Drug Trial Day - Month 12

Time for my twelve month follow up and next round of injections.

As always, first stop the vampire's lair.  Today we set a new record as the vampire sucks out twelve vials of blood.  It takes a while to suck out twelve vials of blood.  I'm going to say twelve minutes at least, but I think it was more like fifteen.  And, since they were taking so much blood this time the vampire informed me that she needed to use a bigger needle.  Oh yay!!! Blah!!!  The vampires do their best to keep the mood light as it seems like it is taking forever to fill all the vials.  They are quite the jovial bunch of blood suckers.  We had some laughs and finally I was done and on my way.

Next stop is the doctor's visit.  First we discuss the results of all my tests from last week.  Everything looks good, except they did not do the ultra sound on my pelvis to check on the fibroids so they will schedule one for me.  Blah, definitely not a favorite test.  He would also like me to schedule an appointment with my breast cancer surgeon to go over my mammogram results.  He said that I should be seeing her after each of my mammograms (every six months).  Then we discuss how I have been feeling lately.  My biggest complaint is that I seem to feel nauseous more often these days.  Other than trying to eat much healthier, there does not seem to be anything in my diet that would be causing it.  He thinks my body is beginning to produce hormones again.  At my last visit, my estrogen levels were still very low and the tamoxifen will block any estrogen my body tries to produce, however, the ovaries are still trying to do their job and are likely producing other hormones that my body is trying to adapt to.  Other than that, all the same fun symptoms seem to be hanging around; fatigue, hot flashes, memory loss.  On the plus side of side effects, my body seems to have adapted to allow me to eat berries again.  I have been slowly testing the waters this last week.  So far blueberries and cranberries have made it through without any hives.  Yay!  We shall continue albeit slowly with the berries.

Side note:  the research nurse had to do this huge report (looked like 50 pages) for my file from my little  over night stay in the hospital when they thought I had a blood clot.  I felt a little bad and told her that it was not my intention to stay overnight and have them run all those tests.  We agreed it would be best if that did not happen again, I for one am on board with that plan.

Now it is time to head over to the short-term treatment area to be tortured by the cobra.  I put the first round of lidocaine on my leg in the doctor's office to give it time to set in.  Plus, took the Ativan after I finished at the vampire's lair.  I should be nice and ready for these injections.  There is still some time while they prepare the injections, so Southpaw and I ready ourselves.

Tried to get the cobra to give Southpaw some of my injections.

Southpaw checking the needles. 

Let the games begin:

First injection goes in, no problem.  Hardly felt it.

Number two is not too bad either.

Not happy about number three.

Three does not go in very nicely.  I'd give it a six on the ole scale.

Fourth injection, the worst of them all.

I'm not sure if it is the placement or what, but the fourth one goes in with a big bang.  I even flinched a little and when it was done it still felt like the needle was in.  Now we hangout for an hour to make sure I don't have any adverse reaction.  Southpaw and I finish watching our movie and then the cobra comes back to bandage me up before I go home.

Southpaw checking out the cobra's bandaging technique.

The cobra gives the okay and I am discharged.  Off to lunch and get today's treat.

Today felt like a two treat day so we got both.