and right now I would say I'm happier than a camel on Hump Day.
Today was round 5 of clinical trial vaccine injections! Yes. And the day did not go so well, but still riding the NED (no evidence of disease) high from the clean CT.
I started off today's appointments with the longest blood draw ever. We are talking 15 minutes for the 4 tubes they wanted. And two sticks. First stick in the elbow was followed by a hold on I'm just going to fish around a little. Yup, nothing I love more than needles in my arm fishing around for veins. No luck in the elbow crease so then my least favorite vein of all time was selected. The big one on top of my hand that runs over the middle finger (did refrain from using the middle finger). In fairness to the tech, who was very nice, I ate my weight in pizza last night. Fried eggplant and cheese pizza. For a person who doesn't usually eat that much sodium my veins were not happy. The nice tech did get the hand vein to work and then my blood dripped/trickled out at what my have been a new slowest land speed record for blood filling tubes. She was amazed and asked me if this was the longest it had ever taken for my blood to be drawn. I told her it was. She apologized. I let her know it was my fault (maybe should have stopped at 3 slices of pizza).
Meeting with the oncologist, NP and research nurse was good. Only major side effect from tamoxifen is my face looks like it did when I was 14. Yup, acne. However, unlike when I was 14 it takes forever for a zit to leave my face. I'm talking weeks. I'm pretty sure that I will take acne over muscle pain and joint stiffness and definitely over hot flashes. You know as if I had a choice in the side affects...
I also mentioned to the Research RN that while here colleague was nice enough who filled in for her last time, the engineer in me was really bothered by the lack of symmetry in the 4 shots. She made certain this time to make sure they were symmetrical. It's a small gesture, but when it's your thigh getting intradermal shots I feel like I can let the engineer in me get what it wants. Plus, if I have to measure them with the tool this just makes it easier.
The shots themselves hurt more than they have before. And the last shot hurt the most. Both the RN and I thought maybe outside thigh would hurt less so she did the inner thigh before the outer. But wrong-o. Last one felt like being stabbed with a pencil in the thigh. Went away after 30 seconds, but that was a little new.
Right now it looks like I have 4 (but thank god symmetrical) mosquito bites on the thigh. I am going to blame my heavy legs that I had during my run and weight lifting on the shot (and maybe a lot on the pizza). Last time I had to take some benedryl because these suckers itched like mosquito bites, so we shall see what round 5 brings.
Next up, return visit to the dentist. One of my fillings still isn't right. Part of me wants to use a Ginger Chew just to rip it out, but I'm pretty sure that would be counter productive.
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