Well, I have been a slacker and have not updated the blog in a few months. For that I apologize. Thanks to all of you who care enough to follow my story as I fight this battle in my life!
During the summer, I began to have trouble sleeping at night. Nicole told me I was waking up all the time, similar to someone who has sleep apnia. I was tired all the time and it was really starting to interfere with every day activities. Also, during my initial scans for the new diagnosis of melanoma, we knew that I had a deviated septum. We knew at some point I would need surgery to clear that up. We spoke to the doctor about the issue he advised that we should have surgery between treatments. After the last infusion, we went to see Dr. Seth Riddle and decided that most of my breathing problems could be solved with surgery to correct my deviated septum.
The surgery was on October 19th. I went into surgery and remember getting my favorite drug, Versed, and then getting on the OR table but nothing after that until I woke up in recovery with Nicole. Apparently I spoke with the doctor a couple of times but don't remember any of it.
When I was young, I also had a deviated septum. I always knew that around the age of 16 I would need surgery to correct it. When I was 16, I had surgery. It was a surgery my dad and I laugh about even today. When I woke up from surgery, the nurses wanted to go home. They told my parents that I needed to wake up and use the bathroom so I could go home. I just wanted to sleep. My dad, to get me to wake up, would tap my chest. It became so irritating that I finally grabbed his hand, told him not to touch me again, and then sat up and told them to let me use the bathroom so I could go home. It freaked everyone out because I was getting off the bed and they were afraid I would fall. I went to the bathroom and told them to send me home. My dad always says, when I have surgery, that he will come and help me wake up. I laugh and tell him only if he wants a broken hand.
On that surgery, they packed my nose with gauze. After a few days, I went back to the doctor and he pulled out the gauze. It was the worst part of the surgery. It made me almost pass out because of the amount of gauze they pulled out of my nose. On this surgery, they did not use gauze but a type of stuff that dissolves or your wash out when you rinse your nose. A few days after surgery, and after rinsing my nose several times a day, the "stuff" came out of my nose and I could breath again! It has been sooo much better and I can sleep well at night and breath so much better.
Before my new diagnosis, I was playing basketball from guys in the ward twice a week. I stopped playing because of the surgery. Lately, the guys have been bugging me to come back and play. I decided to begin playing again. It has been great to get out and start running around again!
One of the side effects of the medicine I get from infusion is a rash. About the same time I began playing basketball, I began to itch. It started below my calf muscles. It would itch a lot. It then began to itch under my arms and along my sides. I also began to notice that my underarms began to swell. I told Nicole and she called Dr. Grossman's office. I was about two weeks away from the next treatment but they wanted me to come in. I went in and Dr. Grossman did not find that the lymph nodes were swollen. He did notice a slight rash on my sides below my armpits. Dr. Grossman suggested using a topical cream without a steroid. We applied a benadryl creme one time and the itching stopped.
On Thursday and Friday, (December 9th and 10th) was the most recent treatment. On Thursday, we went up to Huntsman to have scans. We did a few things different this time. We drew labs this time and we only had to have the CT scans and not the MRI. Because I was coming back on Friday for treatment, we also decided to try and keep the IV in overnight so I would not have to get "stuck" again. It made the Thursday visit quick and the Friday visit quick as well. On Friday, we went up and had the IV checked to make sure it was still usable and it was. We then went to doctor appointment. We were called on time but did have to wait in the room for the doctor for a little while. A new doctor came in first to talk to me. It is what I love about teaching hospitals. The new doctors can be funny and it takes all I have not to mess with them. Dr. Grossman came in and said the scans were clear and the labs were good so we could start the infusion on time. With the scans being clear, we can breath again for the next three months!
We went to the Infusion Suite and had the infusion. I was given benadryl, my favorite stuff (NOT), first. The nurse, Syd, was great. She pushed it really slow so it did not burn going in and did not seem to hit me as hard so I wasn't so fidgety. The treatment went fine and we were on our way home on time.
Before going to treatment, I was asked if I wanted to work the Timpanogos HS basketball game at Pleasant Grove HS. I said it sounded like fun and may be a nice break after treatment. I got home and went over to the game. All was great until about the start of the 4th quarter and I decided maybe it was not such a great idea. I got home and I was exhausted. I woke up on Saturday and slept all day. I was sooo tired and found that I ached all over.
While at treatment, a young lady was sitting next to me getting her first treatment. She was a second grade teacher from Bountiful. She was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and was receiving her first treatment. I also saw other people who were very sick from their disease and treatment. I realized that at times I feel many different emotions. I feel lucky, guilty, and sorry at times as I go through this treatment. When I saw and spoke briefly with the young lady, I felt lucky and sorry. I felt lucky that I was not that young and felt sorry that she was so young and what she was going to go through. I also feel lucky as I see other people that I am not as sick as others. I feel guilty also because I am not as sick as other people but I am getting the same treatment (but different medicine) as others and they will be very sick and I will back to work on Monday. I know I am blessed because of when I discovered this disease and how well I have been doing through this journey.
