Bone Scan

I was too sick this weekend to function, so no traipsing about for me! And I am having a tough enough time that I don't argue with my body; I just stay down (and sit up in my chair every so often). My temp was still 99.9 when the home health nurse came on Friday, and then we ended up calling the doctor that night. But so far, I'm making baby steps forward. It's just really slow.

I am in a lot of pain, and sleep provides the only relief I get. I did finally break down and take a pain pill twice. I didn't even take a pain pill after I left the ICU, so that gives you a clue how badly I'm hurting now.

The pulmonologist on Thursday clearly thought this was lung-related rather that heart-related. All I know is, I am not getting well like I thought I would. I'm being treated for pulmonary fluid/pneumonia, but I am not making rapid progress.

Last night I hurt so bad, I finally got up and made a castor oil compress for my chest and put a heating pad over it. After I did the front, I put it on my back where the lungs roughly are. I finally got to sleep at 4 a.m.

And was, of course, awakened by a whining child at 6:20. Who then woke me up every 15 min to whine. Oh, please. "Call your dad!"

So I was beat by the time I had to leave for the bone scan at 9:30.

I got checked in for my radioactive isotope injection, and then had 3 hours to wait. Since my daughter had driven me, I offered to do something she would enjoy: check out the sale at the local mall store.

I should've taken the wheelchair. By the time I walked from the car, into the mall, to the store, and around to the departments (and I did this all as slowly as a very old person); I was so exhausted that I wanted to just stretch out on the floor and go to sleep. It just broke me; I never recovered.

The bone scan took its usual length of time, and then they told me they needed to do some additional scans--the same exact additional ones as last time. So I choose to derive from that information that my bones are probably stable. I'll find out soon enough.

But boy, these bones sure hurt from all the coughing, especially my jaw bones, shoulders, and neck.

We got out of there by 2:30. My daughter drove me straight home, and I went and laid down. And fell asleep. And slept straight through for 5 hours. Told you I was exhausted!

Tomorrow is my follow-up appointment with the heart surgeon, who so far is unaware of all my post-operation issues. I still feel like my heart is beating weirdly from time to time, especially when I am trying to recover from activity.

I can't get any chemo or the monoclonal antibody started until I am cleared of all the cardiopulmonary problems. So in the meanwhile, I'm trying to get as much nutrition and other good stuff in to me as possible. After all, it wouldn't be the first time I've fought metastasis on my own!