Cancer Blog #89
By Brian Zimmerman
Begun on July 31, 2021
Email: dyingman1@yahoo.com
My Dying Words
Entry #89– Medical Update
July 15-16, 2023
Medical Update: I received my chemo treatments this past Wednesday (July 12). I haven’t had nearly as much fun on this one as I did on the last several. Ha! I’m very spacey today (Saturday), weak, with my neuropathy significantly worse (especially in my fingers which hurt today to twist anything with them).
Which brings me to the Ritalin question. After a number of experiments I have finally decided to take it only PRN (medical speak for “as needed”). It seems that if I take 5-10 mg when I have an attack that it helps to mitigate the effects somewhat. Plus, practically the minute I stopped taking Ritalin on a schedule (rather than just as needed) that most of my tardive dyskinesia symptoms disappeared. Bruxism, chewing, grimacing, etc., were mostly gone. That was certainly a relief, and I praise God for that relief.
The other update is on my vitamin B12 adventure. It’s almost funny. My B12 level was 149 pg/ml (with normal being 180-914 pg/ml). So, it was significantly low. I was getting B12 belly shots once a week for a month to try to correct that low value. After the fourth shot, they checked my B12 level again. This time it was >1500 pg/ml! (>1500 pg/ml means the value was greater than what the test could read). That value meant that in four weeks it had jumped 10x the level it was before. I wasn’t overly concerned as it is a water soluble vitamin, meaning it is probably easily lost through my kidneys. Plus, even the side effects are pretty mild. But, I contacted the oncologist’s office and the oncology nurse practitioner said they regularly see values that high, so it isn’t a big concern. No more B12 shots for a month at which point they will check it again. No emergency, just a wish that many of my symptoms, which match a low B12, would have been fixed by the increasing B12 level. C’est la vie.
Oh, and we’re doing a modest remodel of our kitchen, and oh yeah our AC has been out for a week and a half (scheduled to be fixed tomorrow, Monday, July 17). Sheesh, what a week…
Even writing this blog post has been a challenge with all these symptoms. In fact, I even missed worship this morning which I sorely regretted. I took Ritalin several times yesterday and it helped a little with the various symptoms (weakness, SOB (shortness of breath), increased neuropathy, skin breakdown on my bottom with some bleeding and soreness, and brain fog.
But, God is good even in these trials, and never gives us more than we can bear. This discipline is unpleasant for me but He means it for good, to humble me and I hope so that I might see an increase in the fruit of the Spirit. Karen and I pray for that increase daily. May we always, in all circumstances, show grace to those around us, that we might strengthen and encourage one another in this age of trials and sorrows. Then we can give thanks to God for His patience and mercy, displaying that fruit of joy, which we have only because the Spirit of Jesus is always there with us.