Blood test results

I got the results of the blood tests my internist ran last Thursday (on Memorial Day, I think my dr. works too hard). Mostly good. The best part is my A1c (the test that tells you what your blood sugars have been over the past three months) was NORMAL! This means all the changes (which have not always been easy) I have made in my diet have been worth it.

My glom filt rate (something to do with my kidneys) was still a bit below normal but all my other kidney function tests were fine. So no one seems to be worried about it right now. I figure between all the ibuprofen I take, the chemo I have had, etc. my kidneys are working a bit hard. I suspect that it might become an issue whenever I have to do chemo, particularly if I do any of the chemo drugs that stress the kidneys (I'm pretty sure one or two of the ones they are considering if I have to go back on chemo does). Right now I am not going to worry about it.

I had my cholesterol checked also, which has not been done in many years. My HDL's were a bit low (they always are no matter what I do, same as my father so it's probably genetic), my LDL's a bit high (but not horribly so) and my total cholesterol and triglycerides were normal. My internist said that using some complicated set of calculations which takes into consideration my whole health profile that my risk of heart attack in the next 10 years was 2% (and when I've used the calculators they have on the internet, likely not as accurate as his, I get even less). In other words, another thing not to worry about.

I also had a Pneumovax shot (for particular strains of pneumonia), one of those things we always think of when I'm doing chemo but never before, so now that I am not in treatment but could possibly be in the near future it seemed a good time. Well, sheesh, did I have a reaction to that shot or what? I was fine on Thursday and on Friday my arm started to hurt and a small red spot below the injection formed on my arm. By Saturday the spot was about 2 inches around, hard, red and hot, and I could barely lift my arm it was so sore. I took an antihistamine and extra ibuprofen and got through that day. Sunday the red spot was bigger but the pain was a bit less. Today is a full week from the shot and while it doesn't hurt anymore, there is still a large mark on my skin. Not red, but a definite discoloration. Crazy!

My anxiety is starting to ramp up for the upcoming ct-scan in a couple of weeks. I am desperate for it to continue to be stable, I so don't want to spend my summer (and beyond) doing chemo. My back has already started kicking into a higher gear of pain, and I'm definitely getting tense. I have a lot of things going on the next few weeks to help distract me, but it doesn't really change the underlying anxiety.

I have one more week of my painting class. I have come a long way on this painting but I still don't think I will be finished with it by the end of my class next week. I wonder if I'll work on it on my own this summer, somehow I think not, but maybe I'll surprise myself.