Saw the surgeon this morning. Had the sutures from
the port for the catheter removed. He said, "This won't hurt" and I said, "Famous last words", but he was right; it didn't hurt.
Then, he checked the lumpectomy incision; it was still infected
and inflamed and indurated. He cleaned the wound and removed the dead tissue. He said, "This will hurt a bit" and he was right, again. It did hurt a bit. But not too much.
He renewed the antibiotics and increased the
frequency to three times a day. He wants to see me again, next week. He also said to postpone the chemo therapy start date by two to three weeks.
So, after I came home, I called the oncology center and the chemo start date has been postponed yet again to
December 4, as I didn't want to start on the day after Thanksgiving.
Next week, I have the surgeon's follow up appointment on Tuesday and my primary care physician's appointment on Thursday.
In the meantime, I will go back to work, starting tomorrow. No more lying on
the sofa and eating bon-bons! :D
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I've decided to keep track on my November expenses on the blog. I will post each day's spending in that day's post, but first, I need to catch up:
Nov. 1: gardener, $100 (for the month)
Nov. 2: groceries, $9.36 (daughter did the shopping and bought fruits - apples, bananas, papaya, and grapes - and vegetables - cucumber and lettuce)
pharmacy (2 boxes antibacterial gauze pads; $10.49@ less $5 coupon and 20% discount plus 9% sales tax) = $12.84
pizza & breadsticks; $9.25
Nov. 3: Gas; $29.01 (We put gas to the car on our way home from the surgeon's office. Gas was $2.74 per gallon.)
Car parking; $6.25 (at the medical building where the surgeon's office is located)
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Daughter will return to Berkeley tomorrow morning; I'll take her to the airport at 5:45 a.m. and then, go to the office. She'll return next week to be home with me on my birthday! :)
Today, I am grateful for:
- Medical care
- Medical insurance
- A sunny but cool day
- Phone calls from family
- Hugs from my daughter
I do hope that the return to work is not too tiring - and that colleagues are supportive. I know you'll miss having your daughter around. It is good to hear that things are progressing well. love and prayers, as always xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Angela. I spent most of the morning clearing emails and attending a training session, so not too strenuous (I do a desk job, so not physically tiring). Colleagues and supervisors are all very supportive. If it gets too tiring, supervisors have given me the option of working from home. :)
DeleteSending hugs. I'm glad it all didn't hurt too much but sad that you have to postpone chemo. Just for a sort of hug, I saw how much you paid for gas (petrol over here). It fascinates me how different things can be priced so differently from country to country, like cigarettes and gas. Here, going on a very rough equivalent, petrol is around £4.10 a gallon, but you got a much better deal on the pizza. It's interesting to see. If you've moved countries, you've probably seen the same thing. Praying for you. Sybil xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks for the hugs, Sybil. Hope you are feeling better today. Last year, our gas prices went up to almost $5/gallon (our gallon is a bit less than the Imperial gallon, by the way). But prices have come down, since.
DeleteThe pizza (deep dish, single topping - pepperoni, pre-cut into 8 pieces) was regularly priced $8.99 but on sale this month for $6.99; it (and the breadsticks)provided 2 dinners and 1 lunch for daughter and I, so fully worth the price we paid, I think.
I generally allocate $25/month in my budget for eating out; we might go over that by a bit, this month, since daughter and I traditionally celebrate my birthday with a meal out. :)
The pizza deal is definitely worth it - I would be paying at least double and it would probably not be as good. It's interesting about the different gallon measure. I knew about the US and UK pint measure being different but never took the logical step of realising the gallon would be different as well! Hope you are feeling okay.
DeleteYes, the pizza was a good deal and daughter, who generally doesn't much care for pizza, actually liked it! According to my online search, 1 US gallon is equal to .83 UK gallon, so the difference in the amount you pay for gas is a little less than it first appears. I'm feeling OK, thank you. :)
DeleteI'm sorry your incision is still infected. I really hope that gets better soon! Take care of yourself. I enjoy looking at your expenses. I don't know why, I just like seeing how much everyone else spends on everything. Gas is definitely cheaper here right now, low $2s I believe.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jess. Hopefully, the antibiotics will kick in and it'll clear up, soon. I'm glad you enjoy looking at my expenses. I like to see how much other people spend on things, too. Of course, prices will vary from place to place, but still, it's find of fun to compare. :) Hope all is well with you and your family.
DeleteI am so sorry that your incision is still infected. Pray the increased antibiotics will get it all better..
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed evening.
Thanks, Judy. I, too, hope the antibiotics will kick in. Hope you have a blessed evening, too.
DeleteThinking of you! Would you believe gas here in Texas is under $2 a gallon (regular unleaded)? Great for consumers but not so good for those employed in the oil industry. Hoping you have a pleasant return to work!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, yes, low prices are nice for the consumers, but not so nice for the industry workers. I had a good day at the office, thank you. :) Except I felt very cold all day (my cubicle is always chilly), even with a scarf and a cardigan. I might take a shawl with me, tomorrow. But colleagues and supervisors were all very supportive and glad to see me.
DeleteSome surgeons are way better than nurses at removing stitches - I experienced that once. What a pity about the infection and the need for tidying up that did hurt a bit. I pray that it will clear up and that all will be well for you to start chemo later on. In the meantime you can look forward to your birthday and Thanksgiving without chemo to detract from these celebrations. ((((Hugs))))
ReplyDeleteBushlady
Thank you, Bushlady. Everything happens for a reason, they say. I am definitely looking forward to celebrating my birthday and Thanksgiving without having to deal with chemo, yet. :)
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