Medical Update

Thank you for all of the messages asking for an update. Sorry it was so long coming. 

First of all, I'm fine. Breathe.

Over the weekend following my visit with the oncologist, they emailed my lab results to me. I immediately dissected it and called my doctor with questions. She gave some thoughts but wanted to let the oncologist have his say and get his thoughts on it before we decided anything. LONGEST WAIT EVER.

I finally had the follow up appointment this past Tuesday. The oncologist video conferenced the meeting with my immunoneurologist in Nashville. They both agreed my issue was not a cancer issue, but was an acute reactive immune response caused by the neurotoxin and flared up by higher intensity runs and workouts. They explained how some of the abnormal levels were actually not too concerning and why. They explained what they were looking for specifically and how they interpreted some of the abnormalities. They discussed what we were doing right and what needs to be more carefully monitored. They really liked that my coach and I had been noticing patterns of when the responses were occurring and asked that we start tracking the reactive days in our training plan calendar for them to look at more closely. They gave me a few more guidelines to follow and changed my follow up timeframe to more frequent lab checks for a while, but I'm still good to go with waiting 6 months before next doctor visit. They gave their full blessing to continue running and working out, including the high intensity things. They feel we are still tackling it better than any of their other patients and that we're giving them a lot of good information. The downside is that this is going to continue to be a daily thing for me. Forever. But, the responses are fewer and further between, and are not as bad when they are happening, and are not lasting as long (when I cooperate and give my body the rest it needs to stop the overreactive response).

So, in a nutshell, the neurotoxin continues to fight and try to win, but we are continuing to gain ground on it and I keep getting better, despite some really rough days and weeks. I have to do a better job of some daily decision making in regards to running and working out (and that's on me - not my coach), but I can also breathe a little easier without the cancer word being held over my head. In order to stop the responses when they happen, I have to stop and completely rest for a day or more, depending on how severe the response is.

This week has been really rough, with the change in schedule, addition of long work days, and high stress with Don being gone, back to school chaos, and doctor visits, among other things. I've been dealing with some random sore spots and spells of nausea. Some of my labs are still out of whack and I'm feeling it. The lack of sleep, high levels of stress/anxiety, and not feeling great have led to some irritability and over-sensitivity, which has led to some strains in communications, leading to some friction in some relationships. Those situations are now (unintentionally) adding to the stress, despite my best efforts to just keep breathing through it and stay calm. If you are someone who has been affected by this - I'm sorry. I'm doing my absolute best and I truly am trying. Please be patient and understanding. I know it's me and not you. Just bear with me. But, please also remember that if I have to stop talking and walk away - it's to keep me from getting overly upset or emotional and then being thrown further into another reactive response. I'm not trying to be rude or disrespectful. I'm trying to survive.

I have a race tomorrow that I'm not feeling extremely confident about, mainly due to the rough week I've had. I'm hoping to get some sleep tonight before the race, and maybe sleeping in a bit Sunday morning to try to minimize the stress responses. But, Monday is coming, with all 55 teenagers in my classes and the other 2000+ in the school. This is, by far, the toughest time I've had going back to work, and while my admin team is aware of what's been going on and has my back, there is nothing, absolutely NOTHING, anyone can do to stop my body from reacting to the overload of noise and activity that is about to assault it in the coming week. I've already been informed by both specialists that this year may involved taking a lot of sick days, and that I'm going to have to play each day by ear. One day at a time. For the next 200 days. This should be interesting.

But, again, I'm fine. Thank you for the continuous messages and concern. We're still moving forward.