Post #12: Not a good start today

Dear All,

A quick note before we dash out the door again. Anita did not have the energy to get out of bed this morning. She got up reluctantly to go to her 10:00 a.m. oncologist appointment. We arrived at the doctor's offices, she got out of the car to walk to the waiting room and almost passed out. She was so short of breath that she had to sit down abruptly on the concrete stairs outside the office door. John went in to get her a wheel chair while I gave her a wet cold cloth to rub her face with and some water. She was wheeled into the doctor's office in the wheel chair.

The doctor examined her with a stethoscope, had her blood pressure and temperature taken and checked her oxygen levels. All are fine and normal. He had her stand up and walk for him, which she did reluctantly, in order to assess her breathing and lung condition. He has referred her for an emergency CT angio chest scan. They were able to schedule her in for an emergency appointment at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. We are supposed to arrive at 1:30 p.m. to fill out the registration paperwork, etc.

The oncologist stated that frequently cancer patients develop thickened blood and consequently may develop blood clots in the lungs. The doctor stated that Anita's previous lung cat scan, done several weeks ago, showed she has tumors in her lungs. It is possible that she has now developed blood clots and the CT angio chest scan today is to determine what going on in her lungs. As soon as the scan is completed, they are supposed to send the results ASAP to the oncologist. The oncologist has not yet discussed with us what will happen next if they discover blood clots.

As you may imagine, Anita is feeling very down about all of this. We are trying to buoy her spirits as much as possible. As you know, she absolutely refused a lung biopsy this time around as her experience ten years ago is something (her word was "torture") that she never wants to go through again. I have no idea what the "cure" is for blood clots in the lungs, but if that is indeed what she has, let us hope against hope that surgery will not be the suggested remedy.

The oncologist also said that this shortness of breath, and even her nausea that she experienced two days and following after her first treatment, is not normal. The new pain in some of her bones (armbone, jawbone, etc.) is normal after a chemo treatment. However, it is a very positive sign that her appetite has returned, relatively speaking, and that she can eat and hold down solid food.

We have to go. I will post more info later.

Melissa