Yesterday I woke up and felt like I was a bit swollen in my face. I attributed it to a very common side effect of prednisone called "moonface" where the water retention is focused in your face. I have had a pretty crazy cold the last two days and just felt that maybe my immune system just didn't have the defenses to hold back side effects anymore. I felt a bit better throughout the day yesterday and went to bed not thinking much of things.
I woke up today extremely swollen in my face, particularly on my jaw and jaw joints. It was extra painful and tender and my side with the scar, cancer alley as I'm now calling it, had some additional swelling. I also had a crazy headache that just barely has subsided. I had a slight fever, 99.1 but that comes and goes. A bit of body and joint aches and some rash spots are forming. Ahh the joys of side effects and cancer.
I called my nurses and they want me to hold my meds until these things resolve. I don't feel that is the best answer, but I will do what they say. I have a feeling it may be lymphadema, or a build up of the lymphatic fluid, and since I don't have proper flow due to removing the lymph nodes on that side it would make sense that it would build up. And me being sick makes your lymphatic system work and produce more than normal. Regardless, I feel pretty crappy. I have hunkered down the last few days and today is no exception. I am planning on sleeping with my head elevated to see if that will help take the swelling down. Guess we will have to see.
Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day!
Not the prettiest pictures... but we can't win them all. And I had just woke up.
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