Well, We've decided that God didn't listen to us . . . . . ;) We put in the request for a BORING LIFE from this point on. . . . and it hasn't happened. We had things pop up this week that are far from that! Maybe it's just a little slow in coming ? ;)
I had 2 Dr. appointments yesterday, and wound up coming away from them very exhausted with more on my plate than I already had. . . . .
1) Oncology - Monday night, we went out to dinner and when we got home, I felt like my right hand was a little sore around the thumb area - yes, this is the hand with the shattered pinky and "no lymph nodes" where I had my surgery. I thought I had just pulled a muscle or something along the way. I woke up Tuesday morning, and my hand was beet red, swollen, hot to the touch and very sore - all the way up my arm. By the time I got to the Dr, I could barely lift my arm without major pain - and I couldn't lift even a drink with that hand, it hurt so bad. I had shivers all over and just felt nasty. While I was at the Dr. office, I asked about it . . . turns out this is the diagnosis:
Cellulitis (sp?) : a deep tissue (at the cellular level) infection. Probably from a bug bite or some scratch along the way . . instead of it getting infected on the surface and oozing or something like most might, it goes deeper. It has to be treated with IV antibiotics. SO, I wound up staying at the Dr. yesterday for an extra hour or so getting that treated. The treatment continues every day until Friday. Ugh. However, this morning I felt much better, and could actually use the arm without major pain. There is still some redness and pain, but nothing like it was.
Philip said that for a grade in keeping our life boring, I get an F.
2) I had an appointment with my Hand Surgeon yesterday also. He did XRays and said that the bone has not healed any during the last 3 weeks. Whatever work the cast was going to do, it's done by now . . . . and will only help in protecting me from a "wild day" when and If I do something of the sort. So, he took me out of the cast for everyday use and said to be careful with it. He gave me some very gentle exercises to do with that finger to try to get some movement in it. Here's the kicker...... My bones have healed on the outer edges - barely - but I have a huge, gaping hole in the middle of my bone that is not healing, and hasn't healed one bit since the last time we XRayed 3 weeks ago. We can't leave it like that - if I re-injured it, I could lose the use of that finger or more on that hand.
He's giving me 3 more weeks to see if the exercises help get the fluids going again, and maybe some healing may take place.
Here's what has happened: When your body is first injured, it starts it's own healing process automatically . . . . . mine was suppressed by the Chemotherapy for so long, the healing process just "died down" and stopped completely. It doesn't say, "Oh, that's gone now. . . let's go finish up this healing over here ." It doesn't just start back up on it's own and there's no way to force that to happen. So now, we're possibly looking at surgery. He may have to go in there, and "force" the bone to heal by pinning it together.
He said that I had to make a choice (which wasn't really a choice to begin with) . . . delay chemotherapy to heal the bone, and jeopardize my body's fight against the recurrance of Cancer, etc. . . . . or continue that fight strongly and just hope we don't have to do surgery. At least I can and will recover from surgery . . . the other is just to "iffy" to mess with.
So, we're back on the badwagon of "Surgery ? Maybe, Maybe Not . . . we'll have to wait and see".
He didn't say it exactly in these words, but judging from his mannerisms, etc. . . . I'm thinking that if I don't do any healing in the next 3 weeks, he's gonna have to do surgery. It would only be day surgery . . . . but still. UGH. Just when Philip thought he was getting the break he very much deserves and needs, and getting his wife back in full swing - yet something else rears it's ugly head.........
Philip says that my grade for keeping our life boring has now dropped down to an F-.
Want some excitement in your life ??? Come and live at the Heath Household - we'll keep you on your toes !!!
Have a good day. . . . .
Christy