Making medical history

Yesterday I had my follow up with the surgeon (Dr. Florence) who took my appendix out. He looked at all three little incision spots (his handiwork) and said everything looked good. I can get back to doing some core exercises now although I am still pretty tender down there, which he said is totally normal.

So, I'm in my chemo treatment right now....in my last blog entry I said I only had two treatments left of the Taxol/Herceptin, but actually I have two more after this. June 28 I will have the breast MRI and mugascan before beginning phase II of chemo.

So, here's what's funny. I'm getting off the elevator on the treatment floor and I ran into Dr. Beatty, who is the surgeon who put my port in and who will perform the lumpectomy this fall. He gave me a hug, and I asked him if he heard the latest (about the appendectomy). He said he heard about it, but didn't realize it was me, and OMG, they discussed me in one of their big surgeons meetings where they do whatever it is surgeons do, you know, having a pow-wow on all their amazing cases. He said it sounded like a real mother of an appendectomy (he didn't say mother, but it was inferred). What I have learned now from talking to Dr. Florence, Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Beatty, is that I had chronic appendicitis, not acute which is what most people get (where your appendix just decides to blow). Mine was a slow build up, with the blockage, and it was attached to my colon which is not supposed to happen! So I have a whole new respect for Dr. Florence, who I thought was kind of a douche bag because he has no personality, however, he worked on me twice as long as normal to get it out laproscopically so he wouldn't have to make the big cut and risk infection.

So, I was the talk of the surgeon's pow-wow, and again I am convinced I'm in the hands of rock stars.

Speaking of which, if you follow me on Face Book you will know I was at the U2 concert last Saturday night. It was indeed a beautiful day, the best so far this spring, with Lenny Kravitz kicking off the show. The stage (the claw) was phenomenal; basically an enormous space ship inside Qwest Field.

However, in my weakened state, it took me days to recover. Getting to bed at 1 a.m. doesn't work for me anymore. I layed down Sunday afternoon and I was so tired I couldn't even sleep. Then I got up, ate, got ready for bed and slept for probably 9 hours, and I was still exhausted.

I no longer can party like a rock star, which is distressing for me.

Anyway, I'm okay today, but it's been a tough week. I had to work late Tuesday night and last night, which doesn't help.

I hope to get more rest this weekend. Oh, and my hair is falling out even more. It's getting pretty thin, so I suspect it won't be long until it's all gone.