Hypokalemia

I went to my oncologist, Dr. Broadbent, this afternoon. I had my normal blood check at Cache Valley Specialty Hospital. I called Nick & see if he wanted to meet us for lunch. He said he was already in Smithfield & how about eating at A&W. I said, fine. I wasn't feeling very good, so I thought I'd just bag the rest of my errands. Mother wanted to go Dollar Tree in Smithfield, so I thought we'd eat, then go to the dollar store & home.

Dr. Broadbent called me as soon as he got the results from my bloodwork. We were just getting in the car after our lunch. Scared the crap out of me. I thought my cancer markers had skyrocketed or something. Nick had already left to go back into Logan to get gas at Sam's Club. We were supposed to meet him there.

Dr. Broadbent told me my potassium level was critically low, I needed to take potassium pills STAT. He told me that a couple of times, then told me to go straight home & call my doctor ASAP. I go to a nurse practitioner. I asked him to call her. The oncologist told me I could drop over dead.

Scared me so bad. I was thinking that I've had low potassium levels before. Maybe I could just have a potassium infusion like I did last time. I decided I'd meet Nick, called Don to meet us at Sam's. I thought he could take Mother to the dollar store & I'd just drive myself home. If I was going to drop over dead, I wasn't going to have Mother in the car when I did.

Mother & I had talked about dying on the way down. I said that I had read a quote

"I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to be there when it happens."

— Woody Allen

Mother said her dad, Grandpa Porter, always said he wasn't afraid to die, he just didn't want to have to go through what it took to die. Grandma Porter died of pancreatic cancer & suffered a lot. Most of our family have died lingering deaths.

Don met us at Sam's. Mother was crying. Nick had a "scathingly brilliant idea." Luckily he was thinking clearer than I was. He suggested his dad take Nana home. I could leave my car at ComputerWise in North Logan & ride home with him. Don agreed. Nick decided it would be easier for Nana to get into Don's car. Mother didn't want to shop anymore.

I called Roxanne (Froeher, Nurse Practioners of Preston) on the way home. She's so level headed. I love this lady. When she said my potassium level was 2.7. I laughed in relief. I told her that my potassium level had been a lot lower than that & I was still alive. She told me people could die at 2. I told her mine had been below 1 before. I'd had an infusion, but lived to tell about it.

When we got home, I took 40 meqs of potassium. Since we don't have a couch in the front room, I laid out on the swing on the porch. Nick pampered me. He got me a pillow, took my hearing aid & glasses. Don went to the store & bought bananas for me. I'm feeling much better. But I'd better not push it & go to bed early. I've been SOOO tired & feel like I'm going to pass out every time I stand up.

Other findings from my visit to the doctor today. My gall bladder is not going to get any better. I was told to check my calendar & find a week that I could take off & have it out. Don't wait until I'm full of infection. Dr. Broadbent checked the depression behind my left ear where the bone was taken out & stomach fat put in when I had the tumor removed. He told me to check with my ear, nose & throat doctor. It is noticeably sunken.

Mother's INR level was perfect for the 3rd time in a row, which is 6 weeks!!! It was 3.0!! How cool is that?