CQ OF medical net...

[W1GUH]

So far, so good. The effects kind of kicked up after the last chemo, but still brief and not all that serious. And today they adjusted my dosage -- I"m getting a break on the relatively nasty one & that's only every 4 weeks now. The other one, in my oncologists's words is "like water", side-effects wise is every two weeks and includes wearing a bottle for a couple of days.

Whew! My guts could really use a chance not to be so constantly messed with.

But something new came up. I've developed a blood clot in on of my legs & now I get to inject myself twice a day forever. Just got trained today. Nothing difficult, really -- it's hardly noticeable at all. Always wondered what it's like to do that to yourself & it's not really anything unpleasant.

AND...that means I'll be in good shape for the hamfest in Horseheads, NY this weekend!!!

[PA5COR]

Some good, some less good news then...
Take care of yourself, really hoping you will have a ball at the hamfest and your health does further improve ;)

[W1GUH]

Thanks, Cor!

[NQ6U]

Great news, Paul!

[WØTKX]

Ja, Embolism as a (rare) side effect of my chemo almost did me in 10 months ago. However, I have been off the blood thinner for about six weeks now.

And, I can eat small amounts of mild green chili again. Wasabi on the sushi is still out. Drat.

[K7SGJ]

Everything sounded good until the bloodclot part. Keep a close watch on that, do what the quack tells you to do, and get a hair cut. What did they Rx for the injections? I always thought they Rx oral blood thinners. Glad to hear it was mostly good news, and the rest, manageable. Enjoy the hamfest. I hope you find a gaggle of 6146s.

[NQ6U]

Oy, totally missed the blot clot part. What a dumbass. Still, mostly good news; the blood clot thing is managable.

[W1GUH]

Ja, Embolism as a (rare) side effect of my chemo almost did me in 10 months ago. However, I have been off the blood thinner for about six weeks now.

And, I can eat small amounts of mild green chili again. Wasabi on the sushi is still out. Drat.

My oncologist said that he sees this in about 10% of his esophagus cancer patients. The nurse who trained me told me that I'll need to do this as long as there's cancer in my system. That's probably forever, unless I get to that place.

I'm pretty much able to eat just about anything. Spicy food is kinda out - very sensitive to that, but not so much that I don't eat raw fish with a teeny-tiny bit of wasabi.

[W1GUH]

Everything sounded good until the bloodclot part. Keep a close watch on that, do what the quack tells you to do, and get a hair cut. What did they Rx for the injections? I always thought they Rx oral blood thinners. Glad to hear it was mostly good news, and the rest, manageable. Enjoy the hamfest. I hope you find a gaggle of 6146s.

Yea, dunno why I need injections rather than oral. But it's no big deal, really -- the injections are easy and quick. One thing is I'm so glad for my prescription coverage. A month's supply cost me $10. The nurse said that the real price is FOUR FUCKIN' GRAND!!!! Made my head spin to hear that!

From a comfort point of view this is pretty much benign. Needs watching and medication, obviously, but nothing about that is uncomfortable, I I call it a wash.

Get a haircut? That would be against doctor's orders. His orders (no shit!) are to keep it! Grow it! Thrive on it! So there -- :neener: !!

Thanks for the kind words, they're are always very much appreciated.

[W1GUH]

Oy, totally missed the blot clot part. What a dumbass. Still, mostly good news; the blood clot thing is managable.

Very much so, and without discomfort. Besides, I always wondered what it's like to inject one's self -- no big deal, really.

And thank you for the kind words.

[KA9MOT]

Damn Paul! Your falling apart. I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery.
It took me 40 minutes to work up enough courage to give myself that first insulin injection.....all the while Mellisa was laughing at me.....

[W1GUH]

Damn Paul! Your falling apart. I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery.
It took me 40 minutes to work up enough courage to give myself that first insulin injection.....all the while Mellisa was laughing at me.....

Falling apart? Yea, I did have a twinge of that sensation when I heard the results of the ultrasound that turned up the clot. But...like everything I've gone through - and will go through, the only thing to do is suck it up, get over it, and do what they tell me to do. Considering the "penalty" for not doing that.....

When I got to the part of the training where it was time to stick myself, I first tried slowly. Uh uh...no good. So I just quickly jabbed it in. That way I didn't feel a thing. Since this is a twice a day affair, and since she told me that I should do it in a different place each time, I'm thinking of getting my whole abdomen tatooed with a grid & assign each square a day of the month to keep everything straight.

Thanks for the kind thoughts, they're always very much appreciated. And enjoy your new radios!

[K7SGJ]

Wait till the cops see all the tracks..

[W1GUH]

Yea, my medical supplies would be a treasure trove for a junkie. Between my mediport disconnect stuff & now this -- all those nice syringes! Not to mention the mediport itself -- direct mainline connection! But the blood thinner stuff doesn't go into a vein -- it goes into the fat (what little of it I have after all my weight loss) on my belly, but they do say eventually I'll develop bruises. So far, nothing, but it's only two down (and infinity to go).

[WØTKX]

Yupper, I had a port for about 7 months.

Is it Lovenox that you are injecting?

[W1GUH]

The box is marked Enoxaparin Sodium.

[KA9MOT]

I developed a DVT in March of 2010. No fun. Took shots in my stomach for 2 weeks, and now I take blood thinner daily. Hopefully they will get you on pills soon. Then again, I don't have the cancer treatments that you have to deal with. I'm sure that changes allot of things and certainly sucks.

[W1GUH]

Didn't ask why injections rather than pills -- didn't even know that there are pills. Will ask about that next office visit.

One day's supply:

5418

[K7SGJ]

My mom used to take Coumadin. She had other problems that caused the clotting, but that was the blood thinner that she took. By the way let me know if you want a head start on those bruises, I can call New York and see if "Jack the Rack is" busy or not.

[kf0rt]

My mom used to take Coumadin. She had other problems that caused the clotting, but that was the blood thinner that she took. By the way let me know if you want a head start on those bruises, I can call New York and see if "Jack the Rack is" busy or not.

My Dad still takes Coumadin. Tricky stuff. Fell and hit his head about a year ago, causing a hematoma. Can't fix that while taking anti-coagulants. Stop taking Coumadin, and clots start forming on the lungs. Hint: brain gets priority on this one.

And WE thought getting old sucks. :(

[kf0rt]

Didn't ask why injections rather than pills -- didn't even know that there are pills. Will ask about that next office visit.

One day's supply:

5418

So... you're a hippy that shoots drugs, eh??

Jokes aside though Paul, glad it's (mostly) working out.

[W1GUH]

Yup, and proud of it!

Thanks for the kind words.

[K7SGJ]

My Dad still takes Coumadin. Tricky stuff. Fell and hit his head about a year ago, causing a hematoma. Can't fix that while taking anti-coagulants. Stop taking Coumadin, and clots start forming on the lungs. Hint: brain gets priority on this one.

And WE thought getting old sucks. :(

For the most part it does. When we're young, we're invincible, or so it seemed. BTW, a new photo from the recent excursion south of the border?

[kf0rt]

For the most part it does. When we're young, we're invincible, or so it seemed. BTW, a new photo from the recent excursion south of the border?

Yup. A "pirate" tour boat on the coast of Isla Contoy. Contoy's a Mexican National Park -- wildlife refuge, really. Paradise...