6/23/22

It’s Thursday. If we can, let’s all try and hit the rewind button and start this day over. I started out at 8:20 AM at the podiatrist. The first thing he did, was take about 3/4 of my big toenail off of my left foot. Then he kind of sanded it down with a little drill so it wouldn’t catch on stuff. I thought it was ugly before. I was wrong. It’s ugly now. It still kind of caught on my sock, so he put a Band-Aid on it and I was good to go. Got to be the weirdest thing that happened to me all day.  Next, he took a look at my right foot. I have three stressed metatarsals that are trying to regenerate their own bone. Apparently, those three think they’re already broken, and they are not. He said they could break at any moment tho, so if I’m going to be standing or walking for any length of time, I have to wear my boot. The rest of the time, I have to wear my good tennis shoes with the new orthopedic inserts he gave me today. They’re very comfortable…… I’m supposed to wear them one to two hours a day for the next couple of days and gradually increase the time in my shoe. After a week or two, my foot should be used to them.  They are supposed to relieve the stress on my feet, to help the pain and keep my bones from breaking. David has always wished I were taller anyway. So, summer is here and it’s flip-flop season, and I’m going to be wearing these huge, tie up, hot, tennis shoes. I usually go barefoot all day. This sucks. He took x-rays of my foot and it looks rather ugly, if you ask me. I have osteopenia, which is what I have in my back, also. He wants an MRI of my foot, so he’s going to order that ASAP. Now, here’s the good part: I got a Cortizone shot in my foot. He told me it was going to hurt like hell and asked me if I still wanted to do it. I asked him if I would be able to walk, and he said yes. So, I said go for it. He handed me an imaginary stick to put between my teeth. At that point, I was beginning to rethink this whole thing. He injected me sort of at the inside of my foot near the instep. he was correct. It hurt like hell. I made a mistake at the beginning of the procedure and happened to glance at the needle. That’s all she wrote. I closed my eyes then the rest of the time.  After that injection, they used ultrasound at the injection site for the next two minutes. I’ve never had that done before, either. So, all in all, it was a delightful day at the podiatrist office. I see him again on July 7, so I hope I can get an MRI done before then, so he can see the results.

Geez, that was a long paragraph and I still have a lot more to go.

I went to physical therapy again this afternoon, and I was there for an hour for their own version of torture. He said I would hate him tomorrow. Actually, I hated him today.  

They reprogrammed my spinal stimulator entirely today. They also programmed it differently for when I sit, or stand, or lay down. That should help a lot. He said I should notice something within four days. If it’s working, he’s going to be the hero. If it doesn’t help, well, let’s just hope it helps. 

I got a call from the oncologist today. She is concerned about my antigen levels, after all. They tripled in two months, and if they triple again, I’m going to be in big trouble. She ordered a bunch more tests. It may pinpoint where my cancer is popping its ugly head up next. On July 11, at 8 AM, I’m having a bone scan at the hospital. Prep is 1/2 hour, then the scan begins. I have to have some kind of injection, and the scan will take an hour.  At 9:30 AM at the same hospital, just down the hall, I’m assuming, I’m having a CAT scan with contrast of my chest and pelvis. That means another IV, so I hope they only have to stick me once. Then, at 11 AM, I go back in the nuclear medicine room, to finish the second half of my bone scan. So, it’s a Toofer. I will be there for four hours that day, and then two days later, I will see the oncologist. I am sure she will explain everything at that time. So, I won’t have any answers until July 13.

So, now you know why I wanted to hit the rewind button today. I met a good friend for lunch today, though. That was the highlight of my day and it made it all better. When I got home, I have to admit, I got out my dammit doll again and beat her to a pulp.