Driving to and from today's appointment, I was discouraged to see the low rate of mask wearing in front of stores, on the sidewalks, and in the parks. (My state has an order to wear masks in indoor and outdoor public spaces where social distancing is not possible.) Compared to a couple months ago, there were more people out and about, and fewer people wearing masks. Everyone thinks we're okay because our numbers are flat, but with people not taking precautions, I'm nervous about a resurgence.
For some reason, the Cancer Center was extra busy today. The parking lot was unusually full, and there was a line to check in.
My nurse today was one I've had before, but not often. She called me in from the waiting area, instead of the medical assistant, and took my vitals. Maybe having me see only one person was an effort to minimize patient interactions among the staff.
I was pleasantly surprised that even though she's not my usual infusion nurse, she seemed up-to-date on my hand symptoms. She knew about my physical therapist appointment yesterday, and confirmed that I should expect an MRI to be sheduled soon.
She also mentioned that she is a breast cancer survivor, too, and that she has the exact same symptoms - numbness and tingling in the tips of her thumb, pointer, and middle fingers!! She attributed her symptoms to Taxol, which she finished about 2 years ago. She said her symptoms have gotten better over time, but they're still there. I asked her if she ever had Herceptin (she didn't), but I didn't ask if she had surgery or hormone therapy. She didn't at all imply that my problem might be the same, but it's always reassuring to hear that I'm not alone with these symptoms.
The whole visit was a very efficient 15 minutes.
Hope the MRI helps figure out what's going on.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Prem!
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