Though I am tired, sore, and don't feel the greatest today, I know I will be ok to go back to work and will be playing basketball again on Tuesday!
During the summer, I began to have trouble sleeping at night. Nicole told me I was waking up all the time, similar to someone who has sleep apnia. I was tired all the time and it was really starting to interfere with every day activities. Also, during my initial scans for the new diagnosis of melanoma, we knew that I had a deviated septum. We knew at some point I would need surgery to clear that up. We spoke to the doctor about the issue he advised that we should have surgery between treatments. After the last infusion, we went to see Dr. Seth Riddle and decided that most of my breathing problems could be solved with surgery to correct my deviated septum.
The surgery was on October 19th. I went into surgery and remember getting my favorite drug, Versed, and then getting on the OR table but nothing after that until I woke up in recovery with Nicole. Apparently I spoke with the doctor a couple of times but don't remember any of it.
When I was young, I also had a deviated septum. I always knew that around the age of 16 I would need surgery to correct it. When I was 16, I had surgery. It was a surgery my dad and I laugh about even today. When I woke up from surgery, the nurses wanted to go home. They told my parents that I needed to wake up and use the bathroom so I could go home. I just wanted to sleep. My dad, to get me to wake up, would tap my chest. It became so irritating that I finally grabbed his hand, told him not to touch me again, and then sat up and told them to let me use the bathroom so I could go home. It freaked everyone out because I was getting off the bed and they were afraid I would fall. I went to the bathroom and told them to send me home. My dad always says, when I have surgery, that he will come and help me wake up. I laugh and tell him only if he wants a broken hand.
On that surgery, they packed my nose with gauze. After a few days, I went back to the doctor and he pulled out the gauze. It was the worst part of the surgery. It made me almost pass out because of the amount of gauze they pulled out of my nose. On this surgery, they did not use gauze but a type of stuff that dissolves or your wash out when you rinse your nose. A few days after surgery, and after rinsing my nose several times a day, the "stuff" came out of my nose and I could breath again! It has been sooo much better and I can sleep well at night and breath so much better.
Before my new diagnosis, I was playing basketball from guys in the ward twice a week. I stopped playing because of the surgery. Lately, the guys have been bugging me to come back and play. I decided to begin playing again. It has been great to get out and start running around again!
One of the side effects of the medicine I get from infusion is a rash. About the same time I began playing basketball, I began to itch. It started below my calf muscles. It would itch a lot. It then began to itch under my arms and along my sides. I also began to notice that my underarms began to swell. I told Nicole and she called Dr. Grossman's office. I was about two weeks away from the next treatment but they wanted me to come in. I went in and Dr. Grossman did not find that the lymph nodes were swollen. He did notice a slight rash on my sides below my armpits. Dr. Grossman suggested using a topical cream without a steroid. We applied a benadryl creme one time and the itching stopped.
On Thursday and Friday, (December 9th and 10th) was the most recent treatment. On Thursday, we went up to Huntsman to have scans. We did a few things different this time. We drew labs this time and we only had to have the CT scans and not the MRI. Because I was coming back on Friday for treatment, we also decided to try and keep the IV in overnight so I would not have to get "stuck" again. It made the Thursday visit quick and the Friday visit quick as well. On Friday, we went up and had the IV checked to make sure it was still usable and it was. We then went to doctor appointment. We were called on time but did have to wait in the room for the doctor for a little while. A new doctor came in first to talk to me. It is what I love about teaching hospitals. The new doctors can be funny and it takes all I have not to mess with them. Dr. Grossman came in and said the scans were clear and the labs were good so we could start the infusion on time. With the scans being clear, we can breath again for the next three months!
We went to the Infusion Suite and had the infusion. I was given benadryl, my favorite stuff (NOT), first. The nurse, Syd, was great. She pushed it really slow so it did not burn going in and did not seem to hit me as hard so I wasn't so fidgety. The treatment went fine and we were on our way home on time.
Before going to treatment, I was asked if I wanted to work the Timpanogos HS basketball game at Pleasant Grove HS. I said it sounded like fun and may be a nice break after treatment. I got home and went over to the game. All was great until about the start of the 4th quarter and I decided maybe it was not such a great idea. I got home and I was exhausted. I woke up on Saturday and slept all day. I was sooo tired and found that I ached all over.
While at treatment, a young lady was sitting next to me getting her first treatment. She was a second grade teacher from Bountiful. She was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and was receiving her first treatment. I also saw other people who were very sick from their disease and treatment. I realized that at times I feel many different emotions. I feel lucky, guilty, and sorry at times as I go through this treatment. When I saw and spoke briefly with the young lady, I felt lucky and sorry. I felt lucky that I was not that young and felt sorry that she was so young and what she was going to go through. I also feel lucky as I see other people that I am not as sick as others. I feel guilty also because I am not as sick as other people but I am getting the same treatment (but different medicine) as others and they will be very sick and I will back to work on Monday. I know I am blessed because of when I discovered this disease and how well I have been doing through this journey.
Though I am tired, sore, and don't feel the greatest today, I know I will be ok to go back to work and will be playing basketball again on Tuesday!
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