Making a Way in the Wilderness

My health developments have been discouraging and confusing. Yesterday morning they thought I had a chest infection (maybe pneumonia?) because I had a high white blood cell count, low-grade fever, high heartrate, and a phlegmy cough. So they put me on antibiotics. This was really crushing: something else on TOP of cancer and a pulmonary embolism. Then they tested me again for COVID with a PCR test (they tested me upon admission with a rapid test that was negative). The PCR test was positive! Some hours later they did a deeper nasal swab antigen test that was negative. After consulting with infectious disease experts, they think it may be a COVID reinfection, even though I just had COVID July 2-6. But it could be the vestiges of COVID earlier in July. They're not sure. Either way, the treatment is the same. This news really knocked the wind out of my sails. I told the doctor I had no idea reinfection with another variant was possible in such a short amount of time. He said researche...

I'm in the ICU at the hospital in Reston, VA, where paramedics took me last night as soon as our plane landed in Dulles. I started feeling short of breath as we were taking a walk on Wednesday evening, our last night in Hamburg. I had to take it slow in the Hamburg airport, but by the time we got to Dublin (layover) my shortness of breath was worse. I emailed my German oncologist and he urged me to go immediately to the ER in Dublin in case it was a blood clot (lung cancer patients are especially susceptible to pulmonary embolism). I felt ok while resting and we didn't want to completely upend our plans to return home, so we decided I would go to the ER after we landed. In retrospect that was probably an unwise decision.  The flight was pretty bad. I was on oxygen for large chunks of the 7.5 hours. Even walking a few steps to/from the bathroom left me feeling totally out of breath. It was scary to experience those symptoms.  They were drawing blood and running tests on me unti...

My first follow-up oncology appointment was scheduled for yesterday morning at 9. It started off more stressfully than we anticipated. As Leland and I were walking to the UBahn station for our hour-long ride to the LungenClinic, I realized we hadn't gotten COVID tests. At my June 30 appointment, we were told to bring negative rapid tests, but no one said anything about the follow-up visit. We've been so busy packing, getting medical documents translated, and preparing to move that it didn't occur to us. Sure enough: we needed an official negative rapid test. We walked to the test site down the street (<5 minutes), but it was closed until 1pm! I suggested that we buy tests at the drug store and beg the administrator to take them as evidence. We did the tests while standing on the sidewalk and speed-walked back holding our tests, hoping the administrator would accept them. To our great relief, she did. Phew! That whole process took about 25 minutes.  I had blood drawn and ...

Yesterday was one month since I received my cancer diagnosis. It's my time marker: before cancer, after cancer (BC/AC). It has been a whirlwind of tests and waiting. As if lung cancer wasn't enough, I got COVID for the second time (mild case, but it evaded the second booster I got at the end of May) and then my phone (with credit card) was stolen on a jam-packed subway in Paris, followed by a second pickpocket attempt later that day as I was climbing the stairs in a different metro station! I will not be returning to Paris; it's stressful to have to be so vigilant and concerned for my safety. The benefit of doing targeted therapy (Tagrisso) is that we were able to take our two-week trip around Europe. This month has been hard, but it's also been filled with things that I/we love: seeing family and friends, trying local food, seeing cultural sites and great art, enjoying natural beauty. In Amsterdam, we got to visit my cousin Astrid (first time since I was 13!) and meet ...