Now That Explains A Lot!

I paid a visit to the oncologist this week. I have been extremely fatigued and have continued having pain on my right rib cage side. The fatigue is what cancer survivors term 'chemo fatigue', which is a type of "tired" that I only ever felt while going through chemo a couple of years ago. It comes in waves, but hits hard and makes me feel like I must lay down and SLEEP right away. Just a total lack of energy by 10:30 a.m. and this after a full 9 hours of good sleep at night! The doctor ordered two tests. One, a blood test to check for anemia, and another, a PET scan to check and make sure cancer hasn't spread anywhere. The blood work came back very evident that I have a B-12 deficiency. He prescribed mega doses of B-12 and told me that if I didn't feel better in a couple of weeks we would start B-12 shots and see why my body isn't absorbing B-12 through my diet. So this explains a lot!  Now I wait for the PET scan which is scheduled for 2 weeks from now.   I had a clear one of those in November, so I am not expecting them to find anything earth shattering.  Still, it will be nice to get another all clear from cancer!

I also had a pelvic/uterine ultrasound this week and am still waiting for those results. Something lit up on my MRI in February that was non-descript. The gyn. wanted me to wait a couple menstrual cycles before looking again via U.S. When I had the exam I told the tech about it and she said, "No 'it's' still there. I see it". Of course, she can't tell me what it might be or what she thinks, so the radiologist is looking at the views and I hope to hear this week. I will admit I'm a bit curious. It is in the myometrium, the inner walls of the uterine muscle, not the lining. Any thoughts from anyone here who may have had this? I'll just say symptoms in this "female" regard are "annoying"...no pain though. (The only reason we found this was in the hunt for what may be causing the pain on my right side, of which this isn't even in the same vicinity!) UPDATE: they believe it is a blood clot in the uterus. nothing to be alarmed by. Leaving things alone for now.

This has been a very eventful week in our family. Kelli, our youngest graduated Summa Cum Laude from high school, so now we are officially "Empty Nesters" once she leaves for college in 2 months. 

Tim had 2 more MRIs of his shoulder and nerves in his neck this week. Please continue praying for him as he has lost use of the left arma nd has new symptoms ion the right arm. We are hoping to hold off surgery and that physical therapy may help. First MRI last week revealed he does have spinal stenosis so something may have to be done eventually but we are praying for pain relief and ability to regain use of the arm. It is in a palsey state. In true form, however, we spent today at a wine festival and he is at a baseball game this evening - nothing holds him down! Nothing!

Am I Atypical?

Apparently I am! That's what the dermatologist called to tell me today. The mole removed from my abdomen last week was determined to be Atypia, in other words, "pre-cancerous", but the margins were clear.  He wants me to be checked again in 4 months, 8 months, 12 months, then every year. (Thanks to my maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather, both of whom had numerous skin cancer lesions). The mole itself was only the size of a small pearl, but quite dark.  Now I am left with what is sure to be a nasty scar, about the size of a large pea, but seeing as I have no intentions of wearing a bikini anytime soon, it is well hidden! If you really must see it, click here.

I have an appointment with my oncologist next week since the pain on my right rib cage area has not improved in almost a year and I have had continued bouts of tender swelling in my groin on that side for over a year as well.  I have numerous sharp, tender "jabs" under my rib cage and towards my back each and every day. At times it is a take-your-breath-away pain, but it is brief and so I deal with it. I've almost become accustom to it, so much so that I have stopped all pain medications because they make me too loopy and I guess I would say that the jabs are tolerable (as much as one can stand being "slugged" in their side every day)! I'll wait to see what tricks Dr. G may have yet left in his bag.  I'm imagining the standard blood work, another scan, and another, "we can't find anything" result but it is what cancer survivors do. It is the drill for at least 5 years, and sometimes beyond.  As much as I would like to let it go, and decide once and for all that this is nothing to worry about, the fact is that I do worry and I feel very strongly that it is not normal. Fortunately for me, neither does my doctor, and he is on a mission to find it.

Summer is officially underway and next week at this time we will be graduating our last high schooler and attending college orientation soon. This same daughter plans on auditioning for American Idol in Pittsburgh later this summer as well. She can only take one parent with her. We'll be fighting over that assignment!