Tests, Tests, and more Tests....

Today I decided to take it upon myself to make sure that I don't have the H1N1 virus or just a cold which is what it seems like it is right now. My nose has been running like a snotty kid in 2nd or 3rd grade; totally annoying and the left nostril is completely red and burning from having to keep blowing it all day long. I took several "Nasal Decongestants" which did absolutely nothing; I might as well have eaten a potato chip; that might have worked better. Don't they make over the counter medications that actually work or even test these products just to make sure that they actually work? Apparently not, I just tested them today and they failed miserably. It sucked having snot drip out of my nose constantly today and having to sniffle, sniffle, snot, snot; I can actually feel the sore throat is on the way. Yes, I can feel it now.

The Advice nurse I spoke with this morning recommended that I just eat Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast = BRAT. Great my nose is dripping like a brat and I have to eat BRAT food! Well I ate some applesauce and some toast with Gatorade for breakfast and part of lunch while relaxing and waiting for my doctor's appointment. I got to watch some trash TV and this is Day 4 without any painkillers. I'm so proud of myself because it seems like I have been having to take those stupid things for months now. Don't you get addicted to those things after a few weeks? I don't feel that I am at all now and I am so thankful! Whewwww!

OK, back to going to the doctor's office today (still dealing with severe diarrhea and burning ass!); I had an appointment at 2:45pm today with a new Doctor that I hadn't seen before. She was very nice and very knowledgeable about what was going on with me. She was also quite surprised by the tumor I showed her on my right side (just on top of the rib cage) and she felt that it needed to be addressed and it will be next Monday when I talk with (I will call him Dr. Chemo) Dr. Chemo. He is after all a chemo doctor. You can kind of see the knot in this photo but it doesn't look so big in the photo as does close up. It's quite startling for most to see.

Well this doctor ordered 4 different types of blood cultures, a urine analysis and 3 different fecal samples. She was prepared to test everything just to make sure that I didn't have any infection going on from the surgery performed on Thursday and/or test me for other viruses that have been going around lately. For all I know I could have gotten something from ghetto Safeway across the street. She also checked my lungs, heart, and felt around on my tummy and even tapped my sinuses to see how they were doing (not so good), but she did suggest a saline solution to keep my sinuses from getting infected. I tried to tell her a little more about my history which she told me she tried to read up on and it was vast - It must have been a very thick folder to read. She really seemed like she was impressed with my attitude to keep on going and to enjoy everyday that I can. God knows I've been though a lot!

After the appointment I had to go to the lab for the blood tests and the urine; the phlebotomist was really amazing; she was able to get a clean stick in both arms. I was very impressed, never had that happened ever before ever and my left arm didn't even seem like it had veins there any more. I did make her smile which made me happy because she appeared that she wasn't having a great day or her day had been very long. I had to bring the poop sample bag home with me to try later on. OH BOY!)

I started craving some Harry's Hofbrau turkey dinner; so I stopped and grabbed a child sized dinner which doesn't cost as much as the Adult size and it was so good! I can eat child portions now (well almost) because Adult portions in restaurants could last me a whole week. So much better than that BRAT diet I must say! It might not be as good for me, but hopefully I can gain a few more pounds; more than likely I'll poop it out shortly after. At least I can enjoy eating it more so than the toast and applesauce.

Within an hour, the diarrhea started again and I had to do the most disgusting deed of all. I still can not believe I had to do this! I had to open 3 different medicine like bottles, (the caps were hard as hell to get off) use that tiny little scoop inside each one of those little bottles and then scoop up my own shit into the bottle and then fill up the bottle almost to the top where a line is. It was so incredibly grotesque (I held my breath and just breathed out my mouth so that I didn't gag or even puke) but I did it and I'm so very proud of myself.

Thank god it wasn't as runny as it has been (then I would have really be grossed out!), but it was still the major deal to do! It really seemed like I would never get each bottle filled and the only way I could get those samples was with my Sitz bath pink tub thing only I couldn't use any water; so the poopie was just right there for me to scoop and it was kinda runny to be completely honest and not at all fun to scoop into a bottle. I had to take take 2 poos to fill up all 3 bottles. I scooped up the poo both times!) I'm not kidding! The first one only filled the first bottle and part of the second. What a tedious task to have to do! OMG how undignified!(

Oh the things I have to put up with with this stupid cancer, infections, diseases and so on! I guess I just have to do these weird things if I want to live and I really do! It just seems like this chaos never ends for me. So there you go, if you feel like you had a shitty day; you did NOT! I had shitty day; NO just kidding. But that was very shitty to have to do!( It was by far the shittiest part of my day!

I was able to drive around today, I'm not in the hospital, I got to walk around and I saw several people not able to walk around today; Oh and I don't have pee bag anymore! - so I still feel incredibly blessed!) I got to go home to my beautiful home with my beautiful dog, awesome husband, and crazy strange cat. I got to play a little bit of frisbee until my intestines decided they wanted to spew poo, but I sat down and controlled it while I called my honey to come pick me up. Yes it never ends for me.

UPDATE: I almost forgot; those painful muscle spasms have since calmed and I don't puke any more. I have doubled up on the Protonix (Pantoprazole) which has helped tremendously to reduce the acid reflux or severe heartburn I had been having after eating. I still get heartburn and nausea but it's not as severe as it was. I haven't picked up that puke bucket since before my surgery which is totally awesome!)