A post in which complications arise*

I was thrilled to be out of treatment and had a lovely weekend planned. I talked to a new guy on Bear411 this morning and he sounded nice. We ended up meeting. Rick was nice looking, seemed just as personable in person, and things went well. I am encouraged.

Unfortunately as the day went on my left arm began to *twinge*. "That's odd," I thought. "if I were having a heart attack I think it would hurt worse than this." I went on with my day and ate some lunch. I started to get clothes together for the Ballet Trockadero tonight. But my arm started hurting, and then I noticed it was swollen.

It just so happened that a co-worker whose husband had been through chemotherapy two years ago had the extact same problem - which she had just told me about on Friday. I suspected I had a blood clot in the arm from the port. I called the Cancer Center and they told me to to go to the emergency room for a sonogram. Oy. The emergency room on a Saturday afternoon. I knew it would be a zoo. Also, Gaslight had just come on TCM and I wanted to see it. Why is it that they never put good stuff on TCM on the weekend unless there is no way I can watch?

Anyway. I signed resignedly and packed a bag to take with me in case they admitted me. I know how dangerous a blood clot can be, and I knew this had to be seen to.

The emergency room was of course full. I was there for four and a half freakin hours. I was on a bed in the hall for a while, but fortunately a woman one of the ER cubbies stopped pooping in it and they were able to move me in. Yeah. It smelled worse than the elephant tent at the circus, but at that point I was two and a half hours in and encouraged with any sign of treatment or progress. I missed dinner out with Billy, Russ, Logan, and some friends from Atlanta whom I really wanted to see. I missed the ballet and had to call and cancel.

I finally called Rhonda to see if she was free for dinner. It was looking as if they weren't going to admit me and I was starving. She got there about the time they finished with me.

I was told that I do not have a blood clot (after getting the sonogram from a very nice woman). They did blood work and told me that I didn't have an infection. These are the two most common problems with a port. When I asked why my arm was swollen and purple I was told that the emergency room checked for 'emergent factors' and that I didn't have those. I was instructed to get with my doctor on Monday. If the pain became 'excruciating' I was to come back, but when I asked what they would do that they weren't doing now I really didn't get an answer. Grr.

I was pretty frustrated, but at that point I had been still long enough that my arm wasn't hurting much and I was hungry. It was obvious they weren't going to do anything more.

We left and headed downtown, where Rhonda made an illegal u-turn. Right in front of a cop. Yeah. He pulled us over and checked her license, but nicely let us go with a warning when he realized we weren't drunk or anything. We proceeded to dinner at the wonderful Liberty Taproom, where I had some deliciously spicy buffalo shrimp, a nice salad, and a side of their gorgeous blue cheese cole slaw, which is one of the many reasons I'm glad to still be alive.

After a nice meal we went back to my place to visit and talk for a while. I really love spending time with Rhonda. It was a nice end to a frustrating day. I hate that I had to miss out on all the fun stuff I had planned, but sometimes you just get thrown a monkey-wrench.