Feb. 21 - A bend in the road

Sorry I haven't posted anything since Feb. 15, but things were going somewhat placid till this past Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Although the previous Saturday I did have stomach pains which I thought were attributable to (a) hunger (didn't feel like eating much); (b) constipation or just a slight feeling of just not feeling quite up to par, I brushed it off and just stayed around home, not even feeling like doing my cross-stitch.

Went to work on Monday and Tuesday (I was tired of the house by then), I finished up Tuesday with a rush to get the bi-monthly newsletter done before the committee comes in on Wednesday morning to mail it. Later that night-- when I was attending the Fashion Show for Paul VI at Adelphia's to catch Michael's modeling debut -- with Lauren, my niece Allison, and my brother sitting in for my sister-in-law Lori, who became sick that day and couldn't attend, I started to getting a dull ache in my chest just below the breast bone.

It seemed to subside after eating dinner. During the time of the modeling, the pain started up again and thought it was indigestion. Took several TUMS which I had on hand, but that didn't seem to help. Patiently waiting through the awarding of 106 Chinese Auction baskets with no winning of any of them at our table, the tightening didn't go away. Finally when our table won the 50/50 of $675. (an easier package to carry out the door), it was time to go home.

This tightening continued on even when I went to bed. By 1:00 a.m. it had me up. I took Mylanta, which let me sleep for maybe an hour more, but the pains started again in the center of my chest and going outward and down the center of my body and outward.

When you are admitted for chemo at Pennsylvania Hospital, you are given an 800 number for any type of pain. By this time I got Paul up and he called the 800 number. The doctor thought that the pains in my back and chest might have been caused by the tumor moving. I looked down at my foot and by golly, it was still there. He had said that since I wasn't getting any sleep because of the pains, to go to the emergency section of PA hospital. Time - 4:00 a.m.

Once there, they hooked me up to an IV through the port in my chest used for administering the chemo. By 8:00 a.m through a series of usual tests, it was determined by the ER doctor that I wasn't or didn't have a heart attack, but before I could go a cardiologist had to see me. Well, let me tell you they won't have a heart attack at the rate that they move. When we notified Dr. Hartner, my chemo doctor, that I was in the emergency room and unable to make an appointment for a MUG scan that morning, he was over in 5 minutes. Wonderful, quiet man. He checked the records and decided to keep me overnight for observation.

Finally after lunch the cardiologist came and gave me the news that I didn't have a heart attack, but that I would be monitored for 24 hours since I was being admitted for observation.

Still in the ER, the admissions people came over and got their information. Earlier in the morning, the nurse gave me the Maalox cocktail with some numbing substance in it to help you feel better. That lasted a couple of hours and then the dull ache started again. When a surprise lunch came in the ER, swallowing a little hurt. By 2 pm with the lunch over (still in the ER), Paul left to go home since Wednesday is his day to pick up his father from dialysis. Not a very talkative person and both tired from the morning, I was happy to be left alone to sleep (but whoever sleeps in the hospital, let alone the ER).

By 4:00 pm (12 hours later), I was moved to a room.