While this blog isn't about cancer per se, as I don't have to deal with that madness again until September. It is about the annoying side effects from cancer treatment, as my year of recovery marches on. So feel free to stop reading if you care about cancer cells, malignancy and MRIs as this not about that...
After what can only be described as an "unsatisfactory" medical experience with neurologist Dr. Mai, I decided to not remain undeterred in my effort to find some sort of answer/reason for the ongoing, and yes, worsening nerve pain in my left arm.
Now, the awesome Dr. Wahl laid it bare for me at our last meeting when she said in her usual smarty-pants way: "Now look...I know no other doctor is gonna want to admit this, but sometimes we over radiate patients. We don't mean to do it. It just happens. We do our very, very best to minimize the impact of this stuff. But honestly, sometimes well things happen. I cannot tell you how bad this is going to get- and truthfully no one else will be able to either. What I can say is that this is going to take a LONG and I mean A LONG time to heal. Like two years or more, if at all." She also told me not to keep my hopes up about finding a humane neurologist. She seemed to imply that they are all a little bit autistic. And well, autism has its pluses, right???
Well, as much as I love me some Dr. Tanya Wahl, let's just say I was hardly well, inspired by her talk. Undeterred as always, I decided to seek out some more medical advice.
This landed me on the doorstep of none other than Dr. Lawrence D. Murphy. Now look...it took me six weeks to get in to see this man, because well, "Dr. Lawrence Murphy was recognized as a 2011 “Top Doctor” in Seattle
Metropolitan magazine’s annual survey " Seriously. You can read more: http://www.swedish.org/Physicians/Lawrence-Murphy#ixzz2ZMdTjL1F
He also got a bunch of other top Doc awards last year including something like "Most Awesome Doctor in the Universe" or some crap like that. Either way, let me tell ya, he was worth the wait.
Looking like a very distant cousin of Denis Leary, he marched (strode?) in to my appointment 40 minutes late; full of apologies of course, and no swear words. I was kinda bummed about the lack of swear words. It really would have made up for the fact that while I was sitting so still for so long in the exam room the lights shut off. Stupid environmentally smart design...
But here's the thing- I've realized when a doctor is late for an appointment, it's usually because they are taking their time with other patients (or in the case of Denis Leary, messing around with his ex wife...) And I surmise that when it's my turn, they will take their time with me. Now, I'm often wrong about that part. But just like I keep thinking "there's the RIGHT guy out there, somewhere for me..." I hold on to this notion too. And, today it paid off in spades!
Dr. M immediately launched into a very, very thorough exam. He did many of the same things as Dr. Mai. Except, well he took a lot longer, asked a ton more questions and triple checked his measurements. And from all of his poking and prodding, I learned that my left arm, which is non-dominate is 2 cm's larger than my right. This proves that the weird swelling wasn't a figment of my overactive imagination; and, more importantly neither is the pain.
The conclusion the very articulate, sane and non-swearing Dr. Murphy drew was that there has been some "trauma" to my brachial plexus due to "scatter" from the very radiation treatment I underwent to keep me cancer free. Scatter? That word makes me think of animal droppings...
Now that we have a better sense of what is going on, I asked him a very basic, simple question: "So, how am I supposed to live my life now?" Good news! The trauma/pain usually peaks around six months post onset (I'm at month seven...) And that I can do anything I want to do physically until it hurts too much to do so. Golf? Yes. Tennis? Yes. Yoga in the park? YES! The swelling is from lymphedema. He recommends that I wear my sexy lymphatic sleeve on a daily basis-(or until it impacts my tan line while out golfing...) to keep stuff under control. He's also going to conduct a nerve study on my arm to find out how things are firing up and down my arm.
Now it wasn't all brass bands and parades...He did tell me that while he doesn't believe my arm will not become paralyzed, he did state that nerves take FOREVER to heal. He gave me a year before I begin to see the pain get better- if ever. That's right, I may have pain for the rest of my life. And, well I can't decide if there's some sort of message in that. Like, maybe I should eat better or change my religion??? I mean, a lifetime of pain? Really? Oh well. I'll decide that crap later.
But wait, it gets even better. I needed to meet up with his scheduler, whose name I cannot remember for the life of me. However, I will say this: all the black women in Seattle work as receptionists in Swedish Issaquah's neurology office. Seriously. I mean, I have been getting treatment there for over a year. And besides my brownish self, I NEVER see black people there. EVER. Now I know where they are: Dr. Murphy's office.
Anywho- the amazing receptionist is the funniest woman I have had the pleasure of laughing with. Muttering behind her computer screen, she threw out the date of August 5 for my follow-up/nerve conduction study. Now, I am still rocking the mind altering gabapentin, so I cannot remember shit. I stated: "August 3rd. What day of the week is that?" She muttered back, "Saturday." I was all: "Saturday? He works on Saturdays?" She said: "Naw girl. He doesn't work on Saturdays, but you are MORE than welcome to come on in by yourself and do your OWN study." Dear GOD! Just the levity I needed. I busted out laughing. And it was in that moment that I realized just how long I had been holding my breath.
You know, I should have known she was one funny lady when I saw a photocopied photograph of her husband (ex?) with a black eye and devil horns drawn on him with the words: "Wanted dead or alive" written along the bottom.
Now that is some shit you just DON'T see everyday in your neurologists office. She has alotta nerve. And well on AUGUST 7TH, I'll find out more about mine...
