Tag Archives: Cancer

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Aging health is like a home improvement project.

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My stress test over a week ago was normal. I passed that with flying colors. My resting heart rate had been up 10-15 beats for the past two weeks. Once it returned to normal I’ve had no issues with chest pain. Perhaps it was a weird virus or the fact I did three camps in four weeks like I’m twenty-five instead of over double that.

The same day as my stress test, I had a skin check and wanted this thing taken off my face. The thing was a cyst which could be removed at another time. However, they found something else on my face and biopsied it and sure enough basal skin cancer. I avoided the sun until I started running in my forties and didn’t really use sunblock. So in a couple weeks I get to experience a Mohs surgery. If I’m lucky they will get it all on the first scrape, if not I could be there all day with repeated scrapes till it’s no more. They told me I could bring a book and in my head I said nope friendship bracelets for camp next year. My neighbor across the street bought me 100 SPF sunblock for my face. I have applied every day. This all leads to every six month skin checks.

Because I had a CT of chest to rule out blood clot in the lung that showed some weird thing that is most likely benign but needs further imaging. My primary wants an MRI and when I scheduled that they said it was an eighty minute procedure. I am hoping that includes time for the IV because the only time I sit still for that length of time is when I’m sleeping.

Somehow wanting a cyst removed off of my face and chest pain has turned into three more things. Just like when you decide to change something in your house and one project leads to six. We redid the hall bathroom which kept Brian busy for months. Just taking out the old shower/tub combo required taking a saw and chopping it up in pieces to get the tub out the narrow doorway. He then had to install drywall before the shower walls. I lost count of how many coats of mud he put on the seam between new and old since it would now be showing. However the wall is perfect now. The bathroom turned out really nice. I really want to redo the kitchen but I can only imagine how many side projects that will turn into.

Mole Moral ~ My dad was right, getting older is a medical nightmare.

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Nurse Red takes her first ambulance ride

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The summer of camps has come to an end. My first camp was JMU and would have been much better for me if I wasn’t on topamax for migraine prevention. It made me feel awful but I powered through with the other nurse.
By the time Wash U came around, I was weaning off the medicine. I’d rather have a headache every day of my life. It completely changed my personality and I had zero energy. It was so hot at camp, I spent a lot of time indoors.
My favorite camp was last. Every time I land in Maine and walk into the airport I feel like I’m back home. One of the best things I did in 2019 was throw caution to the wind, jump way out of my comfort zone and fly to Maine not knowing a single person.
Camp was small this year. After last minute cancellations we had sixteen campers. I enjoy small camps so I actually had almost everyone’s name down. The other nurse was from Canada but also works in Maine. She was super nice. It was a great week until the last night. I woke up at two in the morning and did not feel right. I puked, took zofran and thought I don’t have time for this and went back to sleep. I did not feel any better when I woke up but in true nurse form I pushed through and ignored it. After the last camper left I sat down and my chest pain was out of control. A counselor had me attempt box breathing but that made me super dizzy. After some discussion and involving the camp site director we called 911. Tink the MHP (mental health professional) had low dose aspirin on her so 911 had her give me 4 to chew. Ok gross but it did cause a flashback to when I was a kid and I chewed regular aspirin for headaches. Although tylenol was around we didn’t have any in our house. It seems like aspirin plus chicken pox causing rye syndrome in children under 18 started when I was in nursing school. Or perhaps first time I heard about it. Anyway, shortly after I sat straight up and said I’m going to puke. I then proceeded to puke on the ground right in front of three counselors from another Kesem chapter, Melody and the camp advisor twirl. They all were awesome. Bubby was pre med and did an excellent primary survey on me. The fire department showed up first. In true firefighter fashion they were cute. When they went to do the 12 lead EKG I said make sure you put the sticker in the right place and don’t miss a STEMI (a type of heart attack and the most serious). The look on their faces cracked me up. Shortly after the ambulance arrived. My heart rate was 120 but no arrhythmias and my blood pressure was elevated so they loaded me up in the ambulance. Melody planned to drop some of the counselors off at the airport and then come hang with me in the ER.

There was an EMT in training who asked me how long I have been a nurse. I immediately answered since Jesus was a small boy. This is how Theresa Sextro use to introduce me to patients. He and the paramedic cracked up. They ended up giving me zofran IV to which I said “I may never poop again.” After I arrived I was in the waiting room. They did an EKG and drew labs while I was waiting for a room.

The doc came in to tell me my troponin level was normal but I was still having chest pain. When he realized I had flown recently he ordered a d-dimer. Of course that came back elevated so I bought myself a CT scan with contrast. The results took like an hour and a half so I missed my flight home. The results were negative for a PE (blood clot in the lung) but showed something near my mediastinum in my lung that needs follow up. It was recommended a repeat CT or MRI of the chest.

