MLO Knitting

Archive for the ‘Cancer’ Category

I’ve been having some issues due to last year’s surgery for ovarian cancer. What I’m about to go into may be too TMI for some folks, so turn back now if you are uncomfortable about bodily functions. Cancer takes a lot of things away – and sometimes aftercare reminds you of everything that has been lost.

Here is the TMI part:

I have been having issues with my bowels. What can happen after extensive abdominal surgery is adhesions. Now regular readers from the infertility and cancer blogospheres are probably familiar with adhesions and some of the things they can cause. Well, one of the things adhesions can do is block one’s bowel movements from being as easy as they should be – and even, rarely, block them altogether.

The last time I went in to get my port flushed, I mentioned that I had been having intermittent pain in the area the tumor had been found. Associated with that was recurring constipation with very painful bowel movements. Nothing like wanting to scream in pain as you are moving your bowels. My first thought, being the optimist I am, was, “shit, the cancer is back.” The nurse, doctor, and PA were all saying “adhesions.”

End TMI part.

We took my CA-125 and it came back at 10. That was a major relief.

I moseyed on over to get my ultrasound and CT scan done at the hospital where I have had my other films taken. It is good to go to the same place so they have comparisons. Of course, I have to remind them that not even when I was in the hospital did anyone want to give me contrast dye, so, yes, I was able to do both on the same day.

The young lady who was doing my ultrasound was quite friendly and we were talking a bit. She had taken my history, and, well, I think she got a wee bit too relaxed. I asked her what field of ultrasound she wanted to continue in as she was an intern. She mentioned specialty OB/GYN. No problem.

Now, anyone who has had an abdominal ultrasound knows what it is like to have pressure on your bladder from all of the water they make you drink beforehand. I was saying how much I wanted to go pee…

“Can you imagine what it’s like for the pregnant ladies.” stated the ultrasound tech who had just taken my history.

My reply was an even, “That is not an appropriate thing to say.”

She became very apologetic and said, “I am so sorry, and I just took your history, I am so sorry.” She was genuinely apologizing.

I told her it was ok. She said it wasn’t ok. I tried to convey it was better to have happen with someone like me who has become sort of used to dealing with these faux pas instead of someone in a very fragile state of mind. I was mostly thinking of someone who might have just miscarried or just found out she was infertile.

I soon found that I had a new ultrasound tech. I know that it is hard doing this. I really did not want to make her feel really bad, only use that time as a teaching moment.

Did it sound like – from my description – that I was too harsh?

Anyway, I found out soon whether I am going to need surgery for the adhesions or not. Hopefully they will correct themselves as the issues don’t seem to be as bad as they were – but I will admit to an incredible amount of gas of late.

(And, yes, these issues are part of the reason I haven’t been writing as much. I have also found a new – to me – entertainment venue which I will be writing on shortly.)

Last week Monday I tried to get a prescription refilled. This particular drug is not supposed to be stopped suddenly, so I called three business days prior to running out. I even got a call back to clarify what I needed.

On Thursday, I went to get my port flushed – a way to avoid L.ovenox. The nurses took one look at me and made me see the PA, Ms. Clarity. I was informed I had the stomach flu that has been going around. As per usual, she asked me about any prescriptions I might need. For some reason, I had a hunch that Dr. Sunshine’s office had not called in my prescription. I was right.

I called Dr. Professor’s office and asked that Ms. Clarity call in the prescription. I then went home and found myself sleeping until the next day.

My DH went to pick it up later that night to find that the pharmacy’s fax had died and there was a back-up of unfilled – possibly lost – prescriptions.

The next morning, the pharmacy did not have the prescription so DH called to find out why from Dr. Professor’s office. He had been on the phone trying to figure out what had happened to the prescription all day when I woke up very late. He had left multiple messages with the office’s staff and the pharmacy.

I called the pharmacy and explained my situation at about 6:30. Even showing up at about 9 to see if it was there then.

Luckily for me, due to the nature of the drug, the pharmacy was allowed to give me a 5 day emergency prescription fill.

So, on this just past Monday, I went to Dr. Professor’s office to get the prescription in hand. The medical assistant who had taken my husband’s message was most apologetic and said I could yell at her. I didn’t. She went to yell at Ms. Clarity.

Ms. Clarity said she had used the electronic prescription service to send it in at 8:42 PM. I asked if she had sent it to the right pharmacy as the pharmacy had said they would call when it came in. She called the pharmacy and they said it was ready for pick-up.

I went to my pharmacy and they didn’t have it. There are two pharmacies on the same road – but in two neighboring cities. The prescription was at the wrong store!

Why did it take a whole week to fill a simple prescription? Is the universe conspiring?

Oh, on top of that? The hard drive with all of my data – knitting patterns, old documents, back-ups, etc. – has become unreadable.

Today? We have a snowstorm to stop me from going to get a new hard drive for my laptop as it is quickly becoming too full.

I think the universe is conspiring to make my life much harder than it need be. Perhaps SMR (my pekingese) has the right idea of sleeping all the time.

Just to be clear. I don’t really assign blame to anyone as this really was a comedy of errors.

I had an appointment today with my Dr. Professor. It was to go over my bone density test. Turns out I am between normal and osteoporosis. This is known as osteopenia. I am to start taking Os-Cal twice a day for a few months before being checked again. I have a family history of osteoporosis – combined with a lot of lupron, hysterectomy, and chemotherapy – I want to be aggressive in preventing osteoporosis.

While waiting I ran into one of my former chemo buddies, C. C had a very traumatic holiday. Her son lost one of his 2 year old triplets in a freak accident. For some reason – I know this was meant in kindness – she felt she needed to share this with me. She had remembered how traumatized I was about losing the ability to have children. I really wish there was a way to stop these kinds of pain, there isn’t.

I was not offended, or even surprised by her need to tell me of this. I just wonder what drives all of us to share our pain with one another. Is grief the thing that actually makes us need one another?