And I wait. AGAIN.

I visited my Dr on Thursday for a "routine" appointment and we'd discussed what's been going on with me, this was the discussion where he believes that I could be dealing with some fallouts of radiation. Yay? Well before I left his office I had an appointment in hand for tests the next day and before I left for my tests Friday I had a referral to a new Dr for an appointment on the 13th. Talk about moving fast! I was told Friday that my Dr should have my test results in a day or 2 so I decided to call today and see if they were in. They were. I was told that while the results were in my file the secretary couldn't give me the results over the phone. I didn't ask her to however they've always given me my MRI results over the phone when they are clear, so that kind of bothered me. FYI this test was not an MRI. She said "it isn't urgent, however, the results have been forwarded over to the Dr you're going to see on the 13th and you'll go over them with them at that time, but I can't give them to you over the phone. ". I don't know how many damn times she said she couldn't give them to me over the phone lol but each time she said it annoyed me! She said if I wanted to make an appointment to see my family Dr that he could go over them with me but otherwise I'd have to wait to go over them with the Dr on the 13th. *sighs*. I'm not making an appointment to sit in my Doctors office for 2 hrs to get test results that I'll be getting in 2 weeks time. It will be an annoying 2 weeks because even though I was told it isn't urgent the fact that it was forwarded to the other Dr, or I could come in to go over the results means something showed up on it. *sighs* I've played the waiting game before and it's just another round of it.

~Tara

Issue after issue

I've been dealing with what seems like issue after issue since completing my treatment on September 30th. Some issues have been more significant than others, but thankfully more often than not they have been minor. For the past few months I've been dealing with some female issues, oh yes, lovely female issues :) and today I was informed that they could be linked to my radiation therapy. Interesting but it makes sense. After all I did have 6 weeks of radiation therapy to the brain, the very core of a person's being. So I have some more tests to dive into (those seem never ending) to see what all has been screwed up by the radiation. Time will tell I guess.

~Tara

Seizure control

I had an appointment with my Neurologist yesterday and with book in hand we went over my increase in seizures, he said that he didn't want to increase my medication because my seizure increase was due to my brain swelling and so it is logical to assume that it's my brain swelling that I need to get in check. Once that happens then my seizures should reduce and the medication dose I'm on should be sufficient as it was before. Totally makes sense. One of the big problems is that I had anti-seizure medication built up in my system for a good 2 years or so and then I got sick with constant vomiting for weeks straight and couldn't keep anything down, medication included so it is like starting all over again. This time, however, I'm starting with further issues of brain swelling from the radiation as well. It's great to have a Doctor that won't just throw more drugs at you. I really appreciate that. And now that I'm totally off of my dexamethasone I'm really noticing the changes in the barometric pressure. A lot. Yesterday it was above 104 and not only did my head feel as though it was in a vice I was really nauseated. Ack.I miss the steroids. lol

~Tara

Last dex dose today

I am officially weaned off of my dexamethasone as of this morning. Lets hope *knock wood* that my brain behaves and the swelling stays down so I don't have to go back on the medication. I have also started reading a new book called, "Cooking through Cancer Treatment to Recovery". I'm looking forward to learning what can aide in my post radiation recovery since I wasn't given any nutritional instruction and/or advice during treatment or after. As the snow begins to melt and the sun starts to shine I feel a new energy within myself. :)

~Tara