The Report
Yesterday was one of those long days where I had to rise long before the sun, hop in the car and drive two hours south to the Mayo Clinic for an early CT-scan followed by hours of doing nothing before seeing the doc midway through the afternoon to get the results and to find out whether this is the end of the line for me or whether I get an extension of life for another month.
Needless to say, there is a certain amount of stress and anxiety added to my normal level of craziness on days like this. I never know what the verdict will be and have to work hard not to let myself get too bent out of shape. It is a zen exercise.
Yesterday I had the added elements of exhaustion (slept poorly the night before) and gout that ensured that I could not find a comfortable way to sit, stand, or walk. I was a wreck by the time the doc appointment arrived.
The news was both good and unsettling. The good part was that all of the lymph nodes that we have been measuring throughout my body were smaller (yea). The unsettling part was that the scan showed something in my left lung that was either an infection or something else. Because one of the known potential side effects of RAD-001 is possible lung infections the doc decided that I should stay off the drug for two weeks at which time we will re-evaluate my situation.
So, I am going to call her in two weeks and tell her whether I feel "better" or not. How's that for a scientific method? I don't know if this explains my on-going cough or not. The artifact on the scan could be fluid in my lung that is part of this long lasting "cold" or it could be a drug related infection. Either way, I hope that in two weeks I can call back and say that it is gone and then I can restart the study drug. We shall see.
Anyway, that's the news. I am staying at the still-unsold house in the Twin Cities until tomorrow when my son and I will drive back north to our semi-permanent construction zone. My chore today is to go looking for towel racks and toilet paper holders. What fun.
Needless to say, there is a certain amount of stress and anxiety added to my normal level of craziness on days like this. I never know what the verdict will be and have to work hard not to let myself get too bent out of shape. It is a zen exercise.
Yesterday I had the added elements of exhaustion (slept poorly the night before) and gout that ensured that I could not find a comfortable way to sit, stand, or walk. I was a wreck by the time the doc appointment arrived.
The news was both good and unsettling. The good part was that all of the lymph nodes that we have been measuring throughout my body were smaller (yea). The unsettling part was that the scan showed something in my left lung that was either an infection or something else. Because one of the known potential side effects of RAD-001 is possible lung infections the doc decided that I should stay off the drug for two weeks at which time we will re-evaluate my situation.
So, I am going to call her in two weeks and tell her whether I feel "better" or not. How's that for a scientific method? I don't know if this explains my on-going cough or not. The artifact on the scan could be fluid in my lung that is part of this long lasting "cold" or it could be a drug related infection. Either way, I hope that in two weeks I can call back and say that it is gone and then I can restart the study drug. We shall see.
Anyway, that's the news. I am staying at the still-unsold house in the Twin Cities until tomorrow when my son and I will drive back north to our semi-permanent construction zone. My chore today is to go looking for towel racks and toilet paper holders. What fun.
Copyright ©2003-2007 Phaedrous
posted by Phaedrous at 11:26 AM
3 Comments:
glad to hear the lymph nodes are verifiably smaller. hoping that in two weeks you can give a highly subjective but accurate report of "all better" to the doc.
toilet paper holders....try to maintain decorum, i wouldn't want you skipping down the aisles of home depot like some sort of crazed lunatic because of your glee over toilet paper holders.
Ya know... Sometimes the "do you feel better?" IS the best science.
Sorry I wasn't there to share a beer while waiting! Is the place the same without me? :)
Let's hope the lung clears up. Glad to hear everything else is tracking well. Take care!
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