so don't ask if you don't want to know
Posts tagged medical
What's Happenin'
Jan 28th
Whew, busy busy busy. Saturday I went to CenPhoCamp, learned a little, presented and helped clean up. Then went across the parking lot to Turf for the after party. The presentation went well but thankfully Jack Mangan was there to help answer the tougher questions. I’ll have to remember to give him a special thank you next time I see him.
Sunday I spent the whole say editing MADphx podcasts. Monday I went to Ikea to get new dishes so I could dump my old ones on Ginnie. They’re FINALLY moving out, into Casey’s apartment and he’s moving across the parking lot to a larger apartment over there. They’re all just waiting on Shane to come up with his share of $$$. Tuesday I went in for a 6-month follow-up on my mammogram, a pin-point mammogram (which pinches even more than a plain one) and a left breast ultrasound all for what turned out to be just an aggravated lymph node.
Yesterday I spent all day with Evo training VA regional PR and Marketing people how to make podcasts, be effective on twitter and Facebook. Then last night to his house to record Evo@11.
This morning, I thought I had labs scheduled so I fasted but when I got there I had the dates wrong – not til next May – and grabbed a crappy bagel before my appointment with the nutritionist. Now I have Kira this afternoon and I’ll drop her off before I go to the Phoenix Comic Con kickoff tonight at the Phoenix Civic Center. I can’t decide whether to drive to that or take the light rail. After that I have to drive out to fucking CHANDLER to pick up Krystal because she want to go to the airport at midnight to pick up Max. HE’S OFFICIALLY DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY.
And tomorrow night is #evfn.
I’m so tired.
Oh yeah, the nutritionist said I had a pulmonologist appointment Feb 18th and some sort of pulmonary test the 8th, so I’m assuming the notification is in the mail.
And I shall name it Squishy
Jan 26th
The last couple of times I’ve had my yearly mammogram they’ve found something in my lefty. So I get the squishy and a week or so later I get a letter saying I need an ultrasound. So I go in for that and they say it’s nothing to worry about. But today I had to go in for the whole lets-get-a-closer-look shebang.
I don’t worry. Here’s my philosophy: shit happens. 
I could get all freaked out that they keep focusing on this little thing and scheduling my yearlies closer and closer together. I could freak out that today I had a regular mammogram (again) and a spot-specific mammogram (that hurt like hell) followed by an ultrasound. I could let my imagination soar and think of 100 negative connotations and be all angsty and shit.
But why? What could I do up ’til this point to change the outcome? I’m receiving excellent care from a top-notch bunch of medical professionals. People whose job it is to know what to look for and how often to look and all that. What good would it do to freak out before any final verdict?
Turn’s out it is Negative. The Dr at the Laura Dreier Breast Center (marvelous place) says it’s a cranky (my word) lymph node. No biggie.
See? I don’t understand these people that get themselves all worked up without the facts. Seems like such a waste of energy to me. And even if it had been something serious, I don’t think I’d have freaked out then either.
Just keep swimming.
But that's not what I need!
Jan 20th
I went to my doctor appointment at the VA today. I’m not going to bitch TOO much because it’s all better than it used to be and also… free.
Parking sucks. Wandered the parking lot for 7 minutes waiting for someone to getthefuckout leave. I was early (of course) but got right in to the BP/weight screener and fairly quickly into the Dr. She’s new to me as my old Dr. Monte apparently went part time. I really like her. She listened, went over all my history thoroughly, and set up a bunch of stuff. Something like she didn’t know 0f any meds I could be taking that I wasn’t already so I should go back to the specialists in Pulmonary. Peachy.
I mentioned I’d tried to lose weight by altering my diet but it’s impossible to move as one needs to move to get exercise. Especially now, but even when my breathing was better I still couldn’t exert myself without guppying. So I’m scheduled for another visit to the nutritionist next week and from there I’ll join a class ingeniously named Move. We’ll see.
She said my BP was fine yet when I checked out the front guy sent me down for a home BP monitor. He also sent me to radiology for an ultrasound and they turned me away – they’ll call me. And he sent me to get an H1N1 shot (mission accomplished) and to Well Woman. So I sat outside that clinic for an hour before the baffled nurse came out and explained to me that I didn’t need an appointment until JUNE. That’s what I thought!
All that and I’m still not breathing normal. Better today than yesterday because it’s NOT RAINING but still not right. I have labs ordered and need to fast, so probably next Thursday as long as I have to be there anyway.
I guess I just sit here and wait for pulmonary to call me?
Went out with a whimper
Jan 1st
Jezuz christ, the last few days of 2009 were certainly eventful.
Except Christmas. I got nothing for Christmas but the flu. Then again, I didn’t get anyone else anything either. I may have even had the HiNi flu, I dunno. There was a moment in there I would have gone to the emergency room had I the energy to shuffle out to my car.
