Now THIS is how a chap gets lucky...

22 January 2009
HERE is what a woman loves to walk in on after two consecutive days of being prodded, poked, and given various levels of bad news from doctors; and having so many test I glow in the dark and am a quart low on blood! THIS sort of behavior will indeed elicit the words; "You are about to get soooo lucky!"

No big mystery - I've been out of the U.S. for the better part of four to five years off and on - so time to check the engines. Let me tell you - you let these chaps at you and they WILL find something they don't like. I felt fine when this started. Let me repeat, I felt fine when this started.

Nothing earth shattering - a leaky tricuspid valve, a low hgb, some wacky liver readings, and three rounds on the mammogram train. Nothing any other woman doesn't go through, but hey - it's happening to me and I have a blog. THEN they (the evil they in white coats as I have come to see them – ok not really!) took an MRI of my neck (the migraines) and found “distinct nodules on the thyroid”. Oh joy and rapture.


The valve is most likely from some sort of trauma given my ‘colourful’ past.


All of this is also in preparation and safety for surgery - no, no, the 'good' kind. Now I know there are many opinions about plastic surgery, and like religion, I think anyone gets to think what they want - me? I started my plastic surgery account when I was 32 years old. And I am soooo jazzed about it. Why? My reasons are simple – I’ve had a really good time being pretty and I think I’ve been generous with it – I’d just like ten more years before I give it up. This decision was made long before J. came back into my life, but being in love again certainly will make it sweeter. Yes ,there will be photographs.

I dithered whether to tell you, but you go through the migraines with me, so you deserve to hear about the good stuff yes? I did all the things you should do – checked out my surgeon completely, got references, and even saw an example of his work (discreetly of course). And he’s funny. I really like a surgeon with a good sense of humour. I don’t want someone wielding a knife over me who is in a foul humour.

I still have to get the hgb up – that will be a relief actually as I’ve been tired and SOB (short of breath), but just like a woman will do (you KNOW who you are), I just wrote it off to “nothing”.
For the smart sex, we can be really dumb – I would have had any friend or family member to the doctor in a shot! I think having more energy and the ability to breathe at will sounds like a winner eh?

I have nine more days before the scheduled surgery (30 January) to get all the ducks in a row. The good/bad news is that J. is a doctor and oh yes has his opinion of what has to be done about the hgb before I go under any knives. I am to schedule an ultrasound for the thyroid today but that is most likely not a big deal as there are many nodules and that makes the chance of them being cancerous much less likely. And if the worst – it is a relatively easy form of cancer to treat.

The valve isn’t leaking enough to do anything but “keep an eye on it” – oh goody that means an Echo once a year – that bloody gel is chilly!

I think they will most likely put a pint or so of blood in me and I will be good to go – cross fingers, but they are “conferring” – and there are SO MANY, and then throw J. in the mix. I feel very cared for and somewhat bullied (but in a good way :-)

The mammogram (which I am very good about yearly – normally but not so much lately) was “unclear” so they brought me back in for a digital mammogram (something new), that was “unclear” (and now my heart rate was up), and they did an ultrasound which she still doesn’t like the look of but – biggggggg “but” here – thinks it is NOT cancer. Whew, big whew. Yet still if we can’t find the little clinic I popped into in MA three years ago to have the last one (for them to compare the films) they will do an MRI (really – glow in the dark!).
So the good news is how very through they are being and that it is most likely nothing, but as I said to Dr. Friedman (my plastic surgeon) ‘It would be a damn waste to lift these girls back up where they belong just to have someone chop one of them off!’. So I am being ‘good’ and having the MRI if I can’t find that film today.

And that’s where we stand lovely readers. NO worries, the medical community here seems to be top notch and being attached to one of their own is handy I must say…but I am so very tired of bad news – so I’m postulating some good news over the next few days. Cross your fingers and toes for me eh?