{"id":414,"date":"2018-12-18T08:41:29","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T14:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/?p=414"},"modified":"2018-12-18T08:41:51","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T14:41:51","slug":"december-18-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/december-18-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"December 18 Recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"

December 18\u00a0 <\/span>Recovery \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been about a month since my last entry.\u00a0 <\/span>Another month filled with doctor appointments again.\u00a0 <\/span>I thought that once I had my port removed my doctor appointments would lesson to seeing my oncologist and breast surgeon every 3 months and these weekly appointments would finally end but\u2026they haven\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

November 28 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I went to see my general doctor for swelling around my ankle that was now causing pain up my calf muscle and a new lump I found on the same side and spot as my original breast cancer tumor.\u00a0 <\/span>The lump was also right where this chest wrap seemed to be cutting into my skin.\u00a0 <\/span>I wondered if in fact it was a new tumor or a fat narcosis built up from the wrap.\u00a0 <\/span>I was thankful that I was already scheduled to see my oncologist and my breast surgeon that following week.\u00a0 <\/span>I just needed to not panic but\u2026.sometimes it\u2019s hard not to. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My general doctor said the swelling in my ankle could be from the chemo sort of killing my blood vessels and that swelling may never go away.\u00a0 <\/span>She felt that wasn\u2019t the case and suggested I go to physical therapy because I could have pulled a tendon or something.\u00a0 <\/span>I told her I was so tired of going to doctor appointments so she gave me some exercises to do at home to see if that helped.\u00a0 <\/span>As far as my lump, she didn\u2019t think it was anything to worry about but to make sure I told my oncologist the next week.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dec 5th\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I had my 3 month check up with my oncologists.\u00a0 <\/span>She did blood work and gave me a physical exam. They do the blood work right in her office so she get\u2019s those results while I\u2019m there.\u00a0 <\/span>There\u2019s a couple she has to send out so we have to wait on those.\u00a0 <\/span>She said everything looked great and that she believed the lump was fat build up and suggested that I take off the chest wrap and just where a jog bra that zips up the front.\u00a0 <\/span>I wish I would have know this before and didn\u2019t wear the uncomfortable chest wrap.\u00a0 <\/span>I suggest anyone that has to have breast surgery and has to wear this surgical wrap to ask their surgeon if they can wear a jog bra the zips up the front.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s a lot better.\u00a0 <\/span>It still gets uncomfortable because you have to wear it 24 hours a day.\u00a0 <\/span>Only take it off to shower.\u00a0 <\/span>That get\u2019s old! \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She also asked me about my hips and that she wanted me to see a bone specialist for that.\u00a0 <\/span>I also have swelling around my ankle that could be from chemo or over compensating for my hip pain. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days went by and her office called me and said the last test results were in and that my calcium level was too high and that my doctor thought it was from dehydration.\u00a0 <\/span>They wanted me to drink a lot of water and juices and then come back in the following week to test it again.\u00a0 <\/span>The also said they set up a bone density test for me.\u00a0 <\/span>Of course I did the wrong thing and googled high calcium levels.\u00a0 <\/span>The first things that popped up were\u2026bone cancer and blood cancer.\u00a0 <\/span>Of course I now get worried.\u00a0 <\/span>And why now was she asking for a bone density test?\u00a0 <\/span>I thought \u201cOh no maybe cancer has gone to my bones\u201d.\u00a0 <\/span>All of my doctors have told me that at anytime I have anything wrong my instant go to will be \u201coh no, cancer is back and want to panic\u201d.\u00a0 <\/span>They all said this is very normal for all breast cancer survivors and I would probably feel that way for the rest of my life. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the next 5 days I drank lot\u2019s of water praying that my new calcium test would come back fine. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dec 11\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I went back in for blood work and then off to have my bone density test. I was worried.\u00a0 <\/span>The estrogen blocker pill I have to take causes bone and joint pain and stiffness but \u2026was it that or did I have bone cancer?\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dec 12 First thing this morning I go to see my breast surgeon for my 3 month check up.\u00a0 <\/span>They did an ultrasound of the new lump I found and said it was just a fatty deposit or nothing\u2026that it was probably caused by the chest wrap cutting into me.\u00a0 <\/span>I was soooooo relieved!!\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dec 17\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I went to see the bone specialist.\u00a0 <\/span>They took exrays of my foot and said the swelling around my ankle was tendinitis and he set up physical therapy for me for that.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m not happy about more doctor appointments but I\u2019m happy that it wasn\u2019t caused from chemo and would eventually go away. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He also X-rayed a bone spur that I have had for many years on the same foot.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s just below my big toe.\u00a0 <\/span>With neuropathy in my feet it has caused my bone spur to hurt worse.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s preventing my big toe from bending backwards so when I walk or drive a car it causes a lot of pain and swelling.\u00a0 <\/span>So with that and the swelling and pain in my ankle, I\u2019ve wanted to cut my foot off at times!!! \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He did a few physical things with me with my hips and said he didn\u2019t think I needed hip replacement just yet.\u00a0 <\/span>He wanted me to do some physical therapy on my hips as well and to workout with weights to get muscle built back up around my hips.\u00a0 <\/span>Off to physical therapy now for 4 visits to see how I do. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So much for not having as many doctor appointments after my port was removed. \u00a0 <\/span>I have an appointment tomorrow for my annual echogram to make sure chemo hasn\u2019t affected my heart.\u00a0 <\/span>That will be 6 appointments in just over two weeks but\u2026.thank God they all ended with much better results and the big one\u2026thumbs up from my doctors on no cancer!!!\u00a0 <\/span>Unless something comes up, I won\u2019t need to see my oncologist or breast surgeon for three more months!!!\u00a0 <\/span>Happy about that!!<\/p>\n

