New Years In The Hospital

Sorry I haven't posted in a while things have just been a bit crazy. The new year for me did not start out very well. Over the past  month my right hip has been bothering me very much and for a while I thought I could just continue taking my breakthrough medication to cope. When I went to visit my pain management doctor last Tuesday he added Percocet as a new breakthrough medication. However it didn't work, and then hospice tried to tweak with my meds. My pain got so bad that they finally told me to go to the ER, and I was admitted early Saturday evening. The doctors and even my rheumatologist who was on call thought it was the AVN that I was told I had in both hips. The MRI was a bit fuzzy so it was hard to read. I was given IV Dilauted, and Roxycodone for the pain, and IV Benadryl, because the Dilauted caused itching. On Monday the orthopedist came buy and said that the AVN that was there in August of 2010 had healed itself, which was a relief, because it meant that I didn't need surgery. He was puzzled by wht could be causing my pain, so he wanted my rheumatologist to take over. Luckily, Dr. C had a pretty good idea what the problem was after learning that the AVN was gone. He suspected that pain from my Sacroiliac (SI) Joints was causing the pain in my hip. Pain in the lower back can radiate into the hip causing the patient and the doctors to believe that the pain is originating in the hip. Dr. C then said he wanted my SI's and hip to be imaged at an imaging center outside of the hospital. He wants someone to come do PT with me at home due to the fact that my immune system is to weak for me to do physical therapy at a therapy gym. After the new MRI's are done we will be able to isolate the problem and make me comfortable. I was released yesterday and am glad to say that I am now home, and doing better, though I am still in some discomfort. 


I also went to San Antonio to see my Hem/Onc doctor there. My blood tests show that my white blood cell count is low, which means that my actual bone marrow is suppressed, this means that the chemotherapy is working. There is some improvement in my joints so we will continue with the 18 month treatment plan. My blood clot is also 1/4th the size that it was, so that means that the blood thinners are working. Hopefully, I can get a Port-O-Cath inserted soon, so that I can get the PICC line removed from my arm, but we may have to wait until the clot improves even more. All in all I would say that there have been ups and downs, but my family and I keep chuggin along on this roller coaster of a ride. I hope that this new year will bring good new things both with my health, and life in general. 


Joyful Love
         &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

Over A Week And Still Sick

It has been over a week since I started feeling ill, and I am still under the weather. It turns out that I have a very bad sinus infection and a bad bronchitis. I am on two antibiotics and have to do breathing treatments everyday. The doctors were concerned about me developing pneumonia and being hospitalized, luckily that didn't happen. I did have to go to the ER because my fever went up, but luckily I was able to go home and not be admitted. The infection how ever was at a time where my bone marrow is ver suppressed, so the doctors had to watch me carefully. I am just trying to rest and drink lots of fluids, and I know it will take some time for me to be 100% infection wise. I know that severe infections can be a side effect of chemo, but I know that God is always with me, and will protect me through this entire process. 


Joyful Love
         &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

Under the Weather....Yet Again

This morning I went the doctor because of a soar throat, nasal congestion, and a low grade fever. It turns out that I have a nasty sinus infection. I feel absolutely miserable, and it was just about a month ago that I was sick with a cold. I know that this is par for the course when your on chemo but it still sucks to no end. Luckily, the doctor started me on an antibiotic, and my fever isn't very high, if it gets over 100.5 and nearing 101 than I have to go to the ER, I'm crossing my fingers that that doesn't have to happen. If anyone has been sick with a cold or flu, and has had a fever, than you know what its like when your body, muscles, and joints just ache all over. When you have arthritis, and other autoimmune issues, its that x 10. Im just trying to stay relaxed drink, hot tea, and getting plenty of rest, what sucks even more is that it is cold and rainy outside, which makes feeling bad even worse. I am just trying to lay low and get over this thing as quickly as possible. 


