On Monday I had lunch with my mom, my Aunt, my great Aunt, and three of my cousins. I had the very best reuben I've had in a long time. Of course, it might have just been because I was so hungry but wow....it was good and if I wouldn't have looked like a big, fat pig, I might have ordered another one.
On Tuesday I went with Sean to the Dr. He's been having a pain for some that we thought might be a hernia. Apparently it's not...(though the Dr - a surgeon in the same office as my surgeon - said there was a chance it could be something called an occult hernia. I actually laughed out loud and he gave me a strange look. Me with Occult Breast Cancer and Sean with an Occult hernia? See why I laughed?) Anyway, the Dr thinks it's just a pulled muscle.
I also made a kick ass diaper cake for a coworkers new baby. It's the pink one here
On Wednesday I had to go for a stress echo. I did not like this one bit. For those who've never had the pleasure....
I got hooked up to a heart monitor. I sat around for a half hour waiting for my turn to have an ultrasound. In that time, (I was nearly falling asleep) my heart rate was anywhere in between 86 and 112. I just naturally have a fast heart rate. As I'm sitting there I'm listenging to an old man behind a curtain getting his ultrasound. The tech is clearly having a hard time and finally tells him he needs to have a contrast to get a better picture.
Finally, it's my turn to have the ultrasound. So the tech is pushing the wand into my ribs and my boob and its friggin killing me. Then he digs it into my solar plexis and my neck. It's all very quick, he's clicking away on the computer taking measurments, much like an OB ultrasound. THEN...he tells me that he can't get a good image because of my surgery (I call bullshit since he was all over the left side and my surgery is all right side...) and he had to give me contrast. This sent me into an anxiety attack. I don't like having new chemicals injected into me...I've got enough going on. And Sean wasn't with me which added to it. And the Dr is telling me to watch for an itchy throat or watery eyes or my tongue swelling. Yeah, good thing to tell me. I know someone who had so many CT Scans in the course of a couple of years that she developed an allergy to the contrast......and I fear this will be me. The Dr tells me this is a relatively new contrast to Canada, only in use for 2 years and that they really get excited about new things. Me thinks this jerkoff just wanted to play with his new toy and my expense. So he fusses with the IV, but gets it in. As he's opening the little port to flush it with saline he realizes he's got the wrong syringe so he takes it out but doesn't close the port so my blood starts flowing out. He gets it all over me, the pad, his gloves. Then he tears his glove and gets some of my blood on his finger. He says to me after "You don't have HIV or Hepatitis do you?" I said "No, just cancer." He says, "Okay, because you know it's not a big deal, I can just go get the shot but you need to let me know." I said "NO, just cancer and you won't be catching that!" And all the while I'm thinking Serves you right asshole, I don't think you even need to be giving me this crap!
So I get on the treadmill and walk, fast, on a huge incline for about 5 mintues until I get to my target heartrate. The tech doing this was not impressed that he had to do my blood pressure in my left arm, along with the IV in there because my right arm is stictly off limits to anything (trauma, such as blood pressure cuffs or needles can trigger lympedima)
Once my heart rate is up to 187 they inject me with more contrast (yay) and have my jump back onto the ultrasound table to get another look.
When I was done I sit back down. My heart rate is now in the low 120's. The tech doesn't want to let me go because my heart rate was still too high. He keeps saying "Are you nervous?" I said, "Well first off y'all sent me into an anxiety attack with this contrast crap and secondly, my heart rate is high all the time, I think 120 down from 187 in less than 2 minutes is pretty good."
He let me go, he could see I wasn't impressed.
Yesterday was a better day. Sean and I went for a nice long walk in the woods. I baked some cookies (watch for Tasty Tuesday..you'll enjoy this one...not just the recipe but the story behind it) I did laundry. I also worked on something very special for my PP Sisters but I can't tell you because several of them read this and I don't want to spoil the surprise. I'll tell ya later.
I also went for drinks with my bff and another friend. It was a nice night out.
And so today...I'm not sure yet what today will bring but somewhere in there will be getting my sister in law's mother's quilt done. She's been insanely patient for something that was supposed to be done October 1. I promise, Catherine, it will be done before Christmas!!!!
Happy Friday!!
Jean, I just have to say this ... I think you should submit a formal complaint concerning the technologist that gave you the stress echo! That kind of treatment is unacceptable ... really unacceptable in my books along with being highly unprofessional!!!!! I'm a tech myself (in the chem lab) and although I don't have daily contact with patients I wouldn't dream of treating them that way when I do see them! (sorry - I just had to say that ..lol)
ReplyDeleteI love your tasty Tuesday addition to your blog ... between you and Sarah, I'm going to be trying some new recipes hopfully!! yummy!
Have a good weekend Jean,
Love Rachel McAdam