Post by CathApol on Dec 7, 2022 4:04:04 GMT
Well, those who follow me on Facebook or on the Qui Locutus Blog are aware of my health situation. 2022 has been a bit of a trying year for me! In June I had (my first) colonoscopy - and they found cancer in my colon and on August 11, the surgeon removed 18 inches of my colon and 13 lymph nodes - ONE of the lymph nodes also showed cancer too. In follow up CT scans of my chest and abdomen, there are no signs cancer has spread to my lungs or liver. Then, 3 weeks ago I told my oncologist about severe pain in my left calf and left foot - he sent me straight over for an ultrasound looking for clots - none were found. Within a week the leg and foot were feeling better, then Thanksgiving weekend I started feeling shortness of breath. By Monday, though I was breathing, could even take deep breaths, but they were not effective- I felt like I was suffocating! I called my cardiologist and left him a message - not hearing back from him on Monday, I put myself on oxygen (I have that to use with my CPAP, only at night). That helped, a lot. By Tuesday I felt good enough to go work, but was still not 100% - and Tuesday my cardiologist called and ordered me right in for an echocardiogram. After he read it, he called me just as my wife and I were finishing dinner - and said, "I need you to go the emergency room, have your wife take you and drop you off - you won't be going home tonight, I strongly suspect a pulmonary embolism." Well, he was right! After another CT scan of my chest, it showed multiple bilateral pulmonary emboli (PE) - many clots in both lungs. I was in the hospital through Friday afternoon, on a heparin drip through Thursday.
I am home now, it is Tuesday, December 6th (Happy St. Nicholas Day!) and I improving day by day. I still use oxygen a bit during the day, but for the most part my O2 sats are staying in the 90's - and when they drop below 90, I put myself back on oxygen for a bit. I have also found that I can get myself back into the 90's through deep breathing in through the nose and out through pursed lips without using the oxygen - last week that was NOT working!
So, due to the cancer spreading to one of my lymph nodes I am going through chemotherapy (FOLFOX, if you want to look it up) every two weeks for 12 treatments. I was due to have one last week, but the PE situation put that on hold.
I have not beat the cancer yet, but I am confident that through God's help (and your prayers!) I will.
In JMJ,
Scott<<<<
I am home now, it is Tuesday, December 6th (Happy St. Nicholas Day!) and I improving day by day. I still use oxygen a bit during the day, but for the most part my O2 sats are staying in the 90's - and when they drop below 90, I put myself back on oxygen for a bit. I have also found that I can get myself back into the 90's through deep breathing in through the nose and out through pursed lips without using the oxygen - last week that was NOT working!
So, due to the cancer spreading to one of my lymph nodes I am going through chemotherapy (FOLFOX, if you want to look it up) every two weeks for 12 treatments. I was due to have one last week, but the PE situation put that on hold.
I have not beat the cancer yet, but I am confident that through God's help (and your prayers!) I will.
In JMJ,
Scott<<<<