I was discharged and told to follow up with primary. So I booked a hotel room and bought a flight out the next day. About half the counselors flights were cancelled and they couldn’t leave until Friday. Of course I was not one of them. Melody had the day off so she picked me, tomato, and firefly up and gave us a tour of Maine. Of course we drove by Steven Kings house and went to the same lobster place we’ve went every year. I always get the lobster grilled cheese which is so good.

The flight home was uneventful. I saw my primary and have a stress test tomorrow. Of course they chose MRI which I was told will take eighty minutes. As if I can sit still. Ha

Mole moral ~ It is way less stressful to send campers or counselors out for treatment than myself!

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What’s in a name?

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As I finish up the week with Camp Kesem at Notre Dame, I feel compelled to share Peter Pants story. Peter Pants is on the admin team. The admin team consists of anywhere from 5-10 college students who are in charge of running camp. They do things like set up for activities, actually make the camp schedule, round everyone up when it’s time to change activities and so on.

The first day someone asked Peter Pants what her name meant. Apparently when she was in grade school she had an accident and was called this. I didn’t ask how long because it broke my heart. Why are human beings so mean to each other?

I’ve thought about this a lot this summer. If everyone would treat each other the way they do at camp, the world would be a much better place. No one here cares what your sexual orientation is, what gender you identify as, if you are a male and let the girls French braid your hair, if you let the little kids put make up on and paint your nails. The outside world is so judgmental and ridiculous.

I’ve written about empowerment in the past. One of my favorite activities is the step in, step out. Step in if you have ever been bullied was so powerful. Every single person including yours truly stepped in. When they said step in if you ever lost a parent, it hit me really hard. I had fifty-four years with my dad, some of the kids that stepped in were under ten. It was even mentioned how hard it is to go to school activities where everyone’s dad is there except for yours because he’s dead. Empowerment is hard when you realize how much these kids are dealing with. Kudos to Camp Kesem for giving kids a week with each other!

Mole Moral ~ One should think long and hard before they say mean things. Words do indeed hurt people and can last a lifetime.

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Empowerment

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I’m not sure if I have ever written about this part of camp Kesem but it’s the most important and emotional part of camp. It usually occurs on the second to last day of camp.

It starts with all of camp designing a paper bag with why they Kesem. Kesem is for kids whose parents have or have had cancer or are no longer on earth. This year Wildflower (who is the camp director, I worked with two years ago when I did a different Arizona camp and then ran into last year at Arkansas camp) handed me one so here is what I came up with.

Yes I still draw like I’m five years old!

After this activity everyone gets in a circle and we do step in and step out. The leader reads a statement such as step in if you’ve ever worried about your parent. Step out. After just a few of these it’s obvious that everyone has felt every one of these things and it screams you are not alone and you are not weird.

Then two circles are formed and inner circle closes their eyes. The narrator then reads statements tap someone who made you laugh, tap someone you made as a new friend etc. The circle reverse so everyone gets tapped many times. After this the sharing circle begins. The kids have a choice if they want to share their story. I would guess it’s usually about fifty percent that will talk.

After sharing is finished a skein of yarn is passed around and each person wraps it around their wrist and passes to the next thereby connecting everyone. Then the string is cut and you are left with a bracelet to remind you that you are not alone.

This is the magic of Kesem. The college kids pour so much time and energy into this camp that it is mind blowing. They are all trained to assist with the big feelings this brings up and do a really good job.

After this hard emotional feelings a fun activity is planned for the evening. Every camp has done a dance party except WI is planning a happy hour. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited and can’t wait to see what it’s all about.

Mole Moral~ If you know any parents with cancer or who have passed and they have children 5-18 set them up with this camp. It’s amazing and the kids love it.

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A Christmas Miracle (sort of)

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My brother-in-law Chris was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma almost two years ago. It was bad enough that conventional chemo wouldn’t do any good (or they may have tried it, I can’t remember) so they offered him experimental chemo without much hope. He was in the Army stationed in WA at the time. He was home last Thanksgiving and in my usual CR self I told him not to die until after he retired from the army (which was a year later) so Brian’s sister and my nephew would have military benefits for life.

He came home to Missouri last week for good. I think he is officially retired at the beginning of January but is using vacation time until then. He went out to Siteman for a treatment and they told him he is in remission. Yes, remission from stage four lymphoma. I am not going to lie, if someone told me this would be the result I would have told them to go take a toke off of their crack pipe! I was so shocked when I heard the news today that I had to share on my blog. God certainly works in crazy ways!

 

Mole moral ~ It’s so nice when negative Nelly (me with medical stuff) is wrong and God surprises me. I am praying for remission to last a long time! Continue reading →