CT SCAN ETC...UPDATE (LONG)

My CT Scan on Tuesday had a few twists and turns. After I drank my wonderful two
containers of banana flavored barium I was taken down for my IV for the iodine contrast.
I immediately informed the nurse that I have very small hard to locate veins and she might
want to contact the special IV team to do this or I could go to the Cancer Center to have
them do it. I let her do it once and she said she had it OK.
While they were doing the CT scan, the person injecting the iodine realized that my arm
was swelling. They stopped everything and did another IV in the other arm. They finished
the scan and sent me to the special operations unit. Their protocol is to contact the Plastic
Surgery Department which they did, but it took quite a while for them to respond. In the
meantime they packed it in ice i5 minutes on 15 minutes off. Over two hours here.

The iodine had leaked under my skin and infiltrated underneath it because in fact the first IV
had not been inserted properly. I had a swollen spot the size of half a pear. The Plastic
Surgeons were called because this could develop a wound if not treated properly.

I finally got to go home (arrived at 12 noon and left at 4 PM). Instructions, elevate my
arm and put on warm compresses and do not rub or touch. If redness or increased swelling appears
go immediately to the ER. The swelling is going down slowly (they said it would take
at least a week to subside)

I see my Oncologist next week for my CT scan results and see the Plastic Surgeon on the 23rd.

My appointment with the Pulmonary Doc about my shortness of breath and breathing problems
resulted in no RA related lung problems, no COPD or other lung problems. Told to expect sporadic
asthma like symptoms. Got Singular a nasal spray to dry up my sinuses and Flonase. These are
working fairly well. Suggested I see an ENT Doc.

I posted earlier about my adverse reaction to the Fentanyl patch.

My oldest Daughter has Fibro, Osteoporosis and Spinal Stenosis, her pain levels are much
higher than mine. She has been on the Fentanyl patch for some time now and had the same
reaction I had when she first tried it. Her doctor had her cut the patch into quarters and
apply them in the same manner as the full patch. She advanced to half patches and then
the full patch. She is now on the maximum strength.

I told my RD about this and he has suggested I use the same approach. I will
wait till the arm situation is definitely under control.

This is the same Daughter I posted about earlier who gained 20 pounds and
had headaches and all over edema after three rounds of steroid epidural
injections for her stenosis. These were her first injections and they had been
spaced out in the usual manner.

Sorry, there was a lot of catching up to do.

Don W
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