Day 278 - Trade

As I've said many times before, aches and pains freak me out.  Someone who has not had cancer is likely to approach a minor ache or pain quite differently than someone who has received a cancer diagnosis.  Both during and after my treatment, I've had some freak out moments due to aches, pains, and strange sensations:

1. Strange feeling in the upper right-hand side of my abdomen. I asked for an ultrasound that was clear. That sensation has not resurfaced. 
2. Full feeling in my ears due to what was determined as eustachian tube dysfunction. I took Mucinex and Flonase for a while to dry out my sinuses,  and that feeling went away.
3. Slight cough and tight feeling in my chest.  This occurred about a week after Henry came home with a really bad cough/runny nose so the rational side of me knew that I had a minor chest cold, but the emotional side of me freaked out.  Freaked out.  I did not get any tests done, though, as I am trying to keep the freak outs in check. The cough and tightness both went away partially thanks to a few bottles of Zicam (which is amazing by the way).
4. Lower back pain.  I woke up with lower back pain one morning before I went to California.  It lasted for a few days then went away while we were in California.  It came back once I got home.  I feel quite confident that the pain is due to our kind of crappy mattress so I am going to sleep in a different bed for a few nights.  If that does not do the trick, I'll mention the pain to my surgeon when I see him for a follow up appointment next week. 

It seems like one pain gets traded for another, and one freak out moment gets traded for the next.  This is a very common thing to happen after cancer treatment, and I know that intellectually.  Knowing that and managing my emotions accordingly is a work in process.  It sucks, but I knew that it was coming. I am fine, but I wish that I did not fear my body betraying me again.