There seems to be less and less to update about these days. However, on June 28 I experienced an episode of severe speech difficulty. I was talking to our office manager at work and my tongue and lips just didn’t want to cooperate with my brain. I wrote it off as sleep deprivation because I had only gotten 4 hours sleep. It continued through the first half of Saturday then tapered off.
I sent a message to my oncologist’s office to see if it could be a side effect of the Anastrozole (hormone suppression medication). I heard back Monday and they got me in Tuesday afternoon. My oncologist directed me to stop taking it for a week and update her at that time.
So I stopped the medicine that Tuesday night and Wednesday experienced it again so I went to the ER as directed. They did a head CT, but we’re unable to do an MRI because my tissue expanders have metallic components. After talking to my oncologist and a neurologist the ER doctor agreed with stopping the Anastrozole for a week but also started my on low dose aspirin in case I had had a mini stroke, or TIA.
Yesterday I got a new hormone suppression pill, Exemestane. I’ll take it at night and am praying I don’t get any bad or weird side effects. This past week+ has been stressful for sure.
Another update I forgot to mention that my oncologist wrote me a prescription for Ativan for sleep. It’s only short term because it can be habit forming. I’ve been on it for a week now and I’m definitely getting more sleep. I still feel sleepy from time to time but not exhausted like I was.
My community care appointment for the insomnia is with a pulmonologist and they couldn’t get me in until July 31!! Not sure how much longer after that I’ll have to wait for a sleep study. We shall see…..