It's The Survivor Diva™, Darling!
Cancer Treatment Side Effects
There are many undesirable side effects possible as a result from receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer such as skin problem, fatigue, and long-term side effects from radiation.
Pelvis-diarrhea, rectal bleeding, incontinence, bladder irritation and solidification, changes in menstruation, symptoms of premature menopause, vaginal itching, burning, dryness, infertility-inability to become pregnant due to damage to reproductive organs, such as ovaries, Fallopian tubes, uterus, and cervix. And also damage to those organs involved in hormone production such as the ovaries.
In my rare case, for unfounded or undisclosed reasons, side effects include severe chronic pain, debilitating paraparesis (weakness of lower extremities), nerve damage called severe peripheral polyneuropathy. And also lymphatic problems and cognitive deficit.
Cisplatin Chemotherapy Side Effects
Nine years post receiving treatments with Cisplatin Chemotherapy accompanied by internal Brachytherapy Radiation and External Beam Radiation, The Survivor Diva Angela remains unable to ambulate safely without assistive devices. And suffers from debilitating chronic pain from extensive nerve damage. The condition presented as sudden onset of lower extremity weakness, numbness, and decreased mobility. experienced at home after all cancer treatment regimens were concluded.
Eleven years after completing all Cancer treatments, necrosis of the bone presented as a contributing factor to bi-lateral hip joint fractures sustained from a "freak accident" fall in 2020.
"Orthopedic surgeons who reviewed my case at both Abington-Jefferson Health and Penn Medicine in Philadelphia both attribute radiation therapy received eleven years ago to treat metastatic carcinoma of the cervix as the likely cause of necrotic bone in the area treated with internal (brachytherapy) radiation and external beam radiation.", says Angela.
In August of 2020 on a wet linoleum floor The Survivor Diva Angela's feet began to slide apart. Because she suffers with side effects from cancer treatments such as lower extremity weakness/paraparesis, she was unable to stop her legs from sliding further and further apart as she lowered closer and closer to the floor. As both legs reached the point at which they could spread no further, "snap, crack, pop", the bones broke on both sides causing her to do an unintentional full slit. The trauma required emergency surgical placement of a metal plate and six screws to repair.
The whole ordeal including now being non-weight-bearing on the right side was a tough blow to have to deal with since having spent the past eleven years rehabilitating and fighting her way back from requiring the use of a wheelchair to ambulate, then a walker. Then with faith and determination fueling her, she courageously continued independent rehabilitation at home after being dropped from therapy for not making progress fast enough. Albeit steady progress she was making, despite appeals from the physical therapists treating her, the insurance company refused to continue to approve what seemed to be to them an unprecedentedly long amount of time to be on case load.
2021 brought on the new challenge of "hardware failure". Several of the screws loosening from the metal plate with one totally detached and migrating around freely in the body, has required being scheduled for complex reconstruction surgery of the right hip joint, the femur and acetabular bone. The femur bone is pressing upward into the acetabular bone causing the right leg to become even shorter than it was after the initial repair. This scheduled surgery is said to be high risk and takes place close to the sciatic nerve. The Survivor Diva Angela Reese is standing on God's promises as she prepares for yet another opportunity for God to demonstrate His healing mercies in her life. "Since He did it before, He can do it again!", she says. "Great is His faithfulness; His mercies are new every morning."-Lamentations 3:23 She is heeding the command and believing the promise written in Deuteronomy 31:6: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified... for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave nor forsake you"
To put the injury into perspective, a University of Pennsylvania second opinion visit revealed just how damaged the area is by viewing the most recent x-ray juxtaposed next to the image taken of the area back when receiving cancer treatments before the traumatic injury occurred from the fall.
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Notice below how the right hip in image #2 with the screws and metal plate is pushed up much higher than the left hip after the fractures. Unlike image #1 taken prior to the accident which shows both sides of the hip joints being even and symmetrical with one another.