Follow-up with Dr. Song and other sundries

Still chilly in New England, but happily - no snow.

I had my Shingles shot last Friday and like most inoculations I get, I ended up getting the 'possible' side effects.  Besides the soreness of the injection site, I was experiencing a general BLAH-si-ness and my energy level has been low.  By Monday, I felt like I had the flu and slept almost 12 hours.  After the needed rest, I began to feel a bit better, although my appetite has also been adversely affected.

Possibly from the extended sleeping cycle on Monday, I woke up [wide awake] at 2 AM  on Wednesday morning.  After some unsuccessful fighting to go back to sleep, I got up and watched TV until sunrise.  By then I was up for the day.  I've had disruptive sleep patterns all week.  So I also assumed that this deprivation was also the cause of the sudden appearance of floaters and visual anomalies in my right eye (the eye on which I had surgery).

My eye drop regimen ended Thursday, so I was thinking that the 'withdrawal' might have something to do with it.  I was more aware of my floaters and could see some 'light' in my temporal region - even with my eye closed.  As the week progressed the 'light' was less pronounced, but the floaters persisted as well as some aching.

Arriving in Waltham today for my follow-up, I spilled my guts about my recent turn of events regarding my eye. [Sometimes I feel like I'm being overly sensitive, but I do want to go on record.]  This reporting just triggered a barrage of testing.  I was there almost two and a half hours.  By the time I saw Dr. Song and his review of the test results, he then gave me additional tests.  He did say that the lens position was 'good' and he did not see anything out of the ordinary.  He did say I definitely had floaters.

I had asked if these go away.  Dr Song said, "Floaters are a result of condensation in the aqueous 'jelly'.  The floaters are fairly common and the brain learns to ignore them.  However, if they worsen, it could cause a retinal tear."  [Lovely].  He couldn't really explain the cracks of light I could see but said, " If you get a burst of bright light, you'll need to come in."For the interim, he wants me to monitor and return in two months.  [Nothing is ever easy.]

On a different front, I'm sad to report that my (unexplained) neuropathy in my forefinger and thumb has returned.  Gladly it doesn't interfere with ability to play guitar or keyboards, but it is difficult picking up small things, coins, loose coffee bean, etc. and buttoning certain types of buttons becomes almost impossible to do.  I've learned to let my right hand do that before putting on that type of garment. You do what you have to do.

More to come!

[By the way - tomorrow marks my one year anniversary of Chemo One]