Turbo Cancer: Day 88 - September 7, 2022
Turbo Cancer: Day 88 - September 7, 2022
Congestive Heart Failure
On this day, last year, my mom wrote:
What a birthday! Anna - PT - came at 9.
Penny at 10,
then Linda with marinara and pasta and a beautiful gift - sisters.
Penny brought a candy board - so clever, and a sweet mug.
Eva brought a laser glass of Me, Penny and Eva.
Linda brought beautiful sister Willow Tree.
Then after a visit by Faye and Ginny R, a parade of cars drove around the court, giving cards and gifts.
Whew- how blessed am I!
My mom was still happy and excited when I arrived at her house on this morning. She talked about all her birthday surprises and how shocked and touched she was by the extravaganza.
However, she was not doing well. Her breathing had gotten worse. Before, her breath had been shallow. Now, she was wheezing. There was an audible whistle with each exhale. Deep breaths were painful.
My mom appeared to be in distress.
She refused to go to the hospital. I took her to Urgent Care at her oncology clinic in Tinley Park.
There was a clear correlation between my mom’s chemotherapy treatments and her breathing trouble. There was an established pattern. In the days following chemo, my mom experienced shortness of breath. The most logical conclusion was that this was a side effect.
Except that my mom had had a collapsed lung when her port was placed in, and she did have a compromised immune system. Maybe it was something else?
Plus, always, in the back of my mind, were thoughts of the vaccine. I imagined tiny spike proteins, escaping the lymphatic system and entering the respiratory system. In my mind, I saw tiny demons, laughing, while they tore at my mom’s organs with their sharp, spiky teeth.
The urgent care team took my mom into a room right away. They did an x-ray and a CAT scan on her chest. They hooked her up to a EKG machine.
They were very concerned about my mom’s swollen leg.
I told the doctor that her leg had been diagnosed as lymphedema, and that she had an appointment at the lymphedema clinic on September 20. He said: “That’s not lymphedema, that’s edema. See how it’s pitting?” He pushed his index finger into my mom’s leg, leaving behind a dent.
Lymphedema and edema are different conditions. Lymphedema is caused by blockage or deterioration of the lymphatic system. When lymph fluid meets an obstruction, it pools. This causes swelling throughout the affected area.
Edema is water retention. Edema is, usually, initially caused by an overly salty diet (like the American diet), combined with reduced system efficiency, impacting the body’s ability to filter sodium.
A breakdown of the cardiovascular system can cause edema. Congestive heart failure can cause edema.
Congestive heart failure is a reduction in the functionality of the heart. It means that the patient’s heart can no longer pump hard enough to provide blood to the entire body. To survive, the heart pumps blood to the vital organs. Our arms and legs are useful, but not vital.
The part of the body that gets the least amount of blood, in the case of heart failure, is the limbs. The arms and legs get less blood. Less blood means less oxygen. The absence of oxygen can trigger a systemic immune response, leading to swelling and then fluid retention in the arms and legs.
My mom’s EKG, on this day, showed that her heart was strong. Her heart was functioning at 100% capacity. There was nothing wrong with her heart.
Except:
When the x-ray and CAT scan results came back, we were told that my mom had fluid around her heart and lungs. Fluid around the heart means congestive heart failure. The shortness of breath was being caused by congestive heart failure.
However, congestive heart failure was not caused by the failure of my mom’s heart. Her heart was strong.
I was confused. My mom was struggling to breathe, due to heart failure? Not because of the cancer? Not because of the chemo? Why, then, did the shortness of breath always present itself after chemo?
My mom’s leg was swollen due to congestive heart failure? My mom’s leg swelling was edema? Not lymphedema? Why did all the other doctors say that she had lymphedema?
Was it even possible for her to have congestive heart failure if her heart was fine? They said that her heart was fine but that she had heart failure? That didn’t make sense. How did that make sense?
“Can you explain it, again, please?”
The Urgent Care doctor was unable to answer my questions. He did not understand what was causing her to have fluid around her strong and healthy heart. He did not know why every other doctor had called the leg swelling lymphedema. He wasn’t sure if there was a correlation between chemo and shortness of breath. He said he was sorry, but that she had to go to the hospital. She had to see a specialist.
My mom was taken by ambulance, from Urgent Care in Tinley Park to the cancer ward at Ingalls Hospital in Harvey, Illinois.
Editorial fairy:
>Except:
When the x-ray
(as per previous)
And yet many have had no or little effect from the shots. There’s a guy in the UK who’s had 247 or some such, just to get the little paper and he sells them. He’s having no issues. I don’t get it. Some folks get one and they die fast. Even very young. Then there are those who’ve had lots of effects but refuse to think the vex had anything to do with it. My best friend is going in for heart surgery in two weeks and told me today that she just topped off her fifth shot last week. 😔 I and her only daughter have begged her to stop getting them. Will. Not. Listen.