When it Rains, it POURS!!!

Especially in Georgia, during the summer of 2013!

Awesome son's yard last week!!!

As if this hasn't been such an exciting adventure in the Land of the Unknown already, Round #3 really did a number on my gastrointestinal tract!!!  When chemo kills off all new cell growth, that includes the mucosal cells that line your digestive tract - hence the increased risk for mouth sores, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea; among other things!

When I couldn't:

• Sit
• Walk
• Climb up or downstairs
• Lower myself onto or raise myself off of the potty
• Shift my weight from one leg to the other
• Get in or out of bed
• OR sleep (even with help from a usually-friendly Lortab) without screaming in pain...

it was time to seek some assistance!!!

Had already consulted the on-call onco on Saturday.  He recommended sitz baths and continued treatment with the topical prescription - did both - what a joke!

Hubby called again on Sunday - tired of my screaming - and was told to bring me in first thing Monday a.m.

MONDAY

Drs. #1 and #2 (10:00 am)

Oncologist (not mine, since he practices out of another office on Mondays):

Climb up on the table and let's take a look (or something of that nature). 

Me: Give me a minute (or an hour), but PLEASE don't touch me! (He didn't.)

Oncologist: It might be shingles... (since I had an odd blister off to the side - I think it was from sitting on the heating pad too long!) Let's check your white count too..." (enter another oncologist)

Other oncologist (the on-call guy): Let me look at what's going on... (Since it got WORSE under my watch)

Me: (stifled scream!!!!!)

Other onco: Looks like you need to be examined by a gastroenterologist; they have better equipment to see what's REALLY going on.

Then the conversation turned to WHEN - can it be today???  Probably not.  But I have to TEACH in the morning!!!  I don't think so - look at you! You can't even walk!

Well, hero nurse Patty (MY onco's scheduling guru) DID get me an appointment that day!

Good news from that visit - white counts are UP!!!

Home with some Percocet (a step up from the Lortab), pass out for an hour, then up for more...

Dr. #3 (1:30 p.m.) Well, really 2:20, after 30 minutes of life history paperwork and a 10 minute wait without the clipboard

Gastro girl: So what's going on here?

Me: Can't you see? I'm dying! (No, I really didn't say that, just gave her, once again, my life history - can't she just look at the book I wrote???)

Gastro girl: Climb up on the table and let's take a look.

Me: (deep sigh, glance at hubby - she actually asked if I approved his staying in there!  Really? After all he's seen so far, on top of 26 years of marriage???) 

Gastro girl: Now you know I'm going to have to touch you, but I'll be as gentle as possible...  (gloves on, here it comes)

Me: OH, SH#%!!!!! (at least 2 times)

Gastro girl: (after using no "special equipment") They're obviously thrombosed ("Engorgement of a hemorrhoidal vessel with acute swelling may allow blood to pool and, subsequently, clot; this leads to the acutely thrombosed external hemorrhoid, a bluish-purplish discoloration often accompanied by severe incapacitating pain" [http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/81039-overview, para.1].), and really need to be removed. Who's your surgeon?

So she gives him a call, and he wants to see me... today!  In fact, right now!!!  

Wow, the benefits of being a cancer patient 8)

I really liked her.  But she shared that she's leaving the practice in 2 weeks :(

Dr. #4 (3:something p.m.)

My surgeon: (after the same routine, and a similar reaction from me) Yep, we need to do something about this.  I'd do it here in the office, but I don't think a local numbing will do the trick for the pain.

Me: (head rapidly shaking side to side)

My surgeon (I call him this b/c he's done "my" surgical biopsy, mastectomy, and port placement - so far!): We'll schedule it for tomorrow morning.  You shouldn't have to go through pre-op again since you were in not long ago. (MORE benefits of being a "frequent flyer")

Me: Okay. How long for recovery, because I have a chemo treatment scheduled for Wednesday?

My surgeon: Well, I'm afraid that's not going to happen.  It'll take at least a week, maybe more... lada lada lada... (I didn't hear the rest.  This CRAP was going to push off my scheduled treatment for the bigger CRAP!!!)
I was face-to-face with one of my biggest fears: reducing the efficacy of the chemo regimen by messing up the schedule.

I cried then.  Well not THEN, but while waiting for his assistant to schedule my surgery and post-op visit.  Especially after she told me, after consulting with him, again, that it would be 9 days before my post-op visit, and NO chemo until then.  So not a week off schedule, but 2 weeks...

Home, with more Percocet, potato and leek soup, another sitz bath, a ruptured one (the most painful one), hunting a pad in precious daughter's room for the bleeding (no, I don't need them anymore), anger, confusion, and sleep - almost!

As I was drifting off into my drug-induced slumber, my phone sounded a bling, indicating a message had come through.  I stretched over to take a peek, and since it was from precious daughter, checked the message.  She asked if I was okay, and if I'd seen the Facebook message she'd posted earlier.  I hadn't, so I checked.  Here's what it said (I'm sure she won't mind me sharing):

PERFECT <3

TUESDAY

• Surgery went well. My forever helper, sweet hubby, has been amazing AGAIN :)
• No pain today :tup for the drugs 
• Mama's coming over to help tomorrow, and I hope I'll be on the mend after that!
• Looking forward to catching up with work and my classes - SO grateful for the support and the "sub" - and REALLY anxious to get the show FIGHT back on the road!!!

I'll end with this, a verse one of precious daughter's besties shared with her today:

Romans 8:18 (KJV)
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.