Thursday, September 25, 2008

Wish me luck

I have been having these daily pain episodes that start about a hour after breakfast for the past week and a half. It causes pain in my right side under my ribs, and pain in my chest, and makes my left arm feel really weak. My oncologist wants me to go to the ER when it happens next time, which I presume will be in the morning to get a ekg done, he also wants me to get a internist and a gastroentrologist. I have no faith in Dr's and even less in local Dr's but cant just run to Chicago, and all my oncologist ever seems to say is, it's normal, we're not concerned about it,blah blah blah. He's the only specialist in my cancer in Illinois. how do I even find a Dr locally that will even understand or remember that page from college about neuroendocrine cancer? I have been told to have another colonoscopy, but again I can't run to chicago for everything and dont feel comfortable with the locals since my experience at diagnosis. Rationally, the best choice is to quit eating. I even had a pain episode tonite after dinner. I am sure something is blocked, something is not right, but I just don't know where to turn anymore. I feel like I need a advocacy group to find my medical care, but know they will just say well you have cancer. Is this the end for me? It kinda feels like it, I know this pain is unmanageable and I can't deal with it. I know food causes it, but just not sure why, so somehow I am going to be thrust into a world of unknown Dr's to once again tell me what is what. Sometimes I wish they would just hook me up to tpn for iv nutrition and give me a bag hanging from my stomach to poop in, then I wouldn't deal with figuring out what is going in and what won't come out. I know that sounds bad, but I am just tired of being sick and sick of being tired. I can't sleep anymore either as if the rest weren't bad enough. A xanax, half percocet and a sleeping pill will give me 3 hours of solid sleep if I try really hard, unfortunately that combo isnt even working tonite. My body is just wore out from all of this and my mind isn't far behind and may actually be even more wore out than my body. I have to figure all of this out and I have to rely on a strange Dr to help me. The only thing I can do is pray and I know God will help me get through all of this. I just hope the Dr's dont see the cha ching dollar signs and decide I need to be in the hospital, thats my biggest fear, I dont ever want to be in the hospital again. I am scared and once again today, I am cancer...I hate this disease

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tami,
I am at a loss for words.I'm not going to say I know how you feel cause I don't.I will say hang in there and that I am praying for you.

Love Ya
Debora in Florida

Anonymous said...

Wishing you lots of luck.

Don't stop eating though -- you need to keep up your strength. Instead of eating meals which seem to bring on pain, try snacking few bytes at a time all day long on food that is nutritionally and calorically dense (nuts, eggs, sardines, blueberries, milk etc). Larabar, Larabar jocolat, Perfect 10 and Dr. Weil all make energy bars from natural sources that fit the bill -- many delicious flavours, fit in your pocket for a quick byte wherever you are.

Wishing you lots of luck!

-- lounge queen

Anonymous said...

Hi Dear Sweet Tam, must admit I have just enjoyed looking at the wedding pix and reading your posts about the joyous occasion.

I think I maybe know a tiny bit about the frustration of needing a "new" doctor...I deep-sixed my local gp here after my heart attack.....gave him a vote of no-confidence and took myself off his roster.....but did not pick out a new reg.doc yet, have tried to make an appt....but would need to wait for 2 months and we leave for Florida at the end of October and won't be back here in the woods til next May. I have a cardiologist up here...and in choosing the same one as my hubby - had to give up the heart docs from Portland that saved my life.

Enuff about me - I just know that some days can be so overwhelming, ya might just...........

have to finish this later - geez-oh pete - hubby needs pute.

Anonymous said...

Tami: your wedding pictures are beautiful. I really liked the one of you and your grandson with your arms outstretched. you really do need a lot of hugs right now. tell your family to get busy on these hugs. have you tried drinking something like Ensure withn the nutrients that you need and might not cause the pain. Julie, my sister drank a lot of this. we also recomend this to our cancer patients. you hang in there lady. lots of prayers for you. Barb

Anonymous said...

What wonderful photos - a beautiful wedding. Thank you for sharing.

I read your words and try to relate the feelings and wish I could take the bad away and make it all good again for you. You are an amazing woman - it is easy to understand why you are so loved.

I hope God guides the right doctors to you .... you must keep your strength up - would something like Ensure help with the protein and not make you feel ill.

Live Strong - you are always in my prayers.

Nancy

Anonymous said...

Hi Tami: Loved the wedding pictures. I was so glad to see one of the four of you kids together. Try some Ensure. It has lots of nutrients needed to keep you going. A lot of my clients use this when they can't eat. It helps a lot. I pray for you every day. I know your Mom was with you all on the wedding day. I know how proud she is of all of her kids. I love you and I'm sending a big hug from Arkansas... Love you, Patti

Anonymous said...

Tami I'm thinking about you and wondering how things are going for you with the pain. I'm not surprised that you are tired of trying to find a doc to listen and take action...we need changes in the whole medical profession but it looks like we are stuck with what we have for now. I don't remember them being like this twenty or thirty years ago but maybe I was just young and naive back then.

Keep us posted when you can and we'll keep praying that things get better and you get an answer for what's going on...Brenda