My Dear Friends,
Tomorrow is my next bone scan. Once again I am trying desperately not to freak out. How I dread waiting for the phone call. Since I came home from the hospital, my stomach drops nearly every time the phone rings. I fear it is some doctor with bad news. When I see it's the oncologist's office, I really get scared. They called just to ask me to be on time for chemo and I nearly lost it. Waiting for the bone scan results will be the worst. Didn't make it to church today. Bad move on my part. Let's see if I pay for it.
It was a busy week from a medical standpoint. Let me recap:
MONDAY SEPT 3rd:
Found out I had miscounted my medical supplies before leaving for Up North. Did not have enough Heparin, which I inject into the IV line after the antibiotic and saline to prevent blood cots in the line. The local pharmacy did not have any so I had to call the local hospital, who had to contact MY medical supply place to confirm. So I waited. It was very nerve-wracking. Finally, they called me back. Mark went down to the hospital pharmacy to get a vial and syringe, which I drew up myself. So much for staying out of the medical field as my career choice!
TUESDAY SEPT 4th:
Showed up at chemo still attached to my antibiotic IV bag, which was taking FOREVER! I had kept turning the dial up during the week, as it was taking longer and longer (four hours sometimes, instead of 2 to 2.5).
My PICC line, the tubing they inserted in my right arm in the hospital so I can take my IV antibiotic at home, was not giving blood when the chemo nurse tried to take my weekly blood test. This prompted calls to both the oncologist and Dr. V of infectious diseases.
They decided not to use the PICC line for chemo. (The PICC line was totally pain-free for injections and such, as they hooked right up to the outside tubing. BUT NO!) She had to put an IV in the back of my hand, the most sensitive part of the arm. This nurse is no good at IVs so she really had to dig around to find the visible, protruding vein! She had to dilute the chemo with a simultaneous saline drip because it hurt going in.
I would have to keep the IV in my hand for three days to administer the last doses of antibiotic and for the colonoscopy anesthesia on Weds. Like the PICC line, I was not allowed to get it wet. I had been wrapping the middle of my arm in Saran Wrap and taping the ends with medical tape before every shower. Since the PICC line was still in, I had to do that PLUS keep my hand out of the shower to stay dry! Mark had to help me wash my left arm.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT 5th:
Not allowed to eat all day. Only clear liquids. Colonoscopy tomorrow.
Had an appt with Dr. V today. She told me to finish my last two doses of the antibiotic and take a blood test today then one two weeks from now. If all is clear, I'm free to get another port. If the germ is still in my system, it will attach itself to the new port and THAT would have to be removed. So no new port til I'm clear.
Her nurse removed the PICC line while I was there. I tried not to panic as she pulled the 44 cm of tubing from my arm with no anesthesia. The anxiety was for nothing, as the pulling didn't really hurt. Removing all the medical tape before she started was another story! "YEOW! YIKES! OW!" I exclaimed to keep from swearing.
Wednesday night at 5pm was when I started swallowing the 32 laxative horse pills to prepare for the colonoscopy. Good thing I don't have trouble swallowing pills. I figure you swallow wads of chewed food larger than that, right? About 40 minutes later the fun started. I was scared but tried to make a joke of it for the kids, each time heading to the bathroom swinging my arms like an Olympic walker. Here we go again!
I downed a couple Gatorades, one can of ginger ale and a water or two. Between 5pm and right before the test itself, I went to the bathroom 25 times! Mostly just water. The only good thing was that I did not get those nasty diarrhea cramps. Thank God!
THURSDAY, SEPT 6th:
OK, I was pretty scared before the colonoscopy. (I had a nightmare before it, that a nurse said I was "a screamer" and would be awake during the test.)
Mark and I arrived at the Surgery Center at 8:30am and I was called back shortly thereafter. They used the IV still in the back of my hand. The young nurse had to pull, reposition it and retape it but it eventually worked.
Had to wait forever for the bathroom but the anesthesiologist, bless his heart, pointed me around the corner to another one. A stern nurse tracked me down and thought I had escaped.
I had a 101.7 fever but the doc said it was just from dehydration. They had to take my blood pressure on my calf because I had the IV and the PICC line wound on my right arm. (The left arm is always off limits because of all the lymph nodes they removed during my breast surgery in 2004.)
Both the stern nurse and the young one reassured me I'd be asleep during the test. I made the anesthesiologist promise.
I'm so glad Mark was there with me after I was prepped.
They wheeled me down the hall into the dimly-lit operating room, where the young nurse, a nurse anesthetist and a female technician were getting ready.
I laid on my left side and asked for a pillow between my knees to prevent hip and back pain. I looked over my shoulder at Debbie the technician, who was putting on elbow-length, blue rubber gloves.
"You'd better not do anything til I'm asleep," I warned.
"No, no," Debbie said, adjusting the cuffs. "I can't do anything til the doctor comes in."
I turned back then looked over my shoulder again, "I'm watching you Debbie!"
The doc came in as a nurse put an oxygen mask over my nose & mouth. I helped position it properly. I saw her start to inject a syringe into the IV tube. It was halfway gone and THEN....
I woke up in the prep room. My eyelids were so heavy I could only open halfway. Someone showed Mark back in and then the doctor came in.
I heard a few phrases, like "fine, young colon" and "no cancer". He mentioned hemorrhoids (no kidding, I gave birth to a ten pound baby!) and said I have a "spastic colon" which may have accounted for the thickening they saw in the CAT Scan. (Now I have to look up the ramifications of a "spastic colon".) He said he did a biopsy, just to satisfy the oncologist.
"What if that comes up with cancer?" I mumbled.
"It won't," he said.
He was about to leave when I said, "Congratulations, doctor. You have gone where no man has gone before!"
"THAT was obvious!" he laughed.
No one told me that they fill your colon full of air for this test, and that the air wants to come back out. Now, I have only farted in from of my husband once in our 13 year relationship. I was 9 months pregnant with my second son and we were out for our evening walk. I couldn't help it. Mark was bemused and had pointed out at the time that I'd never done that in front of him before. You put a 10lb baby (plus other "stuff") on your colon, take a walk and see what happens!
After the colonoscopy, all bets were off. I really let loose.
Even the stern nurse laughed when I said, "Take cover! There's more air on deck!"
When I was a little more awake, then sent me home, warning me not to drive or sign any legal paperwork for the rest of the day!
We headed to the hospital branch near home to get my blood cultures done. They couldn't do it at the Surgery Center. This involved two more pokes in the arm, 15 minutes apart for some reason. Not sure WHAT can change in that time. Luckily, I had the skilled phlebotomist. One is good, one is bad over there. The good one says she has been drawing 60 to 70 blood tests every day for four years. I complimented her skills, remembering she was the one that made me pay the time I argued with her supervisor about getting some test results myself instead of from the doctor.
Afterwards, since my colon was so clean, I figured I should get some red meat in it so we stopped at Burger King on the way home!
Friday I was back at work. The surgeon's office called my cell phone (the stomach dropped). I returned their call. They only wanted to see how I was doing, thank God.
It's now after 11pm so I should get to sleep. Really scared about tomorrow's scan. Other than an occasional pain in my upper left arm, I feel perfectly fine. Before my last bone scan, everything hurt but it turned out to be psychological. All the pain stopped after the good results came back.
Please pray for another stay of execution for me. I love my babies and want to be with them as long as I can.
Love,
Jeanette
