hi all,

i thought my next post would be celebrating the fact that i had finished my treatments last tuesday, but unfortunately i got hit with some side effects.

first of all, the radiation caused 2 fistulas to form. i had been dealing with one of them since the beginning of my treatments, but the second one decided to show up a few days ago. they are both draining now, and i have so much gauze wrapped around my neck i look like a mummy. did anyone else have this problem? how long did it last? mine seem to be going away...but not fast enough for me.

the other wonderful thing that happened is last saturday i was rushed to the emergency room because my left leg decided to swell to 3 times it's normal size. i had developed 2 huge blood clots in my leg and now get to look forward to 2 shots in my belly per day to treat it. i find out tomorrow if the shots can stop and i can just take pills. i get to wear a very fashionable suppport stocking on that leg for the next 2 years and will be on blood thinners for the next 6 months. i also will have to have weekly blood draws. for someone who despises needles, this has been a great experience {not!!!}. i didn't know that blood clots were a common problem in cancer patients. anyone else go through this wonderful experience?

i now have to sit around and wait for the extreme pain in my leg to fade. i can hobble around for short distances, but then the pain gets horrible.

sorry to be venting, but i'm sick of all of these side effects cropping up. i was all set to get back to part time work, and now i can't do anything. this is so frustrating for me. i'm beginning to lose any hope i had for getting better. :rolleyes:

thanks for listening. :p