Wound Update, Compression Wrap, and Medication Side Effects

Today, I first saw the wound care nurse. The largest open area in my armpit is 4x2.5cm. But a few days ago, near the incision line in back, it started draining again. It had developed a "postule". The wound care nurse feels that this may be a minor staph infection, so she put silver on it and we covered it with the antimicrobial silver gauze.

The two smaller areas that do not have skin near the bottom of the wound have developed red raised areas. It may be infected, too. But it may be cancerous lesions forming. She doesn't know for sure. But in case it was hypergranulation, she put silver nitrate on the two areas (which kills the tissue). I think she also put some silver nitrate on the postule. We will monitor the area and sew what happens over the next few days.

I then saw the physical therapist and I caught her up on all that happened to me in the last couple of months. She put a compression wrap on my left arm, extending from the base of my finger to my shoulder. I need to keep it on for at least 22 hours a day to try to get the swelling down. It was a good 5cm or 2 inches bigger than it was last year. It's just a little bit uncomfortable around my elbow.

The interesting thing the physical therapist told me was that lymphedema is protein-rich fluid, that encourages bacterial infections. So, it's highly likely that the areas that are raised and the postule are little bacterial infections. I will tell the wound care nurse that on Friday. That made me feel a little bit better.

I was a little shaky and jittery all day. It's a side effect of the anti-seizure medication I am on. But I think it was complicated by the two Benadryl I took in the middle of the night last night which can "cause hyperactivity in children". So, I don't think I will take that any more. I will ask my neurosurgeon tomorrow about drug interactions.

My fingers are still numb and now my ring finger and my left thumb are a little numb as well. I will talk to the neurosurgeon about this. I noticed in April that my ears had hardly any ear wax. I had some last week, but not this week. This makes me wonder if there is something new growing in my brain. I also got the call today that my Tykerb will be delivered tomorrow, so Thursday, I will start taking it and hope that it gets to where it needs to go in the brain. Nip whatever it is in the bud. I also wonder if I could decrease the anti-seizure medication dose since I seem to be getting some of the less desirable symptoms, like some lack of coordination. But I will also ask him what symptoms I should be aware of should more tumors develop.

I also see the general surgeon tomorrow afternoon to see about removing the chest tumor. And between the neurosurgeon visit and the general surgeon, I will have two visits - L, a colleague from Fairbanks, and A. who is also bringing a meal.

So, I was a little worried today, but I was also able to do some things with Eddie at school - he had a swimming party this afternoon and I drove him and some of his classmates. Then this evening was his musical. He was the producer. I feel a little less worried because I think my jitteriness (if that's a word) was caused by the Benadryl.

I hope to get a better night's sleep tonight. I got about 5 1/2 hours last night. I will take melatonin first and then Ambien if I wake up in the middle of the night. That's what I did on Sunday night and I had a good day on Monday. I will keep you all posted - and keep putting out good energy that there is no disease progression already.

Good News

I spent some time this evening looking at survival rates for brain mets from metastatic breast cancer.

I read studies with all sorts of numbers and averages and such. But I won't report them here because I don't want to put any kind of timeline on my life. I just need to not think about those numbers.

But it seems that surgery followed by whole brain radiation increases my surival rate. And, I think Tykerb will also help keep it all under control. There are a few chemotherapy drugs that cross the blood brain barrier.

But even more important to my longer term survival is if my "extracranaial disease" is controlled. And, according to the last CT of my body in late March, other than scar tissue and calcium deposits in my bone marrow, my "extracranial disease" is controlled. In these cases, it appears that people survive longer than the one Christmas my doctor talked about.

So, I am comforted by what I read. Because I want to live long enough to see Eddie into adulthood.

Wow - Things Happened Fast

I saw the neurosurgeon today to take out the staples. One thing I asked was about how soon I might be able to have surgery to take the tumor off my chest and what might delay that.

The answer is that radiation delays it.

Then he said that I do have another option to radiation - another surgery to remove that second tumor that is near the top center of my head.

Wow. I didn't see that coming. I wondered if it was operable and why no one ever mentioned it. I guess I didn't ask the right people or even think to ask.

He can do the surgery next week.

I am going to go ahead and get rid of the damn thing. Then I know it's gone. With radiation, we'd have to wait 2+ months to see if it worked. Surgery would let me know almost immediately if they got it all. Then radiation would be a precaution to prevent more growth rather than a necessity to kill what's there.

Wow. My head is still spinning.

But if I get it done next week, then we can contemplate next steps that much sooner, rather than "waiting and seeing". I like that idea. I also get off the steroids and anti-seizure meds sooner, which means I sleep and eat better. I can get back to "normal" sooner rather than later. Also, getting off steroids means wounds heal faster. I can probably get off steroids within a week after this surgery - otherwise, I was looking at another 6 weeks. I already feel better knowing that I will be getting better rest sooner rather than later.

Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday June 1. That will be surgery #3 in two months - April 1, May 20, and June 1. I will be home next Friday, June 3.

Wow.

In the meantime, the wound in my armpit is slowly healing. In fact the largest area that needs skin to grow was 6x8cm (about) on Tuesday and seems to be about 5x4cm today. I even looked at it for the first time in a long time and wasn't traumatized. I think I can even begin changing my own dressing. It's been a long 8 weeks since that surgery happened.

As for the tumor on my chest, I made a paste or concoction using turmeric, my five mushroom blend herb (3 with anticancer properties), and melatonin. I've put it on the last two mornings. When I changed the dressing this morning, the area seemed better. Healthier. Not so raw. Let's hope the anticancer properties in the concoction start shrinking that lump as chemo will have difficulty getting to that area from below because of how badly scarred that tissue is from surgery and radiation. Maybe this topical treatment will take care of things while we take care of the brain issue.

Wow.