Saturday, December 13, 2003
Google Search: chemotherapy and burping
It occurs to me that Google doesn't require boolean operators. Oh well. Old habits die hard.
Thursday I suffered uncontrollable burping all day. I still had some general abdominal aches, but it wasn't quite as bad as Wednesday. I was able to go to work, and so far it's been great: everyone is super nice to me. First I went to an administrative meeting ("A-Team"), at which I reported that I had nothing to report. Then I went to lunch. Then I went through some email, took care of some business, chatted with some people, and went to the Chancellor's holiday party. I find that the action of eating actually helps ease my abdominal discomfort. (I had the best relief, in fact, from a ripe pear I ate during lunch...it was magnificent.) The holiday party had the best food; I do so love baked brie en croute.
I had a conversation with somebody at the party who has been having difficulty getting her doctor to perform a biopsy on a lump she has under her arm. It's among her lymph nodes, she has a family history of breast cancer, and they're telling her she should wait six months to see if it will "do" anything, despite the fact that she's actually had this lump for some time.
I'm appalled. I tried to tell her that her doctor is a crack-head and that she is entitled to a second opinion. It doesn't matter if she's in an HMO, she still has the right to talk to a different doctor. She needs to continue seeking opinions until she finds somebody who WILL do the biopsy, since the only way to really tell if it's benign is by examining it under a microscope. I just simply cannot believe they wouldn't do that. Do they just think she's being a "hysterical female"? What possible medical reason would there be to wait on something like that? I am more relieved than ever that my doctors saw no reason to wait. I was upset with the delays I experienced, but it's not like anybody intentionally stymied me.
I'm very glad to be back at work. The point at which I found myself becoming addicted to Dr. Phil and had learned from Martha Stewart how to make homemade suet treats for birds, I knew it was time. The person I "supervise" told me he was so relieved to see my car in the parking lot. When I asked why, he said that it meant he wouldn't have to go to the A-team meeting. I guess his patience has worn a bit thin.
Friday I also suffered from prodigious burping. I resorted to searching Google. It's not conclusive, but there are people who report having burping as an effect of chemotherapy. Most of the sites I found had both words on it just by coincidence. The advice was to simply not swallow air when eating. Yeah, thanks. I probably have been chowing down faster than I should be. After basically not eating for several days and just nibbling on Thursday, I was ravenous by Friday. I had pancakes for breakfast. I talked coworkers into going for Italian for lunch.
I did not have any leftovers.
Friday afternoon I bought candy from the coffee bar. That evening I went to my mom's Christmas concert, and afterwards we went with a friend of hers for Mexican. I had a shredded beef chimichanga with sour cream and guacamole, a chicken enchilada with more sour cream and salsa, and a jumbo strawberry margarita. I inhaled it. After the meal, Bob started talking about some show on PBS that has some guy trying to talk to people about healthy eating, and he and my mom started joking about what would make you gain more weight, a pound of chocolate, or a pound of saurkraut? The juxtaposition of chocolate and saurkraut, and the horrible pressure of my full stomach required me to haul ass to the ladies' room.
I did not hurl, but I had to sit quietly for five minutes on the toilet, eyes closed, head resting on the toilet paper dispenser.
My mom came in to check on me. I felt like I could walk by then, so I got my coat on and we left. I decided I couldn't face driving home, so I went to my mom's for the night. I actually started feeling better (after no small amount of burping) and by the time I went to sleep felt fine.
Today I'm doing well, but I have taken it slightly more easy with the food. I must try to pace myself and not chow quite to that extent the next time my chemo symptoms begin to ease. I wonder if the burping will go on. I should enter a contest.
Thursday I suffered uncontrollable burping all day. I still had some general abdominal aches, but it wasn't quite as bad as Wednesday. I was able to go to work, and so far it's been great: everyone is super nice to me. First I went to an administrative meeting ("A-Team"), at which I reported that I had nothing to report. Then I went to lunch. Then I went through some email, took care of some business, chatted with some people, and went to the Chancellor's holiday party. I find that the action of eating actually helps ease my abdominal discomfort. (I had the best relief, in fact, from a ripe pear I ate during lunch...it was magnificent.) The holiday party had the best food; I do so love baked brie en croute.
I had a conversation with somebody at the party who has been having difficulty getting her doctor to perform a biopsy on a lump she has under her arm. It's among her lymph nodes, she has a family history of breast cancer, and they're telling her she should wait six months to see if it will "do" anything, despite the fact that she's actually had this lump for some time.
I'm appalled. I tried to tell her that her doctor is a crack-head and that she is entitled to a second opinion. It doesn't matter if she's in an HMO, she still has the right to talk to a different doctor. She needs to continue seeking opinions until she finds somebody who WILL do the biopsy, since the only way to really tell if it's benign is by examining it under a microscope. I just simply cannot believe they wouldn't do that. Do they just think she's being a "hysterical female"? What possible medical reason would there be to wait on something like that? I am more relieved than ever that my doctors saw no reason to wait. I was upset with the delays I experienced, but it's not like anybody intentionally stymied me.
I'm very glad to be back at work. The point at which I found myself becoming addicted to Dr. Phil and had learned from Martha Stewart how to make homemade suet treats for birds, I knew it was time. The person I "supervise" told me he was so relieved to see my car in the parking lot. When I asked why, he said that it meant he wouldn't have to go to the A-team meeting. I guess his patience has worn a bit thin.
Friday I also suffered from prodigious burping. I resorted to searching Google. It's not conclusive, but there are people who report having burping as an effect of chemotherapy. Most of the sites I found had both words on it just by coincidence. The advice was to simply not swallow air when eating. Yeah, thanks. I probably have been chowing down faster than I should be. After basically not eating for several days and just nibbling on Thursday, I was ravenous by Friday. I had pancakes for breakfast. I talked coworkers into going for Italian for lunch.
I did not have any leftovers.
Friday afternoon I bought candy from the coffee bar. That evening I went to my mom's Christmas concert, and afterwards we went with a friend of hers for Mexican. I had a shredded beef chimichanga with sour cream and guacamole, a chicken enchilada with more sour cream and salsa, and a jumbo strawberry margarita. I inhaled it. After the meal, Bob started talking about some show on PBS that has some guy trying to talk to people about healthy eating, and he and my mom started joking about what would make you gain more weight, a pound of chocolate, or a pound of saurkraut? The juxtaposition of chocolate and saurkraut, and the horrible pressure of my full stomach required me to haul ass to the ladies' room.
I did not hurl, but I had to sit quietly for five minutes on the toilet, eyes closed, head resting on the toilet paper dispenser.
My mom came in to check on me. I felt like I could walk by then, so I got my coat on and we left. I decided I couldn't face driving home, so I went to my mom's for the night. I actually started feeling better (after no small amount of burping) and by the time I went to sleep felt fine.
Today I'm doing well, but I have taken it slightly more easy with the food. I must try to pace myself and not chow quite to that extent the next time my chemo symptoms begin to ease. I wonder if the burping will go on. I should enter a contest.
