Just call me Spot

Still covered in spots. Some small ones, some merging together and making bigger ones, still itchy and still no one really can figure out why.

I had a follow up appointment to check my radiation burns this morning with the Radiation Oncologist, so he was happy to see that my burns are healing and in the "dry and peeling" stage now ... but he was pretty distressed about my hives. He's not 100% convinced they are hives since they are flat and not a raised "welts" that you think of with traditional hives. He did say there were some variations of types of hives, but he still wonders if there is more to it. He was most concerned that it is something that has covered me head to toe. While he feels confident it's not a direct reaction to radiation, he did suggest that perhaps the months (and months) of chemo drugs and steroids and surgery and painkillers and radiation and more painkillers have stressed my body physically, and have stressed me emotionally, and that it has sent a shock through my autoimmune system that has resulted in this full-body eruption of hives (or whatever they are).

He recommended that I need to see my Medical Oncologist (chemo doctor) right away, and then he personally walked down the hallway to her office and set up an appointment for me to see her at 9 am tomorrow. She's not in today, or else I think I would have been seeing her right then. He was very determined that I see her, and instead of telling me to call and set up an appointment ... it was interesting (alarming?) that he took the time away from a very busy patient load to personally go to her office and get the appointment time.

So he came back and told me that he had the appointment set and that I needed to go see the nurses there next so they could communicate with the Dr who will see me tomorrow. They took a look at me and were also shocked (everyone is!) at how widespread the spots are. They sent a few instant messages back and forth with the Dr on the computer and described my condition, and she prescribed a different antihistamine as an alternative to Benedryl that is more powerful and might help more with the itching.

I'm not really seeing any improvement in the breakout with the steroids that I've been taking since Saturday. Last night did bring me one of the "steroid sleepless nights" that I encountered so often through chemo. It was after midnight before I could finally sleep. Here's hoping for some ideas ... and maybe even crazy wishful thinking ... for some answers tomorrow!