Subject:  HERE IS THE SCOOP... |
Author:
 Stacy
| [ Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 11:32:02 10/08/05 Sat
As you know, I have been having a lot of swelling. This is a shot of my face just from this morning. It is not the greatest since it was from a digital camera.
I went to Good Samaritan yesterday to have my CT scan. My doctor wanted me pre-medicated with steroids and Benadryl since the last time I had to have one with dye I had an allergic reaction. So, I started pre-medicating at 7:00pm the night before, then again at 1:00 am, then lastly at 7:00 am. I had a total of 150 mg’s of Prednisone and 50 mg’s of Benadryl in me. I went in for the CT scan and was delighted to find out that they could use my port for the dye. The other place I go will not do that.
I lay on the table and they give me the dye. Then they do the scan. As soon as the scan was over my feet started itching. Then my ears got real warm and started itching. I was having an allergic reaction even though I pre-medicated. I had to get an injection of 25 mg’s of Benadryl. One of the nurses came in and told me that once you have an allergy to something, every time it get’s worse. Therefore, I would probably have to be hospitalized for the next one with dye. Great! My arms, back, head, ears, and feet were bright red and itchy for about an hour at the most then the Benadryl kicked in.
The hospital does not give out actual copies of films anymore; they give you a CD to give to your doctor if he wants to review the scan. So, Mom, Aunt Nancy, and me went up to see Dr. Hahn. I gave him the CD and the August films. He left the office and went to review them with the radiologist to make sure he got a good reading even without the official report.
He came back with the news. It is not the greatest news but it is the best-case scenario out of the options.
I have a blockage in the Superior Vena Cava. What that means is the main vein that carries blood back to the heart is blocked. That is what he thought it was originally but he didn’t know if it was from the cancer progressing and blocking the vein. On the other hand, if it was a blood clot possibly originating from my port-a-cath.
If it were from the cancer, then I would have had to have radiation to my chest. That would NOT be good. I would probably end up hospitalized with breathing and eating problems. If it were from a blood clot then he would try blood thinners to break it down. He also was concerned about giving me chemo until it was all resolved.
Well, he came back and said it was a clot and we would continue me on the Coumadin blood thinner. The cancer has not changed since August, which means it has not grown any. Thank GOD!! He said I would probably end up with purple lines on my chest from the blood having to take different routes back to the heart. He said think of I95 and Rt. 1 both being closed. You would have to find another way home on back roads. I already have the lines and I still have remnants of the rash from the Steven’s Johnson’s syndrome.
This is a diagram of the heart:
A. Superior vena cava
B. Pulmonary aorta
C. Left atrium
D. Left ventricle
E. Right ventricle
F. Inferior vena cava
G. Right atrium
H. Aorta
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
] |
|
Feedback: 
OH I FORGOT TO MENTION