Sunday, March 4th began an interesting event.
I had gone to church, as is my usual Sunday habit, and my son wanted to get together for a bit prior to going out of town.
We went to Costco and were going to just get a hot dog and a drink but the concession stand line was massive. We decided to do a little shopping first then get a bite to eat. As we wandered the store and chatted we decided to go somewhere else to eat lunch (his treat!! Wowzer!) and I related that I was absolutely freezing. Also - I did not feel real well.
Now, mind you, I have a whole new perspective on not feeling well compared to feeling well. I have plumbed the depths through chemo and now pretty much the very worst I ever feel is classified simply as "not feeling real well." Everything is relative, you know.
We eventually found our way out of the store, went to get a bite, and proceeded on our separate ways once I dropped him off. By the time I got home I was really feeling quite fatigued and quite not well so I decided to rest a bit.
I lay down and thought "you know, Mel, you really should take some Tylenol" 'Why, yes, that is a good idea.' Thirty minutes later - thirty minutes of KNOWING I really did need to take some Tylenol I got up and walked the 10 steps to the bathroom vanity and took 2 tablets.
THEN I lay back down and slept for 2 hours. Generally if I take a nap, I'm good for maybe 20 minutes tops.
So it is now 5:30 and I get up and await the return from the death house of the spousal unit.
We eat a little something, chat and watch TV and I am fighting hard to stay awake at 8 o'clock in the evening!!
The next day I decide that it really might be a good idea to confer with my physician on this as it really is NOT normal to feel tired, hot, swollen, have chills, etc. - generally what some people might call miserable but which I simply call not feeling well.
The doctor's office gets back to me later in the day with a "let's get you in to see the doctor - is tomorrow about x time good for you?" Yup - sounds good to me.
My sweet spousal unit has been asked if he could work on Tuesday but we determine - you know, with my having intermittent fevers and chills it might be a good idea to have him take me to the appointment, which is exactly what we do.
At the Doctor's he comes back with me to the exam room. When Doctor H comes in we relate to him that "Dr. Ruben" has already diagnosed my situation as Lyme Disease. Or typhoid.
You may as well have fun and laugh in almost any situation.
I realize and relate that my left mastectomy site (you know from over a year ago!), my non-cancerous only one sentinel node removed mastectomy site is feeling hot and painful and swollen. I figure I am just really tired and imagining things at the same time thinking "WHAT??!! Am I turning amphibian and regenerating growth here??"
Upon examination Dr H diagnoses cellulitis. What??? It's an infection of your skin - inside your skin. This is not contagious but it could be really bad. Really, really bad!!
He has to check to make sure there are not pockets within the inflamed area of pus. EEEWWW!!! Had there been, they would have had to be drained. EEEEEWWWWW!!!
Apparently, any one at any given time and on any given body part (covered by skin) can get cellulitis just because. Oh - good then..
So I get an injection of anti-biotic to jump start the process of healing and a prescription of anti-biotic to take for 10 days to eliminate the problem.
Within just a day or so I am feeling very much better - just in time to go in for an infusion of Herceptin!!
So in further good news I will relate that even though last week looked like a week from much earlier in the process with an appointment at the doctor followed by an appointment for chemo then a few days later an appointment with my surgeon - I am feeling absolutely fabulous again, I only have one or two Herceptin infusions left, I have a preliminary appointment with a "plastic" or reconstructive surgeon set up and life is good
Because never forget for a second, friends - life IS good.