In general, I feel my over all health is very good.\u00a0 <\/span>All of my bloodwork ended up with great tests\u2026everything was straight down the middle.\u00a0 <\/span>My doctor said with everything I had gone through the past year and a half she was amazed at how well I was doing.\u00a0 <\/span>Even with great test results it still takes a long time to really recover.\u00a0 <\/span>On the outside people tell me I look great and to them it may seem that I am all finished with everything and back to my normal life but\u2026..not so fast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My energy level is still not near what it use to be.\u00a0 <\/span>Often times I have to push myself to do things or to stay motivated.\u00a0 <\/span>I have nerve pain and bone pain 24 hours a day in some part of my body but it\u2019s always in my feet though the neuropathy in my feet has gotten a little better but still very painful. \u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ve lost about all my leg muscles and strength in my arms.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s hard for me to even climb a set of stairs.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m praying all of that starts to change in a few weeks if my doctor gives me approval to start working out!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I will see my plastic surgeon this Friday.\u00a0 <\/span>This will be the final follow up from my last surgery.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m praying that he gives me the go ahead to start working out again.\u00a0 <\/span>I have never been so physically out of shape.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ve lost nearly all of my muscles from not being able to do anything for so long.\u00a0 <\/span>I can\u2019t wait until I can get into the gym and try to get in the best shape I possibly can.\u00a0 <\/span>I really think that will make me feel so much better. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, I guess I need to start my Christmas shopping though it may be a little hard with my foot pain but\u2026Christmas is less than a week away!\u00a0 <\/span>My favorite time of the year!!!!! \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

December 18\u00a0 Recovery \u00a0 It\u2019s been about a month since my last entry.\u00a0 Another month filled with doctor appointments again.\u00a0 I thought that once I had my port removed my doctor appointments would lesson to seeing my oncologist and breast surgeon every 3 months and these weekly appointments would finally end but\u2026they haven\u2019t.\u00a0 November 28 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-414","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized","7":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=414"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":415,"href":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414\/revisions\/415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anitacochranmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}