Another infusion, a small complication, and a great weekend!

On Monday, I noticed it hurt when I swallowed, like maybe my lymph nodes were swollen, but I didn't feel any swollen areas. Then the next day, the area above my port, near my collarbone, was a bit sore. I played volleyball that evening and may have had the area hit by a volleyball. That night, I couldn't get comfortable to sleep. Wednesday morning, I noticed that the area above the collarbone was swollen and puffy.

So when I went in for my immunotherapy infusion on Wednesday, I told each person about it. The person accessing the port decided to use an IV in my hand instead. The oncologist examined it and said they needed to access the port and use that for the infusion, to make sure there was no clot in the port. She also decided to send me for a CT scan after the infusion, to make sure I didn't have any affected lymph nodes. 

So they did the Pembro infusion through the port, removed the hand IV without using it, and all went well. Then I went for a CT scan. They had a recorded female voice that said "take a breath. Hold your breath" then I moved through the scanner for 3 seconds and she said to breathe while they scanned my chest. We did that for multiple times, some after adding contrast, then a recorded male voice said "Do not breathe or swallow" then I moved through the scanner while they scanned my neck. Again multiple times, some with contrast.

The results were posted a couple of days later, but Frank didn't want to talk about it until after the doctor called. He reads the reports ahead of time and doesn't tell me things he doesn't understand until the doctors tell us, because sometimes they sound awful, but the doctors are unconcerned, and this was one of those.

The test showed chronic thrombosis (which is leftover from my previous blood clot. The clot cleared, but the walls still have sticky stuff on them so the veins are smaller. The puffiness is from the blood trying to find new pathways around smaller veins.), small pulmonary nodule (which are common, with nothing to worry about), and a 1 cm calcified growth in my brain (which are common and benign, and they aren't worried). The oncology assistant termed them "incidentalomas," which she said are things that you see that are incidental. Most of the time they don't need to do anything about them.

The random good things the scan found is that I don't have any breast tumors and I don't have much calcification of my heart and veins near it.

They didn't feel there was anything to worry about, but since there is pain, I'll be getting a Vein-o-gram (actually spelled venogram) to try to figure that out. It sounds like I should be able to dice and slice with it! It will be scheduled in the next couple of weeks. I will also be starting back up on the blood thinner Eliquis for awhile. 

In the meantime, I just wait, and don't have to do anything differently. It is already feeling less swollen and sore.

This week, I did my typical volleyball and frisbee and walking with friends and family. We also went to Boston Lights at the Franklin Park Zoo with Suzi, Jenny & Jon, and our friends Jenn & Michelle. And on Saturday, we went to the Verrill Farm in Concord, Ma to see their sunflower field and went to Kimball Farms for ice cream on the way home. Yesterday Suzi and Alex came up to visit and stayed until this evening. We've had a lovely weekend!

Interacting with the exhibits at Boston Lights

Some of the MANY different animal and light displays.

Kathy and Frank enjoying the sunflower farm

More sunflowers!

Suzi after helping harvest our garden Sunday. 

Zucchini bread may be in our future!