I was called in this morning to MD Anderson to evaluate my port area after my chest X-ray from Wednesday came back normal. I have been doing my daily Fragmen injections for almost 2 weeks and things seemed like they were getting better. This past Sunday I started having pain which progressed into severe pain. I can barely put a shirt on because it hurts to move. Pain medication helps a little, but it is still very painful to move my right arm and shoulder area. The pain is in my port area, underarm, right upper back and right shoulder and a little below. I have tenderness in my right lower neck as well, swelling and bulging veins. It sounds bad, but as long as I don’t move around too much I am doing okay :). After my assessment today, I am being referred to a Vascular surgeon. They are going to do a procedure called Thrombolysis also known as clot-busting. I meet with the specialist on Tuesday at MD Anderson. I am a little nervous about the procedure, but am happy to know this will likely improve my condition.
~Jamie