Best Of

cyathea, thanks for asking about me. I didn’t realize you go to UPMC Magee! I go to AGH. Pittsburgh offers excellent medical care, and I’m grateful for it. Here’s what’s been going on:

This is a positive post, but I’m gonna start by saying “pain is a bitch”. Taking a small amount of stronger meds for the pain I was having in my back made ALL the difference. The radiologist prescribed dexamethadose, one 4 mg pill twice a day. The pharmacist said it was a strong steroid. I have a sensitivity to medicine, so I only take a half a pill in the morning, 2 mg, and it’s all I need to alleviated the pain. But what a difference from just taking Tylenol. And it gave me energy I hadn’t had before. The pain was causing me to fear the cancer was taking over everything, which caused depression, I wasn’t physically able to do much, and it was like a downward spiral.

Then I got a call to get the radiation started, and since the steroid was working, I drove myself to Pittsburgh for two sessions last week. I have three more sessions. I have a customized vac-lock bag that was fitted around me which I lie in each time. It goes smoothly.

But….then dh was having trouble breathing one day this week, I got him to the ER and he had Covid. They gave him Paxlovid and he’s pretty much okay now. I tried my best to isolate from him, but ended up at the ER a few days later, diagnosis: Covid; now on Paxlovid. Geezzze! But I am doing okay.

It’s really odd, because I do not know if the pain I was having in my back was a precursor to Covid, or caused by the mets, or exacerbated by the radiation, or a combination of these factors. I didn’t think I had Covid, just a cough from the thoracic rads, a possible side effect. But then I took my temp and had a fever. It surprises me that the Paxlovid is helping me feel better. I’m breathing better than I have in a couple weeks. Right now I’m in no pain so even tho I feel slightly under the weather, I’m pretty content.