Shoulder Pain

Been having trouble with my shoulder. Tried not using it, took Aleve, applied a cold pack, all the things you do when you have pulled something.  Nothing seemed to work.  Kept thinking it would get better, but after taking more pain medication than I was comfortable with, I decided to call the doctor.

My port was tender too.  I had the port put in last March so my chemo could be administered without having an IV put in each time.  It really had not caused any problems for me though I always know it is there and it makes me careful when I hug someone, put on clothes, shower, anything that might touch it.

Got in front of the mirror and really looked at the port and the flow line from it.  Is it red, or am I just imagining that?  I could feel the line under my skin and it hurt.  But,  it hurt from my shoulder all the way up my neck.  Sure didn't want to complain, but it was making my life miserable.

So I did what everyone does, I went to the computer and entered, "Port Pain".  Uhhhmmm....could be a blood clot, infection....I wasn't happy with the search results.  But, my shoulder was hurting and it had been going on for too long.  Decided to call the chemo nurses, they would know what to do, they see this stuff all the time.

After talking with them, they told me I needed to come in for the doctor to check it out, just to be safe.  Okay, I would head in.  Snow was on the way, but nothing yet.  May as well get this process started.

Got to the doctor's office around 11 a.m.  Going to the doctor's office is still painful for me.  I see John every way I turn.  I see us getting him there for his treatments, seeing Dr. Lee, even parking.... it is all so hard.  Just sitting in the waiting room hurts.  But there is no way around it, so I go on.

My doctor is out of the country so I saw Dr. Lee again.  He was John's doctor.  Did I tell you how hard it is?  My blood pressure was up, not surprised by that.  The stress thing I guess.  He looked at my shoulder, port, neck, and started talking about the same things I had read on the internet.  First thing to rule out, he said, was a blood clot, so off I go for an ultrasound dopler....or something like that.  Get dressed...ouch....drive to the radiologist.  Wait in a room full of sick, coughin people.   Soon I was called in.  Get undressed from the waist up, and that hurts.  Try dressing or undressing without moving your left arm, head, or neck.  Just getting on the bed to be examined was major.  She kept wanting me to hold my arm in certain positions so she could run the ultrasound, but it hurt!  She squirted the gel on me and started pressing the wand up and down my neck, shoulder and arm.  OUCH!!  Finally, after about 20 minutes, she finished and told me I could get dressed.  After taking a really long time to get my clothes back on, I headed back to Dr. Lee's office to await the results.  And....again.... all of those sad thoughts for me again, but no other option.

As I waited to be called back in, I looked around the waiting room.  Too many people with little or no hair.  Sure hope somebody figures out this cancer thing soon.  "Mrs. Adams,"the nurse called, it was time to go back to see Dr. Lee.  I could feel my heart beating fast as Austin, Dr. Lee's dear, sweet, nurse, walked me back.

She took me to a room to wait....a room that I had been in too many times with my sweet John.  It is just so hard sometimes.  Dr. Lee came in.  Seems there was a blood clot.  Not a big one, but enough to be causing pain.  We looked at the results and he prescribed some meds.  Give it two to three days and if I don't have any relief, come back.

Will do....and I was out of there.  Let's hope this works and I will feel better soon.  Wagon still rolling...albeit with one bad wheel.

PCQ