Journal Entry Oct. 27, 2012

"By letting go it all gets done."

                      --Lao Tzu

Journal Entry Oct. 4-6, 2012

10/4 Hair is still falling out. Weird feeling to be in the shower & feel something "crawling" down your back & leg. Then seeing that was of hair fall to the drain.

Going to see about a wig from the wig bank tomorrow. 

Scalp is tender.

10/5  Went to Women's Health Boutique & got a free wig from their wig bank thru the American Cancer Society. Wig is new with real hair.

10/6  Shaved my head tonight...well, mom did. Not too bad...

Sunrise

I got to see the sunrise today. I was up at 5:15am to drive my neighbors to the airport. Driving out of the airport I noticed the medical helicopter hangar. Hmm, flight medic...So I had to look up those requirements when I got home. Advanced paramedic status with many years experience.

In the drive home I saw that a hotel is having a job fair sometime & started wondering about that. I can do front desk, night audit, laundry, & housekeeping. 

I really need that other blog to post my random stuff. Like the relationship between Jayne Mansfield and the bar that sits below the doors on a semi trailer.

Brain CT

Since I couldn't have an MRI I had a CT yesterday. No contrast so no IV! Yay! No barium to drink. Scan took about 3 minutes. Results in 3-5 days. 

Reason for: I'm having vision issues. I saw an opthamalogist and my eyes are fine. In getting zig zaggy lines in my right eye and a grey film over my left. Both only happen occasionally but seem to be normal things. The zigs are an ocular or ophthalmic migraine & mostly happen in my right eye. The "grey curtain" could be from eye strain or something else. It's the scary one because when it happens I can't see out of my left eye. 

Edit: I couldn't have an MRI due to the fact that I'm carrying around a magnet in my left faux boob. Ha ha! My tissue expander has a magnet to mark the injection port so the doctor can locate it for a fill. I even have a card in my wallet that says No MRIs. But I've had one of my brain since I've had the expander in. Oops! Forgot and PCP wasn't aware. During the procedure it occurred to me that I had a magnet in there when I felt something move. It caused the expander to only rotate and not rip out of my chest like in my fears. :)

And again...

Left arm is infected this time...

http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/lymphedema/infection

Lymphedema and Infection

 

Save as Favorite

Sign in to receive recommendations (Learn more)

Infection is a special concern after you’ve had any lymph nodes removed — whether or not you’ve ever had any symptoms of lymphedema. This is because of two key roles those lymph nodes play for the hand, arm, and upper body.

1. Lymph nodes take care of “foreign invaders” from specific regions of the body and signal the body to launch an immune response. “I liken the lymph node to a taxi dispatcher who gets a call from someone at an address and then says, ‘Hey taxi, go there,’” says Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, professor in the Division of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania. “So let’s say you have an underarm lymph node or nodes that serve your hand. You get a cut in your finger and dirt and debris get into the body. The lymph carries the debris up to the lymph nodes, which strain the debris out and then tell the immune system to respond, to stop the infection. So what happens if you no longer have all of those nodes? A cut that wasn’t a big deal before has the potential to turn into an infection that, left unchecked, can spread throughout the body.”

2. Lymph nodes filter out bacteria and toxins so they can’t get into the blood. In the case of this cut finger, the lymph is trying to carry the bacteria and debris out of the finger tissue, but some of the lymph nodes and vessels you had before aren’t there to filter it out. The remaining nodes and vessels may not be able to keep up with all the lymph that needs to be filtered. Bacteria can then start to multiply in the lymph. Because lymph is rich in nutrients, it provides a great environment for bacteria to hang out and reproduce.

The more lymph nodes that have been removed or damaged, the harder it may be for your lymphatic system to deal with injury. Cuts or even small breaks in the skin — sometimes not even visible to the naked eye — can get infected, causing local symptoms such as redness, tenderness, and warmth. In some cases, these symptoms can spread from the original injury up the arm or into the upper body. A spreading rash that is warm and tender indicates cellulitis, a serious bacterial infection of the skin and underlying tissue. Cellulitis requires immediate medical attention and treatment with antibiotics. Left untreated, cellulitis tends to spread rapidly and can even become life-threatening. If you can’t get in to see your doctor right away, go to the nearest emergency room for treatment.

What to do if you notice a cut or break in the skin

For many women, infection is the trigger for their first episode of lymphedema. If you notice a cut or break in the skin anywhere in the hand, arm, chest, or upper body on the side of your surgery — no matter how minor — be sure to:

• Wash the area with soap and water.
• Apply an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment, such as Neosporin, Polysporin, Bactroban, or the store-brand equivalent.
• Cover with a clean, dry bandage and change it regularly, keeping the area clean and covered until it heals.
• Check every day for signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, increased heat, or tenderness in the area, or chills, fever, and/or fatigue. You may feel ill — almost like you have the flu coming on — before you notice any changes in the skin.
• Call your doctor if you think you have an infection.

Note: If you get a cut, it doesn’t mean it will definitely become infected, or that you will develop lymphedema. Just use good common sense to reduce the risk of infection and take quick action if any symptoms appear.

If you develop infection or recurrent infections

Any infection should be treated right away with an antibiotic, whether or not it has progressed to cellulitis. Your doctor may recommend that you rest in bed and elevate the affected area. If you already have lymphedema, you can continue wearing your compression sleeve if it’s not too painful to do so. (If the area is inflamed and sore, you may need to take a break until symptoms improve -- see your doctor for more guidance.) Any massaging of the area with manual lymphatic drainage should stop until the infection has resolved.

Typically, your doctor will need to see you within a few days to make sure the antibiotic is working. Symptoms of infection should start clearing up within a few days, although you’ll likely need to continue taking the medication for longer than that. If your infection doesn’t respond, you may need to be admitted to the hospital to receive antibiotics intravenously (through a needle inserted into your vein). Just be sure the IV isn’t inserted into the arm or hand on the side of your body that has the infection.

Let your lymphedema therapist know that you’ve had an infection. He or she can monitor you for any signs of lymphedema if you’ve never been diagnosed, or for symptom flare-ups if you already have it. Since infection can trigger lymphedema, it’s important to take action quickly if symptoms develop.

Some people go on to experience recurrent infections. If this happens to you, ask your doctor about getting an emergency supply of antibiotics to be taken at the first sign of trouble. If you have persistent lymphedema and get frequent infections, you may need to take antibiotics whenever you get a cut or break in the skin. Your doctor might recommend taking a low-dose antibiotic regularly as a preventive measure, even without any signs of injury or associated infection. Or you may only need to take an antibiotic before any medical procedure that could introduce outside bacteria into your body, such as dental work or surgical procedures. Your doctor is the best judge of what's right for you.

If you've had problems with infection and are planning a trip or an extended out-of-town stay, see your doctor. He or she may advise that you can take a prescription for antibiotics or a medication supply with you.

Another important step is ramping up your current treatment plan, advises Nicole Stout, MPT, CLT-LANA, Senior Rehabilitative Services Practice Leader at Kaiser Permanente, Mid Atlantic Region. “With my own patients, I find that when we find ways to manage their lymphedema more consistently, they tend to have fewer infections. This may mean more consistent nighttime bandaging or compression, or more compression during the day.”

This!!

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/07/cancer-isnt-over-after-cure-remission-survivor-tests-checkups?CMP=fb_gu&utm_content=28390706&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

I just posted the link to the photos of women going thru chemo

I remember when my hair started falling out and my mom tried to deny it. We were in the car and kind of arguing about it (probably on the way to a dr appt) so I reached up and pulled on my hair. The clump came out and my mom watched it fly out the window. I know what street we were on and the exact spot. #reality #timetoshave #sorrytofreakoutmymom