Double Celebration
The Doting of Two Grandmas

Inside My Jugular

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Yesterday was one of those unexpected days that went nothing at all like I had planned.

 

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Over the weekend, I began having some really bad aching in my left arm, particularly in the upper part.  The only explanation I could think of was that perhaps I had slept wrong on it, but it just kept getting achier instead of better over time until Sunday night I couldn't sleep it hurt so badly and I just wasn't able to get comfortable.

Not one to overreact to aches and pains, I let it go hoping it would resolve itself. And then I thought, maybe I should get this checked out.  So I called my Nurse Navigator Beth and she had me come into the Cancer Center yesterday morning so they could make sure my port (implanted into my upper left chest) was okay and working correctly.  

 

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My PLAN had been to spend the day with Mama, work on some funeral thank-you notes, have lunch out, and just catch up with her and see how she's doing.  I was en route to Mama's house when Beth called with my appointment time.  I called Mama to cancel our plans and she wanted to go with me, so I picked her up and we headed to Indy.

All was well with the port, but since I was already there and on the VERY SLIM CHANCE that I may have a blood clot, they decided to do an ultrasound just as a precaution.

I'm very glad they did.

 

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My "very slim chance" turned out to be a big, long, wormy-like blood clot that begins in my jugular vein in my neck and continues into my shoulder and upper arm veins.

It could have spelled disaster if I hadn't gotten it treated.

Somehow or other, the jugular vein was involved in the surgery to implant the port which was also where the blood leaked out that caused my nasty bloody hair incident I posted about last week (click here if you missed it, "Traumatic Thursday").  I'm still convinced my surgeon stuck his version of a crochet hook down into it and did whatever surgeons do in such circumstances.

 

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No one quite knows what caused the clot, except I do have good-clotting blood (usually a good thing!) and apparently (I am told) blood clots are a common problem chemo patients.  Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that I will be giving myself twice daily injections of a blood thinner until this treatment process is over.

Just no end to the fun around here.....

 

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Ironic that my original tumor is at the opposite end of my body than this new-although-connected problem.  While we were all concentrating on my rectum, funky weird stuff was going on...

...inside my jugular.

(Photos are from my wildflower garden...I figure you'd rather see flower pics than ughey photos of jugular veins....)

 

Comments

Kathy Pressel

Terry,
I continue to pray for you every single day. You're in my prayer journal and I know God has you in His Loving Hands. As long as I've known you I've looked up to you for your strength, faith and support for others in need. You've always been a remarkable woman of God, a role model to me. I'm so sorry for all you're going through but know I love you and am here for you if there's anything I can do for you.

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