It has been another week of doctor appointments. Except for Baby Chang's pediatrician it was all new doctors.
Let's start with Baby Chang... It was her one year check-up and she is doing great. She is 31 inches tall which is in the 95th percentile (basically that means out of 100 girls her age 95 would be shorter) and she weighs 22 lbs, 11 oz which is in the 75th percentile. I've always known she is above average. I'm also pretty sure a few of those inches happened in the last few days. She can now turn the lights off but can't quite get high enough to turn the switch back on.
I went to yet another ENT this week, yep that makes four in less than a year. This appointment was because my right ear was congested and I couldn't get anything to pop. I had to see a new Doc because I couldn't get into see either of my other ENT's and plus I was told "they don't do ears anyway". WHAT? You are an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor how is it possible? Just one more way the medical community baffles me. Anyway, the New Doc broke the good news that this could now be a chronic problem as a result of the Radiation. If I can't get the fluid to drain I may need tubes put in my ear. He popped my ear for me, which is a very strange sensation, but today it plugged back up. After a few hours of trying I finally got my ear to pop but I'm doubtful it will stay open and it doesn't feel like anything is draining.
The other new doctor I went to this week is an Internist. I have been having this amazing sensation for the last week and a half. It seems that every time I lower my head my there would be a tingling sensation running down my legs. From time to time if I'm in the right position it also makes my hands go numb. Well, she sent me for a Spine X-ray and an MRI (with and without contrast). Seems like radiation is to blame again. The first fear was that the cancer had returned in a new spot, thankfully this is NOT the case. What has happened is that it appears my spinal cord is ever so slightly swollen. The radiologist who read the MRI said she wouldn't even have noted it if it weren't for my history. So what's next? Yet another new doctor, a neurologist.
In case you were wondering I now have the following doctors (many of whom I see every two months):
1. ENT - Head and Neck Cancer Specialist
2. ENT - Did the surgery that found the cancer
3. Oncologist - Poisoned me with chemo
4. Radiation Oncologist - Totally screwed up my body with Radiation
5. ENT - Ear specialist because the first two don't do ears
6. Internist - The General Practice guru
7. OB/GYN - The woman who sees me - all of me - once a year
8. OB/GYN - Fertilization specialist just in case the chemo and radiation really screwed me up.
9. ENT - Based in Minneapolis just for good measure
10. Neurologist - The newest yet to be named.
SERIOUSLY who needs this many doctors!!!! This doesn't even count Baby Chang's two pediatricians!
If new side effects keep popping up who knows how big the list could be. I do need a good dermatologist if anyone can recommend one...
It has to suck always wondering if the other shoe is going to drop. I think I get it but then again, I've never had cancer so maybe I don't. A friend of mine is in remission after dealing with stage 4 testicular cancer. He and his wife were trying to have a baby and when he hung a flat screen tv on the wall a lump bulged out of his neck. How freakishly random, huh? That's how he found out he had cancer and also why the "trying" wasn't working. Anyway, they can no longer have children at all but he is alive and he is humbled that he is going to make it. A man that he met in Indianapolis died after being diagnosed at about the same time and they both went through the same exact protocol at the same time as well. His friend didn't make it but Mike will go on to live a relatively normal life with a few tweaks. He still has the metallic taste in his mouth (when he can taste at all) and will probably always have it and the fact that he can't ever have babies again but like he says, if this what he has to deal with in exchange for living and being with his wife and daughter, he'll take it. I would imagine though, that it has to be extremely annoying- especially when all you want to do is get to the regularly scheduled programming- otherwise known as your life "before" cancer came in and took over. Normal will come. It's going to take time to adjust. Every moment was consumed by cancer for what, a year? Give yourself some grace. You're alive, you get to raise your daughter and work again. I know I don't have to tell you that you have a lot to live for. Look at the bright side. You have a seriously skinny behind. How many women can say that the the first year after having a baby? I'm kinda jealous actually.
ReplyDeleteBe well!
Love,
Carisa
Goodness... that's a lot of doctor's. Hopefully that number will greatly reduce soon.
ReplyDeleteHere's to hoping for more GOOD news and less side-effects-based-on-cancer treatment news.
Hang in there!
Hi. I finished a second round of radiation for npc in Oct. 2009. I struggled with the tingling sensation down my spine for a few months. It now has disappeared.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I have fluid in my one ear that will not drain. My ENT may put a tube in soon. It doesn't bother me much except I cannot hear well on that side.
Mark