Road Trip

I had to appointments today:  My first physical therapy evaluation / session, and my six-month follow up with my radiologist.

I did physical therapy over lunch and that went really well.  What I learned is that I have some tendonitis in the biceps tendon that was likely caused by the mis-use of the arm/shoulder due to the lymphedema.  The second thing is that my should blade doesn’t move very much.  The levator scapula (?), which runs from the neck to the shoulder blade, and some muscle that goes from the neck to the shoulder, are both super tight.  So there was some massage, some stretching of my neck/spine, and some stretches.  It was a little painful, but I do feel about 1/2 inch taller.  🙂

*****

After work, it was on to the radiologist.  I confessed to him about my decision to stop taking the Femara and we had a great conversation about it.  (The conversation that I have liked to have with my oncologist.)  At any rate, he gave the “standard of care” speech but, in the end, he supported my decision.  He likened the Femara to a seat belt.  You wear it as a safety precaution, but sometimes you don’t need it.  I’m not driving to California, but just to the grocery store.  So while there’s risk, it’s not high risk — no metaphorical road trips to CA here — and I have done the more critical pieces (chemo and radiation) to protect myself.  He did use that “adjuvant” word again (from an earlier blog).

I explained the research I did, the information from Best Doctors, the severity of the side effects, and my desire for a quality of life.  He understood my perspective and said that the supported my decision.  It felt really good to have that conversation and to gain his support.  He said that he would never let me make a “fatal decision” and if he truly believed it was the wrong decision, he would say so.

*****

Road Trip (2000) – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215129/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1