Category Archives: Side effects of long term steroids

Skin GVHD – 25 Feb 2013

Skin GVHD has been acting up. My skin is paper-thin and very fragile. Not only do I have lots of bruises and petechias, threatening to open up and bleed, but now I have steroid-induced ‘stretch marks’ which are oozing. They … Continue reading

Posted in Chronic GVHD, Healing Process, Immunocompromised Issues, New Normal, Side effects of long term steroids | 1 Comment

Freedom or Chaos – 25 Feb 2013

Freedom or Chaos, sometimes they are different but in this case, they are synonymous. I have an electric wheelchair now which provides me the freedom to move around the hospital and protect my back from too much strain and the … Continue reading

Posted in Back pain & fractures, Healing Process, Mobility Issues, New Normal, Side effects of long term steroids | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Remembering we are not alone – 14 Feb 2013

Happy Valentines! Yesterday I was reminded that I am not alone. Oftentimes, I write my blog wondering if it is read, who reads it and is what I write pertinent to others. A while after I posted it I received … Continue reading

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Complex Pain Management – 13 Feb 2013

Complex Pain Management specialists have become my best friends. It is pretty self-explanatory. They are responsible to make sure that the pain is under control and all the pills play nice together. We are talking serious drugs here and today … Continue reading

Posted in Back pain & fractures, Going Home, Healing Process, Home Challenges, Mobility Issues, New Normal, Side effects of long term steroids | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Update 2nd Vertebroplasty – 30 Jan 2013

The 2nd vertebroplasty was done yesterday. They were suppossed to do T10 and T12 but I gave them permission to asses on the spot and do what they deemed to be the most efficient. Therefore, they ended up doing T7, … Continue reading

Posted in Back pain & fractures, Chronic GVHD, Healing Process, Home Challenges, Mobility Issues, New Normal, Side effects of long term steroids, Updates | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Financial Woes of Chronic Illnesses – 27 Jan 2013

Somebody once said cancer is easy, living is difficult. I’m surviving cancer, a stem cell transplant, GVHD, complications from the life-saving meds, so now what? I’ve already been through the steroid myopathy where I needed to learn to build muscles … Continue reading

Posted in Chronic GVHD, Going Home, Healing Process, Home Challenges, Hospitalization, Immunocompromised Issues, Mobility Issues, Side effects of long term steroids | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Win some – Lose some – 18 Jan 2013

Waiting to hear further details regarding the next vertebroplasty to take place (perhaps next week) in my upper back. They have to select which compressed disks and fractures would be most beneficial to ‘fix’ as they can only do 3 … Continue reading

Posted in Chronic GVHD, Healing Process, Hospitalization, Immunocompromised Issues, Mobility Issues, New Normal, Side effects of long term steroids, Updates | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Multiple Fractures – 16 Jan 2013

Wow! 2013. How fast time goes by and yet, sometimes, not fast enough. I’ve been here since November 14, 2012 and perhaps will be here and/or at another facility for another few months. Moral comes and goes. It’s normal. Well, … Continue reading

Posted in Chronic GVHD, Healing Process, Hospitalization, Mobility Issues, Side effects of long term steroids, Updates | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rehab for rehab – 12 Jan 2013

I have been moved to the BMT unit a few days ago. There is a huge outbreak of the Norwolk virus in the city and most BMT patients have been ‘repatriated’ on the BMT for our own protection. My cold … Continue reading

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Pain killers – 22 Dec 2012

I’ve been reluctant to take additional pain-killer drugs since I already take a form of long-lasting Oxycodone pill twice a day. However, I am also allowed to take a break-through  every 4 hours as needed (5 mg Oxy). There’s so … Continue reading

Posted in Healing Process, Mobility Issues, Side effects of long term steroids, Updates | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment