Day 4 post operation

 General Health  2 Responses »
Jan 122009
 

I am definitely feeling a lot better than I have been in the last couple of days.

My hand no longer hurts, so there is no need to take any more pain pills [something I am pleased about], but there is still some swelling, causing pressure on my hand, forcing me to keep it elevated as much as possible.

And I’m still essentially helpless, unable to easily do simple tasks like brushing my hair, showering, fixing myself something to eat etc. as any exertion on the hand, even just letting it drop below my elbow, is painful, and that is very frustrating.

I know, I’m such a whiner, but I can’t help it. I just can’t wait to get this cast off on Thursday, and then get back on the bike. This sitting around the house all day is getting real old about now.

The only upside to all this is, at least I haven’t gained any weight.

Back home

 General Health  3 Responses »
Jan 082009
 

photo-2Well, had the operation, and everything seems ok so far. There’s no significant pain as of yet, but I’m sensing that might not last long. Fortunately the Doctor gave me a prescription for Tylenol w/Codeine just in case.

The bandage on my hand is a little bigger than I had expected or hoped, which is making it very difficult to write this post. Having to use one hand, when you’re used to using two, certainly doesn’t help.

So suffice it to say, the operation went well, and I’m home resting now.

Everything’s all set

 General Health  4 Responses »
Jan 072009
 

I just received the call from Kaiser, and my check in time tomorrow for my hand surgery is 11 AM. (The operation is scheduled for 1:30 PM.) Plus I paid for the procedure, so there’s no turning back now.

I have to admit I am a little nervous. This will be my first time undergoing an operation with a general anesthetic. I did have microsurgery performed on my left index finger back in 1980, but that was with a local anesthetic, and the operation took less than 30 minutes.  This operation is expected to take about an hour and a half.

I’m not so concerned about the hand surgeon, what’s the worst that can happen? But the anesthesiology, now that’s a different story. I’ve been told by quite a few people, including Edie, that is the most dangerous part of the operation. I’m hoping I’ll feel a little more at ease after meeting the anasthesiologist in pre-op.

Even more worrisome maybe the fact I can’t have anything to eat or drink after 11 PM tonight. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to handle 14 hours without food. Maybe I’d better start stocking up right now.

I’ll report back as soon as I’m able.

This has been the worst winter

 General Health, Life, My MCL  1 Response »
Dec 172008
 

And winter doesn’t even start for another 4 days.

Two months ago, I came down with a cold, which kept me off the bike for over a week. It even kept me from visiting Edie when she was in the hospital recovering from her transplant. And now it seems I’ve contracted yet another cold.

That’s two colds within a two month period. I can’t remember having experienced two colds in such a short period, or even more than one cold in an entire year that has caused me to feel as bad as these latest two. Plus this time, even Edie is sick, so now I’m beginning to wonder.

Is this due to our Continue reading »

Even the medical profession is slow

 Cycling, General Health, Life, Treatments  2 Responses »
Oct 092008
 

It must be. Why else would the hand specialist be so ready to operate on my hand to correct my Dupuytren’s Contraction?

That sure wasn’t the response I was expecting when I went for my appointment with the hand specialist yesterday. I thought I would go in, and the doctor would look at my hand, and say it wasn’t that bad, and I should just keep an eye on it making sure it doesn’t get any worse, and then come back in a couple of months for a follow up.

Needless to say, I was caught completely off guard. I really wasn’t ready for this. I had heard horror stories about the pain associated with the operation, and proceeding would obviously put a crimp in my cycling. I was hoping he would propose the use of injectable collagenese. That I would have gone for.

But no, the doctor indicated injectable collagenese hasn’t been approved for use just yet. BUMMER!

So now I have to make a decision. Do I or don’t I want to risk the operation?

The doctor was very reassuring, trying to allay my concerns, stating that since my contraction had not progessed that far (30°), it wouldn’t be a difficult operation, and he thought I could be back on the bike in about 3 weeks. He did indicate I could watch and wait (something most lymphoma patients are very familiar with), if I wasn’t quite ready, but to keep a close eye on it, and make sure it doesn’t progress too far. Then it could become a problem

I just don’t know. The horror stories I’ve heard, still linger in the back of my mind, but I did put my name on the list to be called, to set up a time for the operation anywaze. I don’t have to have the operation right away, and could schedule it for a few months from now when the weather is not very conducive for riding.

Oh well, such is life :(

What could possibly be next?

 General Health  1 Response »
Aug 172008
 

As if having mantle cell lymphoma, and everything that goes along with it, wasn’t bad enough, and as if coming to the realization the body doesn’t always respond the way the mind expects, still isn’t enough, what you soon discover as you age, is the body has a seemingly endless array of ailments it’s waiting to inflict upon you.

About a year ago, I noticed some strange lumps in the palm of my hand. Since I do a lot of bike riding, and they weren’t at all painful or bothersome, I assumed they were just callouses as a result of the pressure I exert on the handlebars when I ride.

But then about 6 months ago I realized I couldn’t extend the pinky finger on my left hand completely, I had a small lump (like an enlarged lymphnode) on the side of the finger, and the finger was looking slightly distorted and swollen.

Then about two weeks ago, I realized I couldn’t fully extend the ring finger on my left hand as well.

At this point, I was getting a little concerned, so I went to the world wide web for answers, but couldn’t find anything related to my condition. Then on last Friday’s bike ride, I noticed a cycling buddy’s pinky finger, coincidentally also on his left hand, was bent 90°, and he was unable to straighten it out.

So I asked him about it, and that led me to Dupuytren’s Contraction.

Great! Just what I need, another basically incurable disease.

There is treatment, but the current prescribed treatment involves cutting open the hand and doing something to relieve the contraction. But guess what? That surgery is very painful, and there is no guarantee the Dupuytren’s Contraction won’t return, even if the surgery is successful. [Sure sounds a lot like non hodgkins lymphoma.]

But alas, there is hope! A new procedure, consisting of a local injection of injectable collogenase into the hand, has proven to be very effective, and is much less debilitating, so even if the Dupuytren’s contraction returns you can receive another treatment.

So next Wednesday, I have an appointment with my oncologist, and hopefully I can get her to give me a referral to a hand specialist.

Fortunately this condition is not painful in the least, and it hasn’t effected my ability to ride my bike, so it’s unlikely I will seek treatment just yet, but I do want to leave all my options open.