun, but blondes certainly get checked out a lot more! (sad, isn't it!?)


The pain seemed to be much worse whenever I laid down. By the time I was ready for bed, it was quite bad again. I took Advil & Tylenol. And I still don't know WHY I'm having this pain. They think it has something to do with the chemo & my veins. Dacarbazine is quite hard on the veins & I certainly attest to the discomfort it causes on injection. It just seems pretty bizarre that 5 days after it's injected, I get excruciating pain! So much for a quick recovery & enjoying the 'in between' days! Oh well... Let the living resume once this is over! Nearly half way! 


Love & Hugs (with my good arm),
xxxxMJV&O


Jaco likes the blonde one best so far... ;oP

Day 325 - Round 5

Well, I'm pleased to say I made it through the day without losing any meals. My blood work was .01 mark below normal, but luckily Dr. Lategan still ordered my treatment. I told him I didn't take the Neupogen last Wednesday as instructed, but he didn't smack my fingers too badly... :oP 


Marilyn was my Nurse for the day. I'll never forget her name, as I think of Marilyn Monroe every time I hear her name! Sam was also there & I learned that Sam replaced Grethe, so CONGRATULATIONS Sam! Well done on the promotion! Ken stopped by to say hello, as he had a physio appointment in the neighbourhood. He & Jaco visited, as I was starting to feel pretty out of it. Ken was kind & brought me a flower in a really cute vase with a little ladybug on the side.


The Dacarbazine REALLY hurt my arm today. In fact, it took twice as long to inject, it hurt that bad. So, instead of one hour, it took two hours. Don't forget that doesn't include the anti-emetic, Adriamycin or Vinblastine. Or the saline flushes in between. Ugh. I think I'll need a clown to perform in front of me next time... It is getting tough! And to think I'm not even half way yet! Sigh.


I managed to eat more 'neutral' foods, with the hopes of keeping it down & keeping my body happy. Dr. Lategan said that vomiting & chemo is generally all in your head. He said he had one patient who couldn't even drive past the hospital without getting sick. Great. I'm doing my best to keep my mind on the straight & narrow!


Jaco managed to get me home, in one piece, through rush hour traffic. He's learned the city well! I went straight to bed, glad to have survived the day... 7 to go.


xxxxMJV&O

Thanks Sam & Marilyn for taking such great care of me today!