forgotten the routine

If I had written this earlier tonight, it might have been quite a tale of misery but now - and it is already after midnight - feeling much better. Just more relaxed I guess. Going away for the weekend, to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, and finally packed. Gosh, cancelled my show tonight so I could have time to chill and pack and only finally packed a few moments ago. Love travelling but not the world's best packer.
And it's only a weekend. But have progressed from taking lots of shoes for a two day trip.

Anyway, the problem is that still have pain in my arm and shoulder area that was radiated. It burns a lot. Did exercises this morning but a once off is not enough.

And now cancelled biokinetics tomorrow cos need to see The Lymph Lady. As far as I know, have a five minute appointment but it's a bit of an emergency cos discovered on Tuesday at my appointment that I was massaging the affected arm incorrectly during the lymph drainage massage. She showed me the correct way but i have forgotten. Read the manual I have but cannot make sense of it. Spoke to her for ages on the phone but could not work it out. So off to Morningside Clinic tomorrow, instead of bio, for her to show me again. In the interim, that is, during tonight's massage session and again tomorrow morning, she said I must leave out all the arm massages and focus only on my body massages.

If my arm has increased in size, which it looked like to me when trying on a sleeveless dress today, might have to get a compression sleeve. Yuch yuch yuch. Hoping the swelling will go down by Monday, that it was just caused by the herceptin but with another 15 sessions to go.....

dizzy lizzy

Damn it. Felt a little dizzy today. First was after bio but then thought maybe I had sat up too quickly.
Then about four-five hours later, felt pretty bad, like I was going to keel over. Did nothing and let it pass but remembered I had felt a little nauseous at yoga for a while last night.
Is it the herceptin? Will wait and see if it returns.

swellling is up

Was chirping along today, feeling really good, happy that I am dealing with things and can cut down the visits to the therapist when ... wam! Went to see the Lymph Lady and my swelling was up. My arm was more swollen in three places I think it was, most of all in the upper arm (1/2cm). And my left bra strap is digging into me, which it usually doesn't, so I am guessing my shoulder is puffy too. Dunno.
Plus she said I was kinda pink where I am sore. So phoned the radiation oncologist today and left a message. In retrospect, don't think I left a very clear message. But my underarm is burny tonight, post yoga - which was fab!!
The Lymph Lady said the increased swelling is likely to be due to the herceptin I had yesterday. She keeps referring to it as chemo and when I say: "but it isn't!" she insists it is, a chemical therapy.
Well just praying the swelling goes down - and that the pain goes. Not ideal although luckily found in yoga tonight that my mobility of my left arm is far better than i anticipated. Only once I could not put my arms somewhere (now cannot remember which pose it was). Think it was straightening arms and putting them back.
Gosh but remember the daily radiation..... sjoe but it can lead to complications!!!