Joyful Love
         &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

Can't Stop Sleeping

At my last chemo treatment, which was here in Austin, my blood tests showed that not only was my white blood cell count low but I was also very anaemic. Both of these uncomfortable medical problems cause one to be extremely fatigued. I find myself taking three hour naps in the middle of the morning, and even an after noon siesta, and still going to bed at nine o'clock and sleeping ten hours. My mom says that this is completely normal for someone who is a anaemic and going through chemotherapy. But still, I hate that I can't stop sleeping. I feel as though I am lazy and not doing anything, but part of me knows that my body needs rest to heal. For those of us who have a chronic illness or are going through need to remember that there is no reason to feel bad about how tired and fatigued we are or how much we sleep. Our bodies are not like those of a normal healthy individuals, and it takes more energy for us to do simple tasks. So for those who think were just being lazy, you try living just one day in our shoes, and you will see why we are so tired, and why we can't stop sleeping.


Joyful Love
          &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

Doctor's Visit

This past Thursday was my doctor's appointment in San Antonio with the Hem/Onc doctor. The appointment went well, the blood tests showed that the chemo is doing what its supposed to, because I am neutropenic, which means that my bone marrow is suppressed so I have to be extra careful of germs and getting sick, especially during cold and flu season. We also learned that I have something called Post-thrombotic Syndrome (PTS), its a condition where I have more pain in the are of the clot is, because of blood flow restriction due to the clot. The pain can last up to nine months, but thankfully the doctor prescribed me some medicine that should help with pain. I am also going to be continuing with my chemotherapy, and hope that I can have all the nausea and other unpleasant symptoms under control. 


Joyful Love
         &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

ER and Cold

Last Wednesday, I went to the ER because my neck, on the side where the clot is, was very painful and swollen, my arm on that side was also swollen. I was also feeling faint and had a headache, I nearly passed out at the dinner table. Concerned, my mom and grandfather took me to the ER to get the clot checked out. A CT scan of my neck was done, and so was blood work. I was in so much pain, that they had to give me dilloted for the pain. The scan showed that the clot was the same as the previous scan, and the blood work showed that my white count was a bit low because of the chemo. The doctor who examined me knew that I was immunocompramised, and still chose to examine me even though she had a cold. She was coughing, sneezing, and blowing her nose, and she still examined me. Unfortunately because of my weekend immune system, I developed a cold/virus that I caught from the doctor. All weekend I was miserable. I had body aches, congestion, headaches, a soar throat, and a slight cough. Im doing a bit better today. Because of my immune system being low, it takes me longer than a normal person to get better from things, and my symptoms are more severe. Luckily I wasn't running a fever with this virus, so that was a good thing.


My family, as you can imagine, was very upset at the doctor for coming around me when she was sick, it was very unethical. We couldn't say anything to her at the time because we didn't want to upset her, and have that hinder my treatment. My grandfather did send an e-mail to the HR department, and hopefully she will be talked to about the incident. If a physician or anyone who works with patients is ill with something like a cold or any other communicable diseases, they should not be at works, and putting people at risk for becoming ill themselves. Its just good old common sense. 


Joyful Love
         &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta

Pre and Post Surgery

Yesterday I had a small surgical procedure, that was my eighth one this year. Although the procedure was something minor, each time I have to go into the operating room, or under anasthesia. I still get nervous each time. I usually am not nervous about he actual surgery, but more going under anasthesia. While going under, you feel as though you're losing control. Having experienced it so many times you not only get used it, but some how come to like it. I know that sounds crazy, but one of my friends who as gone under anasthesia probably more times than I have says he likes it as well. People like my mom and grandmother who have had a  few surgeries don't like the feeling of it at all, so I guess it depends on the person.


Then there is the pain when you wake up. Even though they tell you might be in pain, you are still not prepared for how much it hurts (depending on how invasive the surgery is), luckily they I have IV pain meds that just knock you out. The first few days our the hardest. Sometimes you feel as though the pain is worse than it was before the surgery, but it is a different kind of pain. For me, what helps the best , is knowing that the surgery is going to help me in the long run. Keeping this in mind, pushing through the pain, forcing your self to get up and move around, and taking your pain medication so that you don't let the pain get ahead of you will help you make a fast and safe recovery.


Joyful Love
          &
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta