Pet Scan Anxiety

Tests Tests yet More Tests

Had an appointment today with the gynecological oncology group (boy that's a mouthful!) as a consult from my doctor appointment last week. I am now scheduled for a PET scan next Tuesday to check to make sure my pain is not from a cancer recurrance. If it is I will be surprised, but I think anyone who has had cancer dreads each time you get rechecked or have more tests run because it can mean the undying cells have reappeared. I am considered at fairly high risk for distant metastases because of the depth of the cancer invasion (into the deeper vascular/lymphatic tissue of the uterus) and the histology of the cells. I am dreading the scan somewhat because it is one of those types where you have to lay still for at least an hour and a half, and if The Headache makes itself known that day it will be very difficult.

Other news from the gyno onco which was no surprise to me - they stated if the health issues I am having with neuropathic pain and dysfunction are because of chronic radiation damage there is nothing anyone can do, and it will just progress. I do show more signs of radiation changes in other tissues so that seems to concur with nerve damage due to radiation.

Up side if the problems are due to recurrent cancer there are probably steps to take, down side if the problems are not due to recurrent cancer there is nothing I can do. Up side if the problems are due to radiation and not cancer I will most probably be cancer free for the next five years also, then declared cured!! Down side if the problems are not due to radiation and are recurrent cancer there are very few treatment options for recurrent endometrial cancer and they have limited efficacy.

Having to take much trammadol this evening because of course poking around on me started the nerve pain to increase again. You tell a doctor it hurts somewhere and then they poke you there and of course it hurts, and then they say I'm sorry - but no, they are not. They deliberately poke you in your sore spot(s) just to see if it really hurts.

My blood pressure is still elevated due to pain. At this point I can't tell if it is from the hemicrania continua (which pitched a fit this afternoon) or the pelvic pain or both. Most probably both. There have just been a few times (after injections of major pain killers) this last year and a half where my BP has been normal. One neurologist said he could see changes starting in the vascular part of my eyes from elevated BP. Just one more broken part in the junk heap that is my body...

The Belly and The Headache are vying for my attention this evening. I had the shakes from not eating so had to feed The Belly and it was not grateful. The burning ouchiness is being helped by the trammadol I took for the pelvic pain, so a benefit there! The Headache started surging this morning with big lumps of pain, so I only worked a few hours today. I updated some records for a client so they were productive hours, but I went home early and just crashed on the couch in the living room.

I think some of the improvement I have been having with The Headache is from some advice I got from a fellow Hemicrania Continua sufferer: sleeping sitting up and sleeping on the side The Headache is on. I don't do it every night, and I don't sleep entirely sitting up, but in a semi reclining position, but I do believe it has been of benefit. Thank heavens I have a memory foam couch that is very comfortable.