Tuesday, April 25, 2023

it's a monday

My favorite color is trees
Not to be dramatic, but I've already faced a couple life-changing medical issues before this. Cancer is the first one that comes with a whole team of specialists, each with their own sub-teams and folders of support materials that include community help groups and resources for mortgage assistance as needed. It feels both supportive and unnerving.

This week, I am set to meet two different Oncologists and get an MRI. Everyone wants that MRI, and I am allergic to the contrast dye as well as the first option to treat it. 

It's complicated. Some of you may remember the "swell" allergic reaction I had to the medication treatment for my Grave's disease while I was in school. It was migrating hives like the map of the world and "Angelina Jolie lips." Something about that allergy combined with the contrast dye triggers a contraindication flag at the pharmacy. 

As of this afternoon, we have an alternative plan, so the MRI is a go. Good thing there was a team to work on that challenge.

Wish me luck. 


"What a life is ours! Doesn't anybody in the world anymore want to get up in the middle of the night and sing?" ~ Mary Oliver, from Upstream

2 comments:

  1. RandyApril 26, 2023 at 12:24 AM

    yeah. having a "team" working on me sort of felt like scrimmage soccer, and i was the ball.

    i'm now at the point of "watch and listen". i'm fortunate that lots of the stuff that i'm concerned
    about can be self tested whenever i want for pocket money, mostly. A1C and PSA are the stuff
    i can work.on as a shade tree doctor. the thyroid, i have to take it into the shop for a scan
    once a year. my radiologist who did the RAI wanted me back in a year for another scan, and
    my endo said i had a textbook perfect recovery, and we'd hold off on that for a while.

    the AIC and the PSA both are controlled largely by diet, in my experience. the A1C doesn't like
    carbs. i like carbs. we disagree. the PSA doesn't like anything i like. i'm currently 3 weeks with no
    lapses in my vegan regimen. time to see what that did to the PSA. the damn value better go down.
    i'm doing my part.

    thanks for the thyroid help. you were right. there are two groups of thyroiders, and one
    group is nuts. you know lots more about thyroids than i do about breasts, so it's not a fair trade,
    but life is like that. however, i do know about being scared the fuck out of my mind about cancer,
    and how to get past that. as the saying goes, it takes one to know one, and it takes one to help one.

    if your head is beating you to death with this, holler if i can help.

    ReplyDelete

Comment with your name so I can see you, and your words will post shortly. Thanks for sharing! -sh

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