A little work never...

I went to work today, just in time for a 9:00 programming project meeting.  The Business Analyst, Systems Analyst, Tester and the Programmer (me) get together to see if they all have the same opinion about what the project is supposed to get done.

I was almost done with the coding, but it was good anyway, and we were all on the same page so the project went ahead as planned. 

It was fun to be at work and after being there for close to an hour I felt my endorphins kick in and I relaxed.  This is in contrast to the last time I was in and my adrenaline glands kicked in and I felt stressed.

So today was better.

I was busy throughout the two hours I was there; I entered at 9:00 and left shortly after 11:00. 

Bone tired.

One good thing I noticed is I didn't eat all that time so my stomach felt empty.  But then I got heartburn and I am reminded I need to bring some Tums next week.

So about two hours in the morning is about all I can last at work before I start to get  tired.

Better than the week before when I put in 3 hours.

I will try again next week, and we can see how that goes.


FYI got a new appointment for my Neurologist March 9th at 2:20.  

It's nice to know....

I went to UNC hospitals yesterday to visit the neurology clinic only to discover that I was a day late.  I had the appointment slip with the right date in my hand, I had simply deluded myself into thinking that the date on it was the 23rd not the 22nd.

My malfunctions multiply. 

Considering the amount of time it took me to recover today, it's nice to know I'm still recovering (not fast enough) from the anti-cancer drugs. 

It's been almost two years since the end of the R-CHOP and maybe a year and a half since the Revlimid. 

And I am still messed up.  I can't really go into work very often or exert myself much doing other things either.

At least I feel pretty good most of the time.  When I don't get tired from something.

Another day at the office...

Tuesday I went to the office.   I got there about 9:10 and left about 12:15 which is about three hours and that was too much.

By the time I left I felt like I was floating, which is not a good sign.

I was exhausted on the drive home and then I had to stop off and pick up some kitty food and treats; and while I was there decided to stop at a New York style Deli for a sandwich and burger for lunch for Mary and me.

By the time I got home I was really exhausted and took a nap after lunch.  I felt very tired this morning and signed onto work later because I wanted to nap.

So it doesn't just screw me up for one day.

It's been almost two years since the end of the R-CHOP and over a year and a half since the Revlimid and I still can't function normally.

They finally got to me....

It was another beautiful day in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, so I took a walk a couple of hours ago.   The usual four or five blocks.  The little temperature icon on my desktop now says 61 degrees and I just went out to bring in the mail. 

The air out in the open is cool and fresh, it's like the first day of Spring.  A couple of our windows are open, so the fresh air is flowing into the house.

It feels like the first day of summer vacation.

I don't know why I feel that good. 

Now that I've set the mood, I can admit that I wasn't able to stay off Skelaxin more than maybe a week and a half.   Sad but true.  Headaches and neck cramps finally got to me.

It's really not amazing how discomfort and pain wears on me after a while.

I started taking half pills, and eventually graduated to whole pills.  It was a real relief.

Sometimes, I don't feel great even if I do take the pills.

I should see my neurologist the afternoon of February 23rd, maybe I could see if there is a stronger muscle relaxant for the really bad times when even the Skelaxin does not stop the pain.   It's probably not appropriate to take the serious pain pills I have.


  

Well, sometimes it hurts a little

After coming off the Skelaxin (that muscle relaxant that I need for my neck)  several days ago, my mood is improving.

When I flossed my teeth yesterday, I could taste the mint. I've noticed my sense of taste and smell being more sensitive to other things as well.  

I do still feel the occasional twinge or twitch of the long muscle on the right side of the back of my neck, pain at the back of the skull where the big neck muscles are attached.

It is as though I were recovering from an injury to the back of my head and a soreness around the spine at the top of the neck where it abuts the skull.

The various pains and sensations come and go; and don't seem to last very long.

The tumor has been gone close to two years, you'd think the soreness would be gone by now. But then my healing abilities have been retarded most of that time recovering from the various anti-cancer drugs.

The tumor was in there and painful for a solid six months or more.

I am thinking the Skelaxin affected my mood, helped with the stiffness in my neck muscles and masked the pain in my neck tissues. 

I will see how well I can tolerate the pain; it may be worth the upswing in my mood.

I actually feel happy now which I haven't felt in a long time.  I feel like some binding has been taken off of my psyche and I'm a bit more emotionally sensitive.  

I look out the window and see the sunlight on the pine trees and the lawn and I feel wonderful.  Not really euphoric (like how the Revlimid made me feel) just enjoying a very nice spring day.

Of course it actually is a nice day. 

I should savor this, I haven't felt this good in a while. 

Surprises of Abstinence

I've been off Skelaxin for a several days now.  At first I had odd muscular sensations around my face and neck and intermittent pain but after a while these faded and I feel pretty good.

I am taking a couple of Aleve twice a day to mask pain that has appeared in various places. 

I think I experienced withdrawal symptoms. And taste things better.

Wonders of the Drug

As you may know I have been on Skelaxin off and on since the fall of 2009.  And an interesting drug it is.  I never really bothered to check it's side effects until today, because the problem that the Skelaxin resolved of neck tension headaches seemed like such a problem that I didn't want to look.

But my prescription has run out, and it has been over a year since I saw the neurologist who prescribed the drug to me.  So I thought that I would try a little experiment and try to get by without.

But let me list the side effects that I found on a very helpful website: drugs.com.  First the light side effects:  Dizziness; drowsiness; headache; irritability; nausea; nervousness; upset stomach; vomiting.

I've actually had some of these: Headache, nausea and vomiting.

The more serious side effects are:  Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); fever, chills, or sore throat; unusual or severe tiredness or weakness; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

I don't think I've had any of the severe problems; but it's not like I really keep track of these.   I wonder if my heart thumping problem is related.

All things considered I feel motivated at this point to continue to not use Skelaxin, just to see what the symptoms of that are like.

I've noticed the occasional headache from the bad part of my neck and I might take an aspirin for that.  Or maybe an Aleve.  But I won't take a Skelaxin.