More on my illness - Week of 11-21 July

Week of 11-21 July

First, the week of 11-18 July I determined to do something about my weight. It has been 5 years since the cancer and I was feeling strong enough that I could finally face the challenge and discipline of weight loss. I talked about my several options for approaching this with my dear friend and chiropractor, Dawn, and she really encourage me to be under medical supervision for the diet, with my past history. That made sense to me too; I went to see a Dr that she recommended. The diet made sense too, while it was a drastic reduction in calories, the food was all good and followed good nutrition practices. I mainly had to give up empty calories, diet soda, breads, most diary, etc. The diet actually was using the same food groups I need to eat for my blood type. So starting 11 July, I went cold turkey with diet sodas and chocolate from diet. I suffered caffeine and general food withdrawal, but everyday got better. Even though the food withdrawals were strong, I also had to admit that I was never hungry.

Friday, July 18, I was beginning to feel really good. I reached a stopping point on the project I have been working on for months a little after 3. Good thing, too, because mentally I was done. I was relaxing trying to figure out what I was going to do for the next 50 minutes. I was also thinking about how good I was feeling. I even said to myself, I haven’t felt this good in a long time. Just as I had spoken, I felt like I had been hit by a flash of lightning. It felt like a flash of fire went through my breast that had been affected by the cancer from my surgery scar to the other side of the breast; basically the entire area that had been radiated.

If that wasn’t scary enough, at the same time, I heard a male voice say powerfully, No You won’t feel good. As one side of my body tried to relax, the other side tightened up. That was so real, so unnerving. It made me feel very unsettled.

Immediately, after the flash of fire, I began to be chill. I suffered the worst chills I have had in a long time. I decided I had to do something and maybe I just needed to walk it off. I headed off to our store, which is on the other side of the building to get some power water. I could tell immediately that something was wrong, my gait was about a 1/3 of what it had been just 10 minutes. Several people stopped me on the way there and back to ask if I was alright, that I didn’t look well. At the time all I could do was chalk it up to the changes in my diet. When I got back to my office, I was so cold that I dug out a pair of socks. I called my brother to let him know that I was not feeling good. When it was finally time to go home, all I wanted to do was get there safely.

In a rare moment of reaching out, when I got home I called my parents and my Dad came and stayed until I had settled down a little, about 10 that night. Friday –Sunday I had chills, fever and my body ached all over. My breast that felt like it had been hit by lighting was still on fire and very sore to touch. I stayed wrapped up all weekend. All of the symptoms seemed like the flu, but it just didn’t feel like the flu.

Monday morning some of the pain, and chills had subsided, but I still felt bad. I was determined to find out what was wrong. That was before I changed out of my night gown. When I took of my gown, I almost passed out. My right breast and most of my right side down to my waist, was almost maroon. While I never had any pain or range of motion reduction from the removal of lymph nodes under my right arm, suddenly I couldn’t raise that arm and I had pain in that area. The entire surface area that was involved in the treatment of the cancer was on fire. I knew something was wrong.

I started with the Doctor that was monitoring my diet, since that was the newest thing I had added to my life. Her office said come on in and we will work you in.