Thursday, May 7, 2009

A minor update, in which your humble narrator suffers from a myriad of minor ailments...

Just a few odds and ends here. First up: the Thalidomide caused an allergic reaction on my face. It's not too bad to look at (I just look tan) but it itches quite a bit. Thankfully they have pulled me off Thalidomide for a week to see if it goes away, which is fine by me as I hate that stuff. I took it for six days, four of them with Dex, and that should be enough to keep the cancer suppressed for another couple of weeks until my next transplant.

Secondly, my rapid heartbeat isn't going away and it's making me a little edgy. I'm probably around 120 beats a minute which is a lot quicker than it used to be. It's been this way since about a week after the transplant, and I had hoped it was just going to be a temporary thing while my blood was being manufactured. Now I'm not so sure. Meanwhile all I can think of is the ol' ticker has X number of beats in it and I'd just as soon not have them go by so quickly.

My back has been much better, but it's getting a little stiff again. This could be the dex wearing off, or it could be my imagination. Again, another "wait and see" situation.

Having said all that, it is wonderful to be home. I do feel as though the hardest part of the road is behind me. I basically have two four-week stretches ahead, after which I'll be back here on a full-time basis and only having to deal with maintenance therapy...which hopefully will be free of allergic reactions!

I hope you are all doing well, and I'll write more as my return to Little Rock draws nearer.

2 comments:

  1. NIck -- not being a medical expert, I cannot say why you have a rapid heartbeat, but you might try taking 10 minutes in the morning to sit quietly and meditate before you start doing anything and see if you can quiet your heart down a little in those few minutes. Perhaps you are unaware of some anxiety which is triggering it, and in the "quiet time" it might become clear to you... just a suggestion... and I am glad you are seeing some positive results from the treatments.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm reading this section now as I'm in between transplants right now myself. I'm experiencing a rapid heart rate too since about 1-2 weeks post transplant and also palpitations (feeling like it's pounding when my hr is not all that elevated). At first it was scary, now it's more annoying than anything. I just hope it goes away!

    ReplyDelete