Still having issues…

 

I started a new medication on the 9th and by the 16th the speech difficulties came back. So, the oncologist told me to stop the new medication and see her next week. My appointment is on Wednesday.

I spoke with neurology today and the neurologist said if I get any new symptoms to head straight to the ER. She’s confident it’s medication related, not anything more. While talking with her, I had the same speech difficulties that I had on the video visit on Tuesday that prompted the call to the oncologist and neurology. The neurologist also said to have a low threshold for heading to the ER if I get any new symptoms.

I’ve noticed that the speech difficulties come back if I’m at all anxious about the conversation I’m having.

It’s all very weird but just another part of this cancer journey.

Time for an update

 

There seems to be less and less to update about these days. However, on June 28 I experienced an episode of severe speech difficulty. I was talking to our office manager at work and my tongue and lips just didn’t want to cooperate with my brain. I wrote it off as sleep deprivation because I had only gotten 4 hours sleep. It continued through the first half of Saturday then tapered off.

I sent a message to my oncologist’s office to see if it could be a side effect of the Anastrozole (hormone suppression medication). I heard back Monday and they got me in Tuesday afternoon. My oncologist directed me to stop taking it for a week and update her at that time.

So I stopped the medicine that Tuesday night and Wednesday experienced it again so I went to the ER as directed. They did a head CT, but we’re unable to do an MRI because my tissue expanders have metallic components. After talking to my oncologist and a neurologist the ER doctor agreed with stopping the Anastrozole for a week but also started my on low dose aspirin in case I had had a mini stroke, or TIA.

Yesterday I got a new hormone suppression pill, Exemestane. I’ll take it at night and am praying I don’t get any bad or weird side effects. This past week+ has been stressful for sure.

Another update I forgot to mention that my oncologist wrote me a prescription for Ativan for sleep. It’s only short term because it can be habit forming. I’ve been on it for a week now and I’m definitely getting more sleep. I still feel sleepy from time to time but not exhausted like I was.

My community care appointment for the insomnia is with a pulmonologist and they couldn’t get me in until July 31!! Not sure how much longer after that I’ll have to wait for a sleep study. We shall see…..

I forgot…need sleep

 

It seems I forgot to mention that my oncologist wrote me a prescription for Ativan for sleep. It’s only short term because it can be habit forming. I’ve been on it for a week now and I’m definitely getting more sleep. I still feel sleepy from time to time but not exhausted like I was.

My community care appointment for the insomnia is with a pulmonologist and they couldn’t get me in until July 31!! Not sure how much longer after that I’ll have to wait for a sleep study. We shall see…..

All punked up…