Surgeries are scheduled for next week and I'm knocking them out back-to-back-to-back! Since each wants me with no exercise for preferably 2 weeks, I want to do all the rehabs at once. For the chest surgeries, no lifting more than 5# for a week, then light for 2 more weeks. No cycling because of the stress on the chest, but the plastic surgeon is modifying the dressing to use dermabond so I can resume some sweating sooner than later. :) On the back surgery, no cycling because of the constant bend and stress on the lower back. Since I have another race less than 3weeks from the surgeries, I'm hoping to sit straight up on the trainer and pedal as I start feeling up to it. Guess my grandmother was right when she saw me on crutches for the ? time. She shook her head and said "Pamela, you should just get fat." Well, so far, sure feels like I'm on the track right now!
So, I am bummed about some of my treatment adjusting. Chest surgeries want a 3" clearance of any Efudex treatment around the surgery spots. Bummed because I see outbreaks and I'd rather just finish it. Instead, I've tried to keep the treatment away and will just have to start it up again after I get clearance after the surgeries. Though I started the Efudex 2 weeks ago, I continue to increase the areas, because I continue to see response and I'd like to do all I can right now because they say you can't do any of this treatment in the summertime, which means whatever doesn't get done soon, has to wait til fall. I may be wrong, but I think waiting 6 months is what resulted in me having to have 3 surgeries now.
Not taking pix of each spot, but the chest is a large enough response area to share. The itching is really getting annoying! Since there's actual sores, direct contact is painful, but I can gennnnnntly rub a bit over clothing. Surprised to see a spot pop up near my left shoulder, so I'm expanding over there now too! I can't get the angle quite right to show the sores :)
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Pam,
ReplyDeleteLooks like you in stage 2 of the treatment. My doctor told me that the ones that pop up in a place your not treating while treating another is because of the precancerous feelers under the skin. Like an octopus with legs and it attacks an different area close by.
Hope your done by the time you have surgery. Best of luck this week with the itching...it is hard to not scratch.I will check in on you in a few days.
Betty
Pam,
ReplyDeleteI happened across your blog today and wanted to send my regards.
It sounds like our treatment courses started much the same back in October. I noticed some hotspots popping up on areas that I wasn't treating and wondered about them back in the fall. Now I know why!
I have an appointment with another Dr. this week specifically to look at treating my arms, shoulders and chest. I don't want to put it off until the fall again, and REALLY don't want to have to do it during the summer, but will if I have to.