The good news is that the breathing difficulty doesn’t seem to have been either a drug side-effect or a radiation side-effect. That bad news is that it seems to have been heart disease.
Finally started on isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine yesterday; no noticeable problem since, though my exercise tolerance is way, way down; even quarter-mile walk is now an effort. That may improve with time.
In the meantime, my sleep has been badly disturbed, to the point that I dozed off twice during the two minutes or so I lay flat today for the radiation treatment. Last night, despite being very tired, the sore throat woke me up even after a Tramadol; I added 0.5 mg. of lorazepamand that did the job, but I woke up slightly woozy and stayed that way most of the morning.
Turns out the insurance company was dead serious but not paying for the lidocaine solution; the recommended kludge was that I get the lidocaine as a prescription drug, purchase the other two components (Benadryl and Maalox) over the counter, and mix them up myself. Just did so –discovering in the process that I’d bought the wrong strength Benadryl solution –and on a first application it seems to be successful.
As of yesterday, I have no voice left but a whisper. Possible but not assured that the lidocaine mixture will help with that.
Second post-angiogram labs came back, with creatinine back up to 5.5 from the previous 5.0. That’s still lower than the 5.9 a month ago, but Dr. Bomback is still saying that I’ll need a new kidney in 6 months to a year.
Started the evaluation process at Langone yesterday; turns out that the team –which moved to Langone from Hopkins –regards Sally Satel as a Famous Graduate; dropping her name turned out to earn me instant goodwill. There seems to be little doubt that I can be cleared for the procedure. One of my candidate donors was turned down, but it seems at least possible that decision can be reversed on reconsideration.
Still functioning at work –during the few hours when I’m not playing patient –and work is still going well. But I’m definitely not looking forward to the next month. More when I know more.
