A Lymphoma

Source(google.com.pk)
A Lymphoma

  I started a new treatment in March, a week late, as I had to help move my grandma, since only one of her 6 children (plus 5 spouses) would help. My bf was going to help, but she changed the moving date, and he had already booked a day off for moving her.

So my mother and I were the only ones there to move her.

In April, I woke up with a swollen face, for no particular reason. Or at least, no reason was found.

I got a hickman line for my treatment, because my veins are so small, etc. I feel sorry for the nurses who have to find my veins. I have freaked a few out, causing them to poke and search numerous times for ONE IV insertion.

In May, the line got infected… I took a road trip to Wichita, Kansas from Buffalo, NY. 20 hour drive! With the stops for food, gas, rest, etc. it took 24 hours. I was very excited that my time estimation was right on! And I over estimated the fuel costs, so we had a good trip overall.

I woke up again beginning of June, with a swollen face. This time it was more intense, and went down to my throat. It was so bad that it altered my voice! I went to the local urgent care, and got a shot of Benedryl and a steroid shot. One in each buttock! OUCH!

I ended up in hospital for a week in June, for an undetermined infection. That was “fun”! It was during the 2nd week of my daughter’s summer visit. But I called her everyday, a few times a day. My friend was also going through a rough time, due to domestic abuse.

My hickman line was removed in July. That took a while to heal, due to the infection.

August was pretty uneventful, thankfully. August was also the end of my treatment.

First weekend of September, I spiked a fever of 105! Again I was admitted to hospital for a week. The doctor I had that time was insane, inconsiderate and useless. She did some of the stupidest things. Didn’t give me blood until 3 days after being there, when I went in with a low hemoglobin, and it dropped further the next day. Then she gave me something after the blood to help flush the excess fluids… this was at MIDNIGHT! The next day I had to take medical transport 2 hours away to go see my oncologist, so due to the medication she gave me to flush the fluids, we had to stop, so we were late. Didn’t help that the transport arrived to pick me up late, AND we had to stop for GAS! Crazy people!

October was somewhat crazy, because I was moving, and no one showed up to help, so it took my bf and I 2 weeks to move our stuff across the street. We were supposed to have the last 2 weeks of September to move our things into the new place, but the maintenance guy didn’t finish things until the last week, and left such a huge mess, that it took me 2 days to clean up after him! OH! To add to the stress of moving, I’d had a spot on my leg for over a month, that initially I thought was a mosquito bite, but it wasn’t itchy, so I eventually forgot about it. Well, suddenly, one day at the beginning of October, it started to itch, then a day later, it got sore. The next day it started to swell! I went to the urgent care again, for this. The doctor’s assumption was an ingrown hair. She told me that she could not be sure, without cutting it open. But she gave me antibiotics (At this point, I’d pretty much been on some form of antibiotics for the past 4-6 months!). A couple days later, it had swollen to the size of a quarter, and was at least half an inch high. It could barely walk (oh yeah, it was just to the front of my inner thigh). Finally, I’d had enough. I burst it open, because the pressure was SO intense! Oh my goodness, the nasty puss that came out of that thing, and the amount of it. WOW! Immediate relief from the pressure. But now I had to keep it clean, by flushing with saline solution. Thankfully, I had some left from when I’d had the hickman line. There is still a mark, I don’t think it will ever go away.

November was ok. December was my birthday and Christmas. And the year is done. We are not doing any testing beyond blood work, unless/until my symptoms return.

OH, and after all the years of chemotherapy, radiation, stem cell transplant, etc. I am finally gone into menopause. These hot flashes and mood swings are awful, and I feel very sorry for my wonderful boyfriend. Thankfully, he is wonderful; he has been amazing through all this stuff. I appreciate him more than I could ever express.