Well, this week has been busy with doctor’s appointments.
As I mentioned previously, I spent Sunday evening in the emergency room, with no resolution. They did not test the rash or consider my other flu-like symptoms. There wasn’t even any blood work done. The previous Thursday, the doctor told me if i was still sick by Monday or Tuesday, I should come back in. So on Monday evening I called the doctor, and they squeezed me in for Tuesday. I explained to the doctor (not the same I saw Thursday) that I was still feeling sick, and then explained about the emergency room visit and my concerns about it being related to the cancer. The rash was examined by the student doctor, the resident, and then by two senior doctors in the practice. They ruled out just about everything they could (shingles, cellulitis, Lyme Disease, infection, etc.) Finally, the doctor told me that because the other flu symptoms were probably an indication my immune system was crashing, that the oncologist needs to see me. They sent me for a slew of blood work, and then pointed me to the gyn/onc. I did not need to come back for a follow-up.
The following morning I got in to see the gyn/onc. This, in and of itself, was surprising, because it usually takes a while to get an appointment. He checked me out and said that he did not think the rash itself was cancerous, but he needed to have it biopsied anyhow (referred to a dermatologist.) He then grilled me on the type and number of doses of chemo I had, as he was not the one to originally order it. (It was a hospital when I lived in NJ.) That point does not bode well, because it means that the fact that the cancer is returning is a real possibility, and a decision needs to be made if I need to be placed on a different type of chemo.
Just after my appointment that day, my PCP called me personally. He got my blood work back. My liver levels were elevated, and some marker that has to do with my auto-immune system was elevated, as well. Despite him telling me I did not need to come back in, I was scheduled to come back in a week from the last visit.
The following morning I had an appointment to see the dermatologist. After getting examined by multiple doctors, they biopsied the rash in a few places, including one of the blistered spots. The doctor’s opinion at this point was that it was an auto-immune reaction, and not the cause of anything like shingles or whatever.
So now it is a waiting game. Waiting to see the PCP on Tuesday, and waiting a few weeks for the biopsy results.