Musings on a Small Life

I took Friday as a vacation day (my birthday, as some already know) and I'm off tomorrow too. I highly recommend a four-day weekend, wish I could work 80% and still be paid 100% of salary, benefits and pension. Wouldn't we all?  :-) Friday it poured rain most of the day and I spent the morning and early afternoon running errands and doing housework. Always a fun way to celebrate. LOL. I had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon (switched from the 13th) and I'm so glad I went then. It was a different resident this time, and she was very thorough. Doesn't think my leg issues are anything other than mechanical and/or a pinched/blocked nerve or nerves. But she's sending me for blood work to check for common illnesses that would have this as a symptom, as well to check my B12 level. I told her that I doubted it was a B12 deficiency, since this only started 5 - 6 weeks after I started physio. They'll also send me for an MRI, though that will take a while. Ho...

Okay, so some of you likely remember that I'm into my second year with hip/glute issues and that I had a steroid injection last August, after a hip x-ray showed all was normal. (The injection pretty much did diddly squat--slightly eased the pain for a few weeks, that was all.) Then I caved and started physiotherapy in January. So, for the past 9 days or so I've had really bizarre numbness on the front of my thigh and into the inner thigh; it started a few days after my physiotherapist both did a new manipulation and also gave me new exercises to do. I discussed the numbness with her last Friday during my appointment and she told me to stop doing all the Yoga exercises I'd been doing for my back (compressing that area) and to do only the physio exercises. Fine. Well, by yesterday AM the numbness wasn't easing, so today I called my doctor's office and got in to see the resident-of-the-month. Bottom line: He (and the overseeing doctor) don't think it's ...

[This post is primarily for my mother. Can you see me rolling my eyes? Poor Mom! LOL. I love you too.]   I had the steroid injection this morning, which while wasn't fun, went fine. The resident did it under the supervision of the overseeing doctor, and then the overseeing doctor trapped me into doing a female test that we all should have every 3 years (Canada's guidelines). That was adding insult to injury, IMO. (She told me I was due for it and my response, literally, was " Yeah, whatever ." So her reply was that if I wasn't going to come back, she'd do it now . I caved and opted for the "now" because no way was I going back for it.) So I've been poked and prodded in places that hurt (butt and hip) and unmentionable places too, and am feeling quite uncomfortable at the moment. LOL. RE: the hip injection -- it wasn't into the joint, just into the bursa (i.e. fluid-filled sac) at the most painful spot. The doctor did tell me I...

I've been thinking a lot lately about what we have to accept and what we don't. In my case I specifically mean health-related pain, but of course it applies to every aspect of life. As many of you know, I've had odd left groin and abdominal pain since late May/early June, and  I've spent the summer and fall having one test or another to try to pinpoint the cause. Three ultrasounds ruled out abnormal ovarian cysts and a hernia, and confirmed what I already knew: That I have a "million" gall stones. The surgeon doesn't feel I need my gall bladder out at this time, that my gall bladder hasn't been the cause of any of my discomfort. I don't have a stomach ulcer, had the breath test for the bacteria and it was negative. I've had an upper GI: negative. I've done the home test for colon cancer (a truly disgusting test, I pity the person who has to open these envelopes at the lab): also negative. I'm done with appointments now, thank ...

So, after waiting 20 minutes because they didn't realize I was there (after checking in with the receptionist and sitting in a prominent spot in the waiting room), I learned that the ultrasound showed a 1.5 cm cyst on the right ovary, which could disappear on its own and certainly isn't giving me discomfort. (Hey, maybe the lab reversed the images and it really is the left side--ha.) I also was told I have gall stones...but I knew that already. It's entirely possible the gall bladder is on my left, instead of right, side, which could account for some of the upper abdominal pain. I knew I had gall stones 2.5 years ago. Or is it 3.5? In any case, I couldn't make a snap decision about whether to opt for elective surgery to have the gall bladder removed. Wait time would be about a year and a half anyway, but I'll decide after the follow-up ultrasound in six weeks. I asked if, at that time, the radiologist could give a bit more info about the size of stones--whether an...

I got home this aft to find a message from my doctor's office, asking me to call to book a follow-up appointment. So much for the five to seven day wait time when all is normal. LOL. So I called, heart in mouth, and the young woman with whom I've been dealing told me the note from the radiologist said to book an appointment, but that it wasn't urgent. That means the scan did find something, but presumably it's not life-threatening. (Thanks, Trish, for the reassurance!) I have to say, I'm really glad I had the internal ultrasound done too, as it wasn't indicated by my doctor's office. It was the tech who suggested it, since I was there and undressed anyway.  :-) The next available appointment was for Wednesday at 11:30AM, so I took that. Too bad it wasn't Monday. If it's a "simple" cyst, presumably they'll have me wait six weeks, then send me for another ultrasound. Or perhaps suggest its removal. I'll find out when I talk with ...

The doctor couldn't detect anything via pelvic exam yesterday, so is sending me for an ultrasound. I'm scaring myself silly reading about ovarian cancer/cysts. Benign cysts are one thing...cancer is in another ballpark altogether. I'd like to say that the lower left abdominal and pelvic discomfort is merely a strain, and I hope it is, but it just doesn't feel right, you know? Anyway, I have to wait to hear from the ultrasound clinic (at one of the hospitals) for an appointment. In the meantime, life carries on! Universal Blessings and Light to All Beings.