So for New Year’s Eve Eve (Wednesday) I decided to take everyone out to Texas Roadhouse. We’d not had a Christmas Dinner, or much of a Thanksgiving either. My number one adopted son Shane and his daughter tagged along too. We had a really great dinner and I agreed to take the two little girls home with me so they could all go out. Peachy.
Yesterday morning the girls and I went to McDonald’s for breakfast and play. They were fighting and whiny and I couldn’t get either father on the phone. Came home and tried to do my business while they continued to fight and whine. Finally at noon the guys stumbled in to get them.
Shortly after that I got a text from Max asking what I was doing the rest of the day.
- Making a dump cake
- Cleaning my kitchen
- Taking a nap to prepare for being up late
- Wrapping the two lousy gifts I managed to get for my friends
- Shower and dress up
- Be at ShEvo’s by 6:30 to record a show
- Party the rest of the night
Not much right? He responded:
can u take an hour outa that and spend it with me? we r gonna get a courthouse marriage today and id like you to be there
WHAT THE FUCK?
Sure his divorce was final earlier this week and I knew he’d been spending most of his time with Shane’s sister… OMG I can’t remember her name! Shit. My bad. I’d only met the girl through a dark car window one time. That’s it. She seems nice enough and I love Shane so I can assume with the same upbringing… I dunno, I’ll have to wait and see, right?
At least I got to be at this wedding. That’s the same judge that Max, Shane and Casey have all stood before for not-so-good reasons but I didn’t see a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Small town.
Anyway, on to Sheila and Evo’s for our recording and their party. I’d had trouble since the flu with my breathing whenever I exerted myself and it just got worse and worse all night. By midnight I was being a downer in a really great party and in real guppy distress and my friends were all offering to drive me to the hospital. Fine. I asked Katie and Tyler cuz I have to go downtown Phoenix to the VA and I know Tyler lives the closest and Katie lives near me so it wouldn’t be as inconvenient – plus they hadn’t been drinking.
Technically it was after 12:30 by the time we got to the ER and 3:30 when got home, but I’m just going to chalk it up as 2009 not letting go. More on that later.
2010 has GOT to be better, right? I feel great this morning!
My Healthness Theory
Oct 21st
Which has no basis in fact at all. Most of my theories have no basis in fact, but isn’t that what most faith is based on? And I have faith in my theories, so there.
Anyway…
Doesn’t it seem to you that everyone’s general health is going to hell? Growing up, do you recall this many people having asthma or mental health issues or autism or whatever? My parents both came from fairly large families and I don’t remember there being this many health issues among us kids until we all grew up. I mean, I have asthma, two of my kids have asthma, my friend has asthma, another friend and both her kids have breathing issues, etc. I’d say 7 out of 10 people I know have breathing issues. And I’ve heard a surprising amount of the people I know mention being on one sort of mental stabilizing medication or another.
In the generation before mine, everyone smoked. Everyone ate fatty foods and drank alcohol in a normal fashion. Sure, there were a few health problems here and there but NOT to the extent there are now.
Which is why I think with all our wonderful modern conveniences we’re poisoning ourselves. All those chemicals and additives, plastics and fumes are leeching together and making us all weaker. Product A is tested and product B is tested, but are ABC and D all tested together? From my shampoo and conditioner this morning, the additives in the food I ate today, the bug spray they used outside while my windows were open, the plastic water bottles I drink from, the carpet cleaner I used yesterday… times the last 17,000 days.
I wonder at the rates of asthma and autism in the Amish community or among those deep jungle villages in South America. Or worse, cancer and other debilitating diseases. Not that I’m some tree hugger, but geeze shouldn’t we pay more attention to the price we might be paying for the conveniences of plastics and synthetics? Are chemicals killing us?
Or should I up my mental stabilizing medication?
(Screw you, I don’t take any!)
I'm rethinking the HRT thing.
Oct 11th
I started on the patch right after my hysterectomy, but stopped when the next doctor told me I shouldn’t use it if I didn’t need it. And since then the menopausal symptoms haven’t been that bad. The big ones are:
And of those, I haven’t noticed any vaginal dryness though it’s not being used at the mo so like, who knows. I have been having slightly warm waves or it’s just been less noticeable in the Arizona heat and now with the weather cooling off that’s been getting worse. Hot flashes are officially happening now and there are times when you just can’t rip your shirt off . . . like at the grocery store or waiting in the High School parking lot. Wait, here comes one now.
Okay, then there’s the sleeping issues. I already have a hard time sleeping because of the stimulants I take for my asthma. Night before last I woke up seven times; just about every 40 minutes. Last night I only woke up four times but then again I woke up at the butt-crack of dawn and can’t get back to sleep.
I don’t think I have mood swings anymore. I had huge mood swings before the surgery. I was a mood swinging woman from way back. Now maybe the general happy I’ve been feeling because of the separation has overrun any chemical mood swings. I’m down to 182 from just over 200 lbs pre-surgery and I still have this fat abdomen. If I could get my lazy ass to do a few crunches that might go away. Thinning hair? Hell yeah, but my hair is so thick to start with I could have a lot of thinning going on before I’d bitch. Just don’t look at my bathroom floor. I really need to sweep in there more often.
So, the hot flashes and the sleeping disturbances are what’s killing me. I can’t decide if I should go back on the patch for that or if I should call the doctor and get a prescription for something to help me sleep.
I could really use a good night sleep.
Minor deposits of thought
Sep 16th
Am I crazy or is there a direct correlation between the amount of Mountain Dew someone drinks and the rottenness of their teeth? Just sayin’.
I just got finished watching Quigley Down Under, again. I love this movie but I never seem to think of it when asked about my favorite movies. Its just there.
Even after dissing George Hrab’s podcast months ago, I still listen every time.
I wish my son would call me. I seems so long since I heard his voice. He hasn’t called anyone in a couple of weeks. It just about killed me to walk through Atlanta’s airport with all those people in uniform. I was so tired and everywhere I looked there were groups in BDUs. I just wanted to hug every one of them but some teary woman grabbing soldiers at the airport might have freaked them out, not to mention those people I was traveling with. Boy was I teary. Kind of like now. Shit.
Wingin’ It was just okay yesterday. And now they’re taking a couple of weeks off. WTF am I going to do with my weekends now?
Oh yeah, the visit to the surgeon Friday! We decided that because what was left over after the last infection is so small, we’ll just wait until the next time it gunks up and then remove the rest. Whatever. At least its on their computer that I have an open as-needed appointment so I don’t have to jump through so many hoops next time.
I need to have a conversation with girlchild to remind her how lucky she is and that she better not give me shit when I ask for a little cash for gas. She’s the only one of her girlfriends that is even allowed to drive much less have as much freedom with a car. If she wants the right to snark she needs to pay for it. I’ve been too nice again. She made some snide comment about me not being about to pay for her dentist appointment and how that’s a parent’s responsibility. Well, technically it is . . . but since her father isn’t paying any child support (yet) maybe she should BITCH AT HIM instead.
Friday's Update
Aug 3rd
So I’m at the library where the internet is incredible SLOW and I only get it for an hour.
Guess what I did? Crashed the U-haul into the covered parking and scrunched it up. The covered parking, not the U-haul. My insurance isn’t covering it, so now I get to find out if U-haul is going to. Probably not. Frak. Just one section though. Welcome to the neighborhood.
I am officially moved in, yes. I stopped back by the house – er, Buck’s place – to finish cleaning up my mess and to get the food I bought for me and Ginnie. And now I’m out. No key, but I know the garage code and he is clueless how to change it. Not that it matters, he can’t seem to close the back door completely so it starts flapping if there’s a breeze.
Max called yesterday morning – just in time. I got a chance to tell him what’s going on and he’s a bit upset. Our calls up til now haven’t really been long enough to go into more than “everyone’s fine” and talk of his being shipped back to Hawaii. And he’s going to try and send me some money when he can. We’ll see.
Speaking of money, thanks to you who have contributed to the Debbie Starting Over fund, which so far has put gas in my car. I’m hanging on every other penny.
So I don’t know how often I’ll do this library thing. I’ll try to keep up on LJ and email.
I’ll be at the Wingin It recording tomorrow and you can listen live!
And thank you for your support.
Oh yeah, went to the VA surgeon today and we’re putting off the removal until after D*C.
Today's (grody) update.
Jul 27th
Ginnie and I got up to the VA around 8 so I went to the Lab first to get the nutritionist’s lab request done first. Then we ventured across the entire hospital to the ENT Clinic where I found out they’d made an appointment for 9:45 without telling me.
So much for walk-in.
Went out for breakfast (literally breaking my fast) and came back to see Jr. Surgeon, Student Surgeon, and Official Surgeon. Official Surgeon decided to tell Jr. Surgeon to clean it out and get a biopsy. And when the infection is gone, they’ll actually remove the whole sebaceous cyst. So first the needles, then the numb, then the knife and finally the packing and bandaging.
Packing. Ugh.
Ends up I have to take care of this twice a day and go back next Friday and then we’ll schedule the real surgery. Great. There seems to be a sense of urgency from the Surgeons so I’m thinking I should play along. I mentioned my trip Labor Day weekend and waiting until after that for the actual surgery and Official Surgeon sighed and said “we really should get that out of there before then.” Crap. The nurse suggested wearing a scarf. Right. In Atlanta late summer I’ll be the fat chick the the scarf on.
So, nobody is allowed to make comments about the giant bandages on my neck or I’m gonna make you look at it.
So there.
But when I got home I had a message that I was approved for the apartment! Yay! Finances are gonna be tight for a while until I get everything worked out but I’m not canceling D*C. I’d rather not have TV and Internet until then. I can watch DVDs and go to the library to get online.
