Drug Trial Day

Back at the Cancer Center for my next round of the drug trial.  Yippee!!

First a visit to the vampire's lair.  Always a good time with my vampire Paul.  Five vials later and a urine test, now off to doctors office.

The doctor gives me a routine check-up.  And we review how I have been feeling the past month.  I tell  them that the memory loss is getting worse.  Stupid side effect of the tamoxifen.  It is pretty crazy.  I forget words in mid-sentence, this is the most disturbing.  Either I end up stopping the sentence or other words come out, usually not pertaining to what I was even talking about.  Forgetting little things, like I have a comforter in my closet but keep pulling my blankets off my bed to put on the guest bed.  Forgetting to take my medications, which isn't good, I start breaking out in hives and realize I forgot to take the allergy pills.  Plus, little other things here and there.  It's usually worse in the evenings when I am tired.  Argh!  Blah!

Now we head up to the Cancer Research Unit and start prep for the injections.  Even with taking the Ativan and putting the Lidocaine rub at the injection sites, they still don't go in well.  The first one was the worst this time.  I give it a 9 on the pain scale.  The second one was somewhat tolerable and gets a 5.  Three and four sucked too, they get 7's.  There is continuous pain for about 25 minutes after injection and then it slowly subsides.  Not fun, but anything to increase the odds of the cancer not coming back I am still game for.

Injection sites 1 and 2

Today I also had to get an echocardiogram.  So after the nurse discharged me from the Cancer Center, they took me over to the cardiology department in the south tower of the hospital.  Not the most pleasant procedure with the expander in my chest.  Since the expander is on the left, it is sitting right over my heart.  The technician has to press up into areas that are not very comfortable, the expander is hard and rigid so it was hard for them to find a good spot to get decent readings.  After about a half an hour I am done and get to go home.

My six hour day at the Cedars campus has me so wiped out, I don't even want to stop for a treat today.  I just want to get home and veg out.

Later that night, injection sites are swollen and the hives have popped up around each one.  I have also realized that I have forgotten once again to take my allergy medications.  Argh!!

Swelling and Hives