Monday, October 05, 2009

My health

A lot of people have been asking about my health. I continue to improve after stopping the chemotherapy. Remember, before the operation I had no symptoms. I lost 21 pounds after the operation and the chemo, which lasted together with the recovery time after the operation a full 6 months, laid me so low that I could hardly get out of my chair some days. I have now regained 12 of the 21 pounds and to look at me you would think I was very well.

I managed to survive the wedding very well, although I was very tired yesterday. I still have some odd aches and pains - especially at the site of my line insertion. I continue on the warfarin. I managed to catch my forehead on the tailgate of my car and inflicted a large cut. This bled profusely and covered my face with gore. Scalp wounds always bleed but the anticoagulants enhanced it. The wedding photographer will have to PhotoShop all the pictures.

The peripheral neuropathy is slowly improving but I can't pick up banknotes from the floor and I didn't notice that my favorite shoes were letting in water.

My major problem is swelling of the ankles. This has been investigated in the past and no cause found. Since my autonomic neuropathy gave me postural hypotension I have stopped my blood pressure tablets and one of those was a thiazide diuretic. I took a furosamide yesterday and lost 3 pounds. Obviously, I was concerned about recurrent lymph nodes or extension of my DVT. but the quick response to a diuretic makes these unlikely.

All in all, I feel about 90% as well as I did when all this started and when I get down the gym I should make up the last 10%.

1 comment:

  1. I heartily recommend the gym, but what finally gave me my ankles back was physical therapy, with much work on strengthening the ankles. All that movement and muscle toning (even though I can't feel it quite right) has cut back the fluid retention. I'm down to one lasix tablet a day, with potassium.
    Thanks for the story of Angela's wedding. Delighted she got the PhD finished a whole day in advance!
    Blessings on the couple, and on you.
    Peace,
    Marcia

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