Mid-morning I was driving myself to get some bloodwork done down the street when I felt like my breathing was uneven.  I came right home, felt a bit better, and Jamie then drove me back for the blood draw.  While in the waiting room, he and another gentleman both commented about how my right leg was really swollen.  I hadn’t noticed - but, it sure was.  On the drive home I called my oncologist’s office who sent me directly to the hospital. 

My oncologist called me while we were on our way - and then gave the ED a heads up that we were en route. We only waited about 10 minutes in the lobby before they had me back, in a bed, and hooked up to monitors. Bonus: one of the nurses we love from the oncology unit came over and accessed my tricky port so the ED crew could use it. (#ProTip: Ask for an oncology nurse to access your port if you land in the ED.)

The biggest concerns were a blood clot in my leg or lungs.  I had a chest xray, bloodwork, ultrasound of the veins in my legs, CT scan of my chest, EKG of my heart…thankfully all came back normal. Even though we don’t know what’s causing the swelling, nothing emergent is good news. 

While I was there they hooked me up to some fluids and my breathing evened out.  I was likely dehydrated - staying hydrated after chemo is really challenging. To say Jamie is now on a “hydration mission” would be an understatement. I am going to ask my oncologist for more fluids at my next infusion.

Four hours at the ED was enough to hear a wide range of really challenging life situations that folks were facing.  I’m really glad this was just an exercise in being cautious. I’m home, feeling better, and keeping an eye on that swelling which continues to go down. Since it’s not an emergency, it’s now up to my doctors to figure out if it’s lymphedema (swelling because they took out lymph nodes) related to the cancer surgeries or something else.  Never a dull moment.

#